2. Definition: In the manufacturing world, a Gemba walk is the action of walking around a factory floor performed
by management with the goal to identify problems, waste and improvement ideas.
What is a Gemba Walk?
Meaning of Gemba
Gemba (genba): Japanese word meaning “the real place”.
It’s where value creation happens, but also where most problems and waste take place.
Gemba Walk Structure:
The goal is to identify potential issues as well as discordances from the set standard
to proactively control operations and generate improvement ideas.
3. 1. Put the company’s organizational chart up to date
2. Present the Gemba Walk through an introduction meeting
3. Set-up Gemba Walk checklists
4. Set a standard recurring schedule
5. Shadow every team leader’s Gemba Walk, individually
6. Schedule improvement meetings
7. Sustain the Gemba
How to Implement a Gemba Walk Structure?
Download our Gemba Walk eBook to access checklists, templates,
and detailed strategies to implement a Gemba Walk structure:
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4. Our answer:
All levels of management should perform Gemba Walks in accordance with their role and responsibilities.
That way, managers can take the pulse on the floor and ensure that everything is going according to plan.
Which Management Level Should
Perform Gemba Walks?
Team leader, supervisor
Manager, department or service director
Director, President, VP, C-Levels
Gemba checklists should contain validation points in accordance with the role of the person executing it.
5. Without a standardized checklist
Gemba walks that aren’t standardized can bring up issues or improvement ideas that are based on the first problems a
manager encounters. Spontaneous Gemba Walks and other unplanned methods can differ based on who performs them,
which limits the level of control. A senior and experienced manager will not act as a new manager will do.
With a standardized checklist
With a standardized checklist, workers are ready to answer questions. Also, lists standardize the operational control within all
supervisors and managers, from one department, one shift and one factory to another. Thus, new supervisors and managers
who join the team will be trained faster, as they simply follow the standard checklist to supervise their team.
Standard Gemba walks ensure frontline workers steady support throughout the day.
Are Standardized Gemba Checklists Important?
6. What Should Managers Validate?
The manager should validate elements (pre-established
standards) that impact the key indicators of the
organization’s strategic objectives.
The goal is to proactively identify potential issues as
well as discordances from the set standard.
Most frequently, the subject of the questions will
concern workers, information, materials or equipment.
7. You must first think about the type of discrepancies from the standard that you want to identify. After this
exercise, you can determine the questions that will bring out these problems, wastes and non-conformities.
For a potential issue raised to be relevant, it needs to be actionable; on which you can take action.
Be sure that:
Questions are solution-oriented, rather than focused on trying to find who’s at fault.
Questions identify relevant potential issues and discrepancies from the standard.
Potential issues have an impact on indicators to which the organization focuses.
How to Choose the Best Questions?
8. Have there been any problems related to quality in the past two hours that we didn’t see coming?
Is the worker at his workstation?
Is the 5S respected?
Does the production rate follow the schedule?
Does the worker know the next priority?
Does the worker have all the required supplies for the next job?
Does the employee have all the required tools for the next job?
Does the employee have the proper training for the next job?
Are there any issues to transfer?
Is the equipment working properly? Does it need maintenance?
Does the department need more people for the next job?
Examples of Gemba Walks Questions
9. Set goals to managers and supervisors
e.g. number of Gemba walks performed, average time, issues count, number of opportunities.
Follow Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
e.g. average time of a Gemba Walk, issues count, recurring issues count, Gemba Walks count.
Conduct Gemba Walks with your team on the floor
The immediate manager of a supervisor or team leader can occasionally conduct a Gemba Walk with his subordinates.
This gives insight on how the supervisor interacts with the employees. Doing so helps the manager pinpoint how to better
coach the supervisors.
Conduct inspections to improve compliance of supervisors’ behaviours
It is possible to inspect the execution of the Gemba Walks to enhance the management behaviour of supervisors and
help team leaders identify training needs.
Measure with Tervene
Increase your visibility on many indicators: Gemba Walks count, issues count,
average time per Gemba Walks, number of improvement opportunities raised.
How to Measure the Quality of Gemba Walks?
10. Want to learn more about Gemba Walks?
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