The Gemba Walk: “Go and See” for Lean Continuous Improvement

What is a Gemba Walk? The Gemba Walk process refers to the steps taken by a company to improve productivity in this place where the real work and value is created. They involve steps such as understanding the actual process, organizing a team, and achieving the common goal. Several processes are involved when a company decides to employ the Gemba process. They can identify wasteful processes and develop the right strategies to deal with different issues that may be derailing the company from achieving the set goals. The main goal of the processes is to understand the production process and look for ways of improving it.

Gemba is a Japanese word meaning the actual place or the real place. While it has several different applications across different industries, it is frequently used within organizations that practice the Lean methodology and Kaizen, especially in manufacturing. According to the Japanese term, the Gemba is the place (or places) within your organization where customer value is created. Like Kaizen, Gemba got its start in the Toyota production system. It is easy to see in a manufacturing process on the production floor or shop floor like at a Toyota plant, because it is often the actual place in the facility where products are being assembled. Those products are the value that will be delivered to a customer. When you “go to the Gemba”, you are going to this place where value is created so that you can look for ways to improve the value creation process.

Every business, not just manufacturing companies, have at least one Gemba to visit. Here is my personal experience with going to the Gemba.

An Example of “Going to the Gemba”

For about five years of my career, I worked in the sports and entertainment industry. I worked for the professional basketball team, the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association. Sports teams make revenue in a variety of ways, but a big one is through the fan experience within the venue they play in. The Timberwolves play at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, and game nights are planned by a large team of people who are dedicated to providing an unbelievable experience for fans who come to a game. Every little detail is planned - from the halftime show to where the mascot appears and what he does to how food, beverage, and merchandise is sold. Fan experience is Job One on game nights.

At the Timberwolves, there was a practice that was done before every and during every game night. Starting about two hours before a game, a group of staff members would walk around the entire arena, making sure everything was in place and ready to go. The purpose of the walk was making sure there is no trash in the concourse aisles, merchandise stands are set up nicely and correctly, emergency doors are closed and functional, are just a few of the things the group would look at. The arena, and especially the entrances, concourse, vendor stations, and seats, were the Gemba. Fans pay for the experience in the arena. That experience is where value is delivered. Every place a fan could go, is the Gemba.

These Gemba visits also occurred during the game. Staff members would walk around the arena during the game, making sure the experience was what was expected, including looking for opportunities to make the experience better. Some experiences you have as a fan at a sports arena are the result of a staff member finding a better way to do something. This can only be done by going to the place where value is created, when it is being created. That is going to the Gemba. That is making the Gemba Walk.

Tips for Implementing a Gemba Walk

Any organization that would like to improve productivity of value creation can use the Gemba process. There are several steps involved when people are looking to go to the Gemba. Some of the steps that people can take to go to Gemba are as follows:

Documenting observations

The Gemba walk checklist requires you to learn of areas where you are not doing well and work towards improving on such processes. There are several steps involved for you to improve the process. The first step to take involves documenting everything. Ensure you check out different work areas that require improvement, then document them. Having a checklist of all the things you are required to do is necessary to improve business processes.

Asking Questions

For continuous improvement, there is a need to ask why certain processes are carried out a certain way. During the documentation process, you may have realized certain steps are making you fail to achieve your full potential. The need to ask questions and examine the best strategies to employ is necessary to keep the processes working. Those keen to ask questions and offer suggestions can improve the processes in a given production facility.

Walk in Teams

There is a need to walk in teams during the workflow assessments process. This forces individuals to get out from in front of a computer and actually see and discuss the findings of the Gemba. When you walk with team members, there are high chances you will get to deal with different issues that face you and come up successful. There are different processes you may be required to fulfill in a given process. To easily fulfill such processes and avoid errors, there is a need to walk in a group and observe. It will be easy to capture all the details about a given process when several people are involved in the observation process.

Follow-up with Employees

For the company to succeed in whatever they are doing, there is a need for all employees to do the right thing. After a Gemba Walk, gather everyone in a conference room to review results and next steps. Build visual boards to map out processes that could be candidates for incremental improvement. The employees will be required to follow different steps and achieve great success in their goals. Ensure all employees, from front line workers to senior leadership, have clear set goals that they will work to achieve. When all employees in a given organization are offered the right goals to target, they will likely achieve great success in their target. Ensure you check out the different departments and make sure they have set goals. When people work towards achieving goals, there are high chances they will get things running.

Prepare the Team

There are high chances you will achieve more when working in a team. The team should be prepared well to tackle the different issues they face. For example, the team should know the right steps to take at different levels. For example, if they want to accomplish certain goals, they should always stay prepared to tackle them. When employees are set in teams with the right leadership, they will likely achieve great success in the process. Have well-organized teams, and they will achieve the goals during the Gemba process.

Have a Plan

It is a good idea to always have a plan on what you are supposed to do at different stages. For example, you may like to improve certain processes in the production line. There should be clear plans on how to improve the production line and the necessary marketing efforts you should put in place to handle the extra production. When companies are well organized to handle the different changes in the organization, there are high chances they will achieve great success when operating. The best strategies to employ aim at making the company achieve more.

Focus on Process

After the right prices have been established in an organization, there is a need to follow the processes. During the improvement process in an organization, there is a need to develop effective policies to accomplish certain goals. After the processes have been developed, it is essential to develop the right steps that will contribute to tackling certain issues in an organization. Companies that work to achieve great success will be fully prepared to tackle the different problems that can come up. Always rely on the best strategies that will contribute towards growing the company in the process.

One of the results of the Gemba process is to create standardized work. Standard work brings consistency and predictability, which help with the goal of improvement.

Track attendance and collect data

After the implementation of Gemba, there is a need to track the attendance of employees and collect data on different aspects. The top management team can develop processes to improve operation in a given company. They need to assess data to know whether the steps that have been taken can work towards improving the performance and have eliminated wasteful activities. For example, the employees should work to meet certain targets. Continuous collection of data is necessary to ensure the right steps are employed. It becomes easy to figure out the problem and fix it when the right steps are employed in the process improvement journey.

Share experience and feedback

All work processes involved in a given company should be tracked to know whether they are working. The team leader and leadership team should develop strategies to collect feedback on the different processes they have implemented. For example, if they would like to learn more about the effectiveness of a given strategy, they should have a way of collecting data. They can rely on the feedback collection mechanism from which the right steps can be taken to address different issues that face people in a given organization. Effective collection of data is required to achieve success in a given field.

Implementation of Gemba and regular Gemba walks is the best way to achieve success in a given field. And despite what you might have heard or think, the Gemba process is not just for the factory floor and production lines. When people are involved in the continuous improvement process, they should ensure they follow the above steps to implement changes and turn their enterprises to profitability.