A Gemba walk is a team-building exercise that helps teams understand their work processes from the perspective of their direct customers. It’s a way for companies to dig deep and find the root causes of their problems. And it’s often a key part of taking the step from Gemba walks to Layered Process Audits.
This post introduces how to conduct a Gemba walk in your organisation. We’ll also discuss how you can identify the root cause of problems and how to use these findings to build a Lean Six Sigma project.
What Are 3 Important Components Of The Gemba Walk?
This lean manufacturing tool comprises the following important components:
- Go see: The idea for managers and leaders is to go and see how operations and different processes are taking place in your company and if they align with the goals and objectives of the company.
- Ask why: It’s important to understand every step of the manufacturing process for you to solve the day-to-day problems. Through active communication, leaders can listen to the problems of the staff and work on them.
- Show respect: A Gemba walk helps you connect with your employees and provides a medium for you to care for their wellbeing. During the Gemba walks, it is important to involve your employees and let them know the reason behind these walks is to make their work life easier.
What Are The Steps Involved In This Process?
Here are the main steps involved in the Gemba walk:
1. Prepare the team
Prepare the team that will be observed, and all team members must understand that the process is a continuous improvement. It makes the workers feel more comfortable and collaborative.
2. Plan your Gemba walk
Plan your Gemba walk to have a defined purpose that should be associated with KPI. During the Gemba walk, the manager needs to ask questions about the process, those involved, the materials used, and more in-depth questions about the manufacturing process.
3. Follow the value stream
Follow up the value chain; this will allow you to identify gray areas full of wasteful activities. Work on eliminating these activities, and it will boost your overall performance.
4. Focus on the process rather than the people
It is worth noting that the main purpose of the Gemba walk is to observe, understand and improve processes. Prepare the employees by letting them know that you will ask many questions about their work and that these questions aim to understand their work.
5. Document your observations
A lot goes on during the Gemba walk, and to help you remember your observations. You should bring tools that will help you note down your observations. To document your observations, you can either note them down or take videos and images.
6. Communicate with your employees
After observing and identifying areas that need improvement, it’s essential to communicate with team members before making any changes. Communicate effectively with your workers on your observations to understand their daily work life and areas they want to improve.
7. Measure key KPIs
After implementing improvement projects, track how the workers are performing and measure KPIs to gauge whether the company will achieve its goals and results. It is important to regularly do Gemba walks for your staff to implement these improvements firsthand.
8. Follow up
After the Gemba walk, share with your team the lessons learned. It reduces the feelings of the team being watched; if any action needs to be taken, you should communicate with the team about the upcoming changes.
What Are The Advantages Of A Gemba Walk?
Gemba walks have numerous benefits to businesses. Here are some of the benefits of implementing Gemba walks:
- It improves decision-making by considering valuable insights and data.
- It ensures collaboration among teams and stakeholders by improving communication at all levels in the company.
- It shows your staff that you care about their well-being and boosts employee morale.
- It enables the business to streamline operations, saving time and money.
- It allows processes in the company to be standardized.
- It helps with identifying opportunities.
- It ensures facility safety.
So What is a Gemba Walk and Why is it Important?
Gemba walks are an important part of lean management, and they aid in increasing productivity, reducing costs, increasing teamwork, and aligning with customer satisfaction efforts.
