How do you plan and prepare for a gemba walk?

Before you go on a Gemba walk ... Make sure the area / team you are observing gives you an idea of what typically happens versus the "happy path". In other words, you want to observe what happens most of the time and what the performance looks like on average. You don't only want to observe the performance of a process from a top performer's perspective. Matt Rebeiro #gemba #lss #LeanSixSigma #process

To clarify stakeholders, the planning meeting to define the scope/duration/frequency of the walks should include those stakeholders. If new stakeholders are discovered who weren’t identified initially (perhaps due to an expansion of the originally-planned scope), those individuals should be brought into the fold as well.

Need to br clear if gemba is focused on activities, decision points and deliverables more than time-motion analysis. Very difficult to do both at the same time.

I agree, gemba walks should have a specific purpose in mind, ensuring that the ‘walk’ is focused and aligned with the strategic objectives. This’ll help narrow down scope, duration, and frequency of the gemba walk, making it much more effective and efficient - and close the loop for future inspection. Gemba walks need intention and structure, from a set of standardised questions to checklists. Simply observing processes from afar isn’t good enough, you need to engage with those people who perform the tasks and build relationships that create valuable insights and feedback for process improvement. You’ll then need to involve & inform others in the team, promoting deeper collaboration and accountability, leading to better business outcomes.

Defining roles (or rather redefining roles)is very important because a gemba is a critical opportunity for equal opportunity of ideas & observations… whatever roles and chain of command the participants had before the gemba… are suspended until afterward. There are no bosses in a gemba walk.

I wouldn’t consider a good understanding of the current state and performance to be a prerequisite, as this is one of the purposes of the Gemba walk in the first place—to see firsthand how the workflow currently takes place, and how much room there is for improvement.

Agreed, it’s important to establish a baseline against which to measure improvements. Without a clear understanding of the current state, it can be challenging (but not impossible) to identify areas of improvement and track progress. Secondly, it helps in assessing compliance and identifying deviations. This can reveal potential gaps in performance or variations from established best practices, which can be addressed during the gemba walk. Furthermore, it helps identify waste and inefficiencies, identifying unnecessary steps, delays, bottlenecks, or defects that contribute to waste and inefficiencies in the workflow - leading to targeted improvements to streamline processes, elimination of waste and reaching desired performance levels.

I have seen that the current state is often defined by folks who are not on the factory floor. While it may be helpful to have a "current state" the "current state" needs to be validated during Gemba walks.

In my experience many times the employees misunderstand the purpose of the Gemba walk and assume they’re being “performance managed,” which they are not. They express anxiety and discomfort. Before I “walk” with them, I clearly explain the project’s purpose, the goal, etc. I make an effort to “set the stage” by allowing time for questions and answers and encourage them to provide feedback.

Candid feedback is imperative to a valuable Gemba walk, but it goes much deeper than a simple pre-walk conversation with the staff. If the company culture doesn’t encourage and enable everyone from the frontline employee to top tier management to vocalize concerns, ideas and criticisms on a regular basis, they’ll likely hold back during the walk as well, limiting the quantity and quality of the insights.

It’s important to schedule the walk during normal operating hours to get an accurate assessment, rather than within the timeframes as described above. In my experience within contact centres, this enables a greater consistency of results and within agreed tolerance range as set within your original baseline gemba walk. Communication on purpose and expectations with your stakeholders is key to gain buy-in and engagement. This may inc. project members of all belts, employees conducting the process, process owners, project champions and exec sponsors. Without communications or involving key stakeholders, you run the risk of disruption, misunderstanding & a lack of gaining valuable insights which’ll help future lean six change management.

This is half true, preparation is important, but gemba walks are not a panacea. It’s the alignment of your ‘tools’ with the specific gemba walk being taken which in my experience has driven the most value. For example, if information collection is the focus within an office environment, you’d prioritise data collection inventory over carrying tools and materials such as PPE, which may not be applicable until a production environment gemba walk. To support this, visual management (checklists etc.) support the above and aid continuous improvement. This occurs by using the insights gathered during the gemba walk in identifying areas of improvement and implementation of changes, enhancing the process and driving continuous improvement.

Yes, safety equipment is important. Wear all the safety equipment workers are required to wear. The best equipment is your two ears and two eyes. Take a pen and notecards, no stopwatch, no camera. If you need a map, start over! Your impression is most important.

This is a great opportunity to ask humble questions about the process[es] so that you can receive information and learn about what is going on to create value, the issues experienced, the workarounds and why's of how value is being created. The people on the floor are talented and experienced, care about what they are doing, and are willing to share what they know. The right questions can also open you up to show trust in your team which helps grow trust throughout the organization.

Not only should you ask questions, but actually run through the process or step yourself. It's great to understand the why from people who are experienced in this area and gather knowledge but a true gemba walk should involve yourself taking part. Imagine you're a new starter at this process, that is exactly how that person would feel and you may gather more questions from doing rather than asking.

Agreed. In my experience, Lean Six Sigma is not just a set of tools and techniques, but about creating a culture of continuous improvement. A positive mindset & attitude, often motivates your project team to actively participate in the gemba walk, contribute ideas, and embrace changes for improvement. Lead with a learning attitude, especially from those closest to the process. Having a growth mindset and a positive attitude will enable a deeper understanding of the process, it’s nuances, and the underlying causes of problems, leading to more effective problem-solving and improvement efforts. Embrace servant leadership, creating a positive impression and influence. It inspires openness, improvement, and encourages others to do the same.

This is an excellent set of instructions. This is the heart of the Gemba. Identifying opportunities will come once you have established a conversation. Ask the folks on the line (and their first-level supervisors) for improvement opportunities.

All of the above points are valid and describe the typical Gemba walk from a cold, theoretical point of view, but it's also important to take into account the non-academic aspects of Gemba walks, so it's always important to consider things like: Be open-minded and willing to learn. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Be respectful of the people you are working with. Be patient and don't expect to solve all the problems in one walk. Follow up on your observations and make improvements. If you interact with your colleagues with respect, the chances of any future improvements in processes succeeding rise dramatically!

Follow the value stream by identifying opportunities within the handoffs between processes, depts. and people. By following the flow of value, you’ll identify those areas that have a greater potential for waste - for example, Muda, Mura and Muri. Gemba walks should not be treated as mere observations. They should lead to action and follow-up. You should document your findings, analyse the data, and prioritise improvement opportunities. You should collaborate with your project team(s) to develop and implement action plans, monitor progress, ensuring that the identified improvements are being implemented, are within tolerances and being sustained. Gemba walks are not a one-time event but an ongoing practice for continuous improvement.