Gemba walk

"Gemba" is a word from Japanese language [現場] which is meaning of "go to the place, look at the process, talk with people!". There are some explanation as below,

1. Learning model.

Gemba walk is way to build up the learning model liked sensei's apprenticeship. "Sensei" is also a japanese word means "teacher or coach". The subordinates just like the students or apprentices. Sensei should also instill in the students the discipline needed to effectively sustain a lean conversion and have it improve consistently. Sensei has the responsibility of showing the "True North" direction of his students, coach them which is the right direction, when to stop and when to go. Sensei teach by stretching the student's thinking and perceptions through questions that stimulate the student to consider entirely new possibilities. Students might consider questions such as these:

What would you learn if you measured in smaller intervals of time?
What is the team leader supposed to be doing in this situation?
How could these expectations be made more clear?......etc.

Please remember this is not the concept in conventional, "I say, You do!" Gamba walk is a way of learning model helping you gradually to establish a new, lean way of seeing and thinking.

2. Methodology

The gemba walk should be set up in regularly scheduled basis. The time period must be, long enough to all team to digest the advice and complete the task assignment, short enough to maintain a sense of pace. We always suggest to setup the gemba walk by weekly basis.
The team of gemba walk should be firmed with necessary members and should not be changed with no reason. The gemba team should be well informed the schedule, they also need the patience and tolerance for frustration. Sometime, I saw the senior management walking in the workshop without any communication. They just liked a spy to investigate the problem, afterward, they sent a long email to challenge everyone related. And then, everyone was busy in reply his email by explanation. What is benefit to do that? Please remember, the gemba walk must be set up in transparent form.
All grading of management should setup their suitable level of gemba walk. The higher of level, the wider to check, the longer of time interval. Offcause, it is no sense of a VP to carry on a gamba walk with technician. They should a relative and suitable member such as the plant manager or general manager.

3. Focal points

As the details of item 1, The leader of gameba walk must have well knowledge in both technical elements lean manufacturing system and lean management system. During the gemba walk, they should lead the team to focus on the below items,

3.1 Process focus,
3.2 Process improvement,
3.3 Leader availability,
3.4 Labor planning,
3.5 Standard works,
3.6 Comunication,
3.7 Workplace organization.

According to the above items, the leader (sensei) should assign the tasks of improvement accordingly. They also has a responsibility to follow up and trace the assigned tasks implementation. It is also a way of leadership discipline.

Finally, we don't to fix everything in one gemba walk. The main purpose of it is going to fine tune the direction of continuous improvement. Make sure that all the subordinates are working in the same goal. at the same time, we control the speed of the improvement. Is that running too fast, so that many improvement can not sustian? Is that running too slow, we ignore the opportunity for further improving? The factor of success for gemba walk, even in overall lean transformation, is PATIENCE.

OK, any comment?