Gemba walks are a Lean management tool that fits in with many other Lean manufacturing concepts. The focus of a Lean manufacturing system in general is on identifying waste in work processes and eliminating it. That way only things that add value for the customer are performed or included. While a gemba walk can focus on many aspects of processes, it is possible to look for specific types…
CSS Editorial Staff | June 4, 2019 | Gemba, Lean | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Facility Marking, Gemba, Kaizen, Lean, Lean Manufacturing
When it comes to safe and efficient operation of a workplace, most people are used to reading Japanese terms like Kaizen, Gemba, Gembutsu, Kanban, and more. Many companies, however, overlook the term Yokoten, and the many benefits it can bring. Barry Jeffrey posted an interesting article to the LinkedIn Group, “Gemba Academy,” where it generated some interesting discussion and ideas. The article is titled, “The Art of…
Tony Ferraro | December 22, 2016 | Lean | 5S, Gemba, Kaizen, Kanban, Yokoten
Kaizen is a Japanese term for improvement, and is commonly uses as the basis for a methodology that is focused on continuous improvement for businesses. It is most commonly used in warehouse and manufacturing facilities where the goals of eliminating waste and improving efficiency are very important. While Kaizen as a whole is a very high level concept, there are many strategies that are used under the…
Tony Ferraro | June 10, 2016 | Kaizen | 3 G Prinicples, Facility Efficiency, Gemba, Kaizen
The term Genchi Genbutsu is Japanese in origin and came from the Toyota Production System, which is where methodologies like Lean manufacturing originated. Loosely translated, the term means “go and see.” When used in a workplace, it is usually said to imply that when there is a problem in the facility, the best thing you can do is go out and actually see the physical location where…
Tony Ferraro | April 8, 2016 | Lean | Gemba, Genchi Genbutsu, Lean Manufacturing
How to Gemba in the Office Many companies today use the concept of gemba to help identify areas within a manufacturing facility where improvements in efficiency can be made. The term gemba is Japanese in origin and means, “the real place.” When used in the context of manufacturing or business, this typically refers to the place where value is created, such as the factory floor. For manufacturing…
Tony Ferraro | December 22, 2015 | Gemba | Facility Efficiency, Gemba
Useful Tips to Help Implement PDCA One of the most effective ways to implement changes in a facility is by using the PDCA cycle. PDCA, which stands for Plan Do Check Act is a system that has been used for years by many different types of industries. It is simple enough to use that it doesn’t require too much training, but there are some tips and tricks…
Tony Ferraro | November 17, 2015 | Lean | Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency, Gemba, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing
Have you Completed a Gemba Walk in Shipping and Receiving? When thinking about gemba walks most companies immediately start thinking about the manufacturing floor. While this is certainly a key area where gemba walks can be completed, it is not the only option. In fact, it is not even the first place that should come to mind when thinking about adding gemba walks to your facilities efficiency improvement…
Tony Ferraro | November 12, 2015 | Gemba | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Forklift Safety, Gemba
Introducing Gemba Walk in a Manufacturing Environment Gemba walks are becoming a very popular and effective way for facility management and other key areas to learn more about what goes on within the facility. Gemba, which simply means ‘the real place’ or ‘where the action is’ shows those who don’t normally do a specific task how it is being done. This knowledge can help them to come up…
Tony Ferraro | September 2, 2015 | Gemba | 5S, Gemba, Lean Manufacturing
Have You Done Your Safety Walk? One of the most important goals of any facility should be to keep the employees and the company as safe as possible. In most cases, all the basic safety requirements will already be in place, including things like fire suppression systems, evacuation routes, safety signs and more. When a facility is in compliance with all the main regulatory requirements related to…
Tony Ferraro | February 4, 2015 | Gemba | Gemba, Lean Manufacturing, Regulations & Compliance, Safety
Should We Quantify All KAIZEN/Lean Efforts from the Shop Floor? Ben Huang, a professional in the midst of implementing Lean techniques into his workplace, has a dilemma. As he related on a LinkedIn group this past week, Lean is apparently going well in his business, but he’s unsure of the extent to which he should be documenting and measuring the process. On the one hand, even small…
Tony Ferraro | December 1, 2014 | Lean | Gemba, Kaizen, Lean, Six Sigma
Identify the Gemba 7 Wastes When you are attempting to operate a lean facility, you should always be focused on eliminating waste wherever possible. One of the best ways to do this is by learning about the Gemba process. Gemba, which is a Japanese term that means ‘the real place’ is an idea that essentially means that in order to find the real cause of waste, you…
Tony Ferraro | October 14, 2014 | Gemba | Gemba
Business leaders in virtually all industries today are looking for ways to make improvements in the way their company runs. There are many types of improvement opportunities available, including efficiency improvements, safety improvements, or improvements to virtually any other aspect of the company. With so much global competition existing today, if a company is not in a process of constant improvement, competitors will quickly overtake them. One…
Tony Ferraro | April 15, 2014 | Gemba | Gemba
You may have heard of PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act), but how much do your really know and understand about it? Have you tried using this method in the past? Was it successful? If it wasn’t successful, what may have contributed towards its ineffectiveness? These are some questions you should ask yourself before making a true, valiant effort towards a newly crafted pilot program or process improvement. The PDCA cycle…
Tony Ferraro | September 3, 2013 | Lean | Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency, Gemba, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing
Mark Hamel’s Gemba Tales blog is one website to which I continually return. Hamel is an accomplished fellow, and that comes through in his writing. Without sounding haughty or pompous, Hamel can throw real-world examples into his posts, and the reader will come away with something they didn’t know before. So, when he was writing about simplicity and its relationship to lean, I couldn’t help but take…
Mike Wilson | October 2, 2012 | Lean | Continuous Improvement, Gemba, Lean
Lee Fried on the Daily Kaizen blog mentioned that, through his mentoring of kaizen, lean and gemba in the workplace, he has gotten to know one particular manager who constantly felt that it was his job, as the leader, to try and solve the problems that arose for his employees during his gemba walks – in order that they could continue to work at their jobs without…
Mike Wilson | August 27, 2012 | Safety Solutions | Gemba, Kaizen
