While advanced analytics are valuable, there’s nothing quite like observing something firsthand. It’s easy for manufacturing managers to become fixated on the big picture, visualizing every aspect of their operations as cells in a spreadsheet. Although it’s certainly important to maintain a bird’s-eye view of how well your entire operation is running, it’s also necessary to set foot on the shop floor every now and then. This is the principle behind the Gemba walk, a practice carried over from Japanese management concepts and adapted by companies all over the world. The idea behind it is simple, but it can have a tremendous impact on lean manufacturing efforts as well as ongoing process improvement. By simply walking through your facilities and being observant, you can drive lasting improvements throughout your operations.
What is a Gemba walk in manufacturing?
The idea behind the Gemba walk couldn’t be simpler. Adapted from the Japanese word “gembutsu,” meaning “the real place,” this process involves managers walking through the places where actual work is being conducted and making observations about what’s going on there. It also calls for managers to talk to employees and watch them as they work to gain insights into how they approach their jobs and whether there might be some improvements that could be made.
One example of this idea is the safety Gemba walk, which involves keeping an eye out for specific safety practices and whether they are being followed. Whatever the focus of the Gemba walk, it can be an effective tool for continuous improvement efforts, helping guide efforts to reduce waste and adopt stronger practices. The more operations managers observe firsthand, the easier it becomes to identify and address bottlenecks or areas for improvement.
Preparing for a successful Gemba walk
Preparation is key for conducting an effective Gemba walk, and it begins with setting clear objectives. You should determine which processes you’ll be observing and what exactly you’re looking for within them. You also need to notify the team about your observation plans and cleary outline the process to ensure there are no surprises. It’s also important to know how you’ll be collecting your observations and prepare some questions to ask the team once you’re down on the floor. When interacting with the team, be prepared to listen and keep an open mind.
Conducting the Gemba walk
Once you have your plan in place and the Gemba walk scheduled, it’s time to focus on the proper protocols for conducting your walk. Having a Gemba walk checklist will make it easier to keep track of everything you want to see and do. As you walk through the facility, be sure to take the time to watch targeted processes and evaluate whether they’re being performed to standards and producing the desired results. When talking to employees, be sure to ask why certain practices you notice are being conducted, as the answers may help you to identify areas of improvement or new techniques that might bring better results.
Above all else, it’s critical to conduct a Gemba walk with respect for your team. The goal is not to micromanage what employees are doing or to frighten them into doing their jobs a certain way. Your objective should be to observe how your processes actually work and find ways to improve it to drive operational excellence. This will be made much more difficult if your walk doesn’t include gathering feedback from your team.
Analyzing and acting on Gemba walk findings
After you complete your Gemba walk and record all your findings, the next step is to take everything you’ve seen into consideration. Are there common pain points that you noticed interrupting processes? Do employees have any suggestions about how they can be more effective in their jobs? Were there any glaring issues that could be resolved with some adjustments?
The results of your Gemba walk should be analyzed within a framework that is focused on effective problem-solving, such as a root cause analysis. This enables you to get to the bottom of any issues you noticed and discover what may be causing them. Once you’ve uncovered these, you and your team should work on an action plan to resolve the concerns. With regularly scheduled Gemba walks, you can ensure any improvements you make are sustainable and establish a culture of continuous improvement throughout your organization.
Overcoming challenges in Gemba walks
Many manufacturers find it difficult to make their continuous improvement efforts stick, and this includes the Gemba walk. Some of the most common obstacles include employee resistance and a lack of support from upper management. As with most things, proper communication is the key to overcoming resistance from your staff. Make it clear to everyone involved what the process will look like and what the anticipated benefits will be. It’s also a good idea to let them know their feedback is a critical element of the Gemba walk.
When it comes to achieving buy-in from management, manufacturing managers must be able to articulate what the goal of the Gemba walk is and how it can lead to process improvements. Once everyone understands how it can bring about operational excellence, any resistance should fade.
Gemba walks are a core element of ongoing kaizen efforts in numerous companies worldwide, and that’s for a very good reason. Seeing what’s happening in your facility with your own eyes can be much more effective for evaluating your processes than simply relying on raw data. Implementing this concept on your production floor can be a powerful way to drive lean manufacturing principles and boost your overall productivity. The first steps you take on a Gemba walk are steps in the right direction for success.
