A "Gemba Walk" is an expression used in the world of lean manufacturing, often inaccurately.  Colleagues frequently disagree on what that even means.  For example, within a week of each other, one consultant explained it as meaning one thing, while just a week later another consultant’s definition was completely different.  So, even people from similar fields, working at the same place, toward the same goals, disagree.  Based on this anecdotal evidence, it seems there is a major need to define both the letter and intent of what the phrase actually means. Hopefully, this will shed some light on the issue.

Just like so many aspects of the Kaizen movement, the word gemba, too, is of Japanese origin.  It means "workplace".  Therefore, a "gemba" walk would therefore be a visit to the workplace.  We might assume that the person doing the walking is free to visit however the organization sees fit.  One person will typically act as a scribe in order to capture action items.  A follow-up is ensured this way.  The phrase "gemba walk" has been Americanized and popularized by Tom Peters as MBWA, or Management By Walking Around, which he communicates as meaning largely the same thing.

Jim Womack writes about the Gemba Walk in his book wherein he discusses how to use the gemba walk to produce “farmers” who work daily to improve the processes and systems needed for perfect work, taking the time and effort to produce long-term improvement.  He also goes to educate how the honest practice of respecting your workers boils down to helping them frame and resolve their own problems and even more concepts about his experiences performing the gemba walk over thirty years at countless companies.

Here is a gemba walk checklist that we used when we started.  It successfully helped us align our efforts at meaningful product flow.  In order to make it so, each workstation should facilitate the following data collection methods:

• Hourly production (Target and actual)
• Reasons for not meeting production targets
• Reason why you have WIP in the area
• Rework and rejection count
• Reasons for rework and rejection
• Corrective Actions
• Task assignment and due dates

The following questions could be used by trained operators to both update the data, while identifying reasons that interrupt the flow:

• Was the production target met?
• If the target was not met what was the reason?
• Is there any WIP?
• Reason why WIP is there?
• Was there Rework and/or Rejection?
• What was the reason for Rework and Rejection?
• Was corrective action put in place?
• Are there any overdue action items?
• What are the reasons for overdue items?
• Improvement questions / tasks assignments?

The best way to conform to the walk’s purpose is to remain comfortable.  Walkers should feel free to bring up issues, any at all, with people in other areas.  Walkers should also be open to any issues brought up by others.  This is the only way that improvement is achieved.

There is no way to keep these avenues open without committing to open or even brutal honesty.  A gemba walk will not truly be effective without this type of freedom.  The true purpose of the walk is to improve productivity.  This purpose cannot be achieved if any participant is trying to blame or point out the inadequacies of anyone else.  After all, bringing others down is never a good goal, but sharing ideas can always be.

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