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Gemba walk

Concept

A lean management routine in which leaders go to the place where the work happens, observe the process and ask the people doing it questions, to see problems first-hand and support improvement.

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Title graphic: Gemba walk (Concept)

Description

Gemba is the Japanese word for the actual place where work is done. On a gemba walk, a manager goes there on purpose to see the process with their own eyes, talk to the people doing the work and understand what gets in their way. The aim is learning and support, not inspection.

A good walk has a clear theme, such as safety or flow in one area, is short and regular, and ends with agreed actions that someone follows up. Notes stay simple so that patterns become visible over weeks. Gemba walks are a core routine of lean management and shop floor management. They work best when leaders ask open questions and show respect for the people they meet.

TypeConcept
Also known asGemba walks, Go and see

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Gemba walkiFAKT GmbHRelated toPolaris OperatorRelated toShop floor manageme…Related toLean managementRelated toKaizenRelated toContinuous improvem…Related toLean managerRelated toSpaghetti diagramRelated to
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Maintained by Mirko Peters (Microsoft MVP) · Last updated: