For a company to thrive and achieve its goals, it must constantly adopt new and innovative business methods. There are many strategies a company can use to achieve its bottom line and set goals. As industry leader Ease.io shows us (https://www.ease.io/creating-a-gemba-walk-checklist/), one of the fast-rising and preferred ways, especially by manufacturing companies, is using a Gemba Walk Checklist.
We shall discuss the Gemba walk and other essential aspects of the Gemba walk checklist in the article below.
What is a Gemba Walk?
Many efficient and effective methods of improving productivity for manufacturing companies have their roots in Japan. Gemba walk also hails from Japan, and this concept is by engineer Taiichi Ohno.
A Gemba Walk simply means taking a tour of the company to determine which areas are the heart of operations. The management does this walk-through to decide which processes directly contribute to more productivity while identifying and minimizing shortcomings.
What is a Gemba Walk Checklist?
To effectively conduct a successful and thorough Gemba Walk, it is vital to ensure that you focus on the right areas. This is better done by noting down the areas of focus, and this list is referred to as a Gemba Walk Checklist.
The checklist questions become your guide during the Gemba Walk and ensure that important details are not forgotten, and all departments are optimally screened.
What are the Key Features of a Gemba Walk Checklist?
Formulating a Gemba Walk Checklist is not as complicated as you may think. Organization is critical in making a foolproof list. You should ensure that you identify the department, process, or floor to be observed, check for the problems present and determine how to address said issues.
These are some of the aspects of a Gemba Walk Checklist;
- Theme
It is easier to make observations when you set a theme. The theme narrows down the questions you should focus on and thus defines the path of importance. A glance at the performance report may help you choose the theme.
- Employees
No one likes to feel ambushed, especially in the workplace. Anxious workers will frustrate and slow down the Gemba Walk, and you must prepare your people in advance. Start by explaining the process and how it benefits them and the company.
Employees better understand issues a particular floor faces, which adds value to the checklist. In most cases, they also hold the answers to the problems that arise. Remember to respect the employees’ space and opinions regardless of how you perceive them.
- Point of Focus
As you conduct the Gemba Walk, you must ensure that you focus on the processes and not the employees. It would be best if you always remembered that this is not an employee evaluation, and questions that do not link with the processes should be wholly avoided.
- Value Stream
Once you start this checklist, it is easy to get lost in the problems, and this will defeat the purpose of the Gemba Walk. This exercise aims to ensure that you focus on the areas of value, procedures, and approaches used to achieve productivity.
- Question Structure
It is important to make the questions as understandable as possible for the employees. The structure of the questions should answer the why, when, where, how, and what of each relevant process.
- Recording
It would be relatively futile to conduct a successful Gemba Walk Checklist and not note your observations. There are a few ways to record the observations, such as using videos, pictures, and writing in a notebook.
After finishing the analysis stage of the Walk, prepare a report and make your suggestions. You can then share these suggestions with your other managers and the employees.
How Does a Gemba Walk Help with Business Processes?
When done right, a Gemba Walk will give lean management the backbone it requires and help managers gain a more indepth understanding of the value of each floor. This information will help streamline the processes and ensure that the value-adding activities are prioritized.
Whether you use an app or template for your Gemba Walk, the company is sure o reap tremendous benefits from the exercise.
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