What is a Gemba Walk?

What is gemba walk? A gem (or sometimes gehma) walk is the English term used for real-life observation of working, preferably work that is occurring in the open air. The original Japanese word for this walk comes from, that means the actual object. In this case, it means the actual physical location where the activity is taking place.

It is widely accepted that most people take for granted that they can observe activities taking place on the job site without being directly involved in them. Gemba walks are a way for employees to get up close and personal with the operations of the business. Observation is critical because it gives managers an opportunity to ask questions and learn about the day-to-day operations. Managers can also learn valuable lessons about scheduling, profitability, customer service, as well as more.

In the principles of gemba walks, participants observe an entire floor or a piece of business property, usually in much more detail than would be done by a mere observer standing on the street. A gemba walk allows participants to become more observant, paying attention to details like the texture of concrete or the sound of a door closing. These observations provide managers a valuable tool to improve customer service. Managers can learn important lessons about lean management tool concepts by observing the way employees act and react in certain situations.

A continuous improvement (C.O.I.) strategy that is built on the premise that businesses must observe, imitate, and adapt to changes in the face of those changes requires that managers create structures that foster this kind of awareness. Managers can do this by creating an environment that encourages people to ask questions, participate in group discussions, and listen to others' experiences. Managers can also do this by carefully selecting employees to attend walking sessions so that they are more likely to notice and report changes.

For managers to make continuous improvements effective, it is often necessary for them to think in terms of value streams. A gemba walk can be used to identify a value stream by following a group of workers from its source (the point at which they work) to its ultimate destination (the customer or the company). Walking groups with workers from different value streams allows managers to identify areas of improvement that require additional focus and effort, and that will not be accomplished without additional time and effort on the part of the manager.

When following a gemba walk, managers should identify a specific, identified problem in order to effectively pinpoint areas for improvement. It is also a good idea to develop a plan that will be executed in order to make sure all stakeholders are aware of the plan's details and are committed to working with the plan. Once everyone knows what is expected of them, then they can begin their own efforts towards realizing the value stream identified during the gemba walk. Check out this post: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemba, for more useful insights on this topic.