Gemba is a Japanese word and means ‘real place’ in English. Gemba, a Lean Manufacturing technique, is used to identify inefficiencies in the workplace and make improvements. Businesses that want to make continuous improvements in issues such as productivity, safety and production within the company should understand Gemba in the best way. In this blog post, we will cover a lot of information about Gemba. What is Gemba? Gemba Walk enables managers to observe processes, interact with employees and analyse current situations by visiting the area where the work is done. This walk is carried out to observe the working processes of the business, the activities of employees and customer expectations. Gemba walks help to obtain information on how products are produced, how data is processed, how shipments are prepared, how production is carried out, what challenges employees face, whether opportunities for improvement exist. During Gemba visits, it is very important to obtain information about the processes from the mouths of the employees. Because the person who does a job best knows it and the suggestions and ideas of the employees about the processes are very valuable in terms of identifying problems. What is the Purpose of a Gemba Visit? Gemba walks have four main purposes: To analyse the current situation and identify areas for improvement, To increase safety and improve quality in the working environment, Interacting with employees and collecting suggestions and ideas from them Increasing the efficiency of business processes Principles of Gemba Technique Gemba is a term consisting of the initials of the following words: Go and See: Go where the work is done and see the problem there. Engage and Understand: Go into as much detail as you can and understand the problem thoroughly. Muda, Mura, Muri: Eliminate waste, overload and inequalities. Be Always Respectful: Foster co-operation and develop a culture of respect for people. Analyse and assess the data you collect: Collect, analyse and evaluate the data. The Gemba technique must necessarily include the following factors: The leader or manager must see the actual process and observe how the work is done. As a result of his/her observations, he/she should ask the employees as detailed questions as possible about the work. It is possible to understand the reality of the current situation by asking questions. The leader should show respect to the employees. At Gemba, it is important to communicate directly with employees. Why are Gemba Walks Important? There is a distinct difference between discussing processes in a meeting room and observing the environment in which work is done. In the real work environment, the information gained by listening to employees enables leaders to better understand current processes. In addition, it encourages employees to participate in improvement activities with their experiences. Employee participation is very important in Gemba processes. When employees are present in their own work areas, they are better able to identify inefficiencies, safety risks and other problems and become more sensitive to these issues. Gemba walks, when implemented correctly, strengthen communication between employees and leaders. It helps to identify opportunities for improvement. Ultimately, they contribute to positive changes throughout the organisation – in processes, products, working conditions. Therefore, the Gemba approach is an effective technique for businesses that adopt a continuous improvement philosophy. Benefits of the Gemba Walks By seeing the efficiency and quality performance of the business on site, it helps to identify the real situation and problems and identify opportunities. Some of the benefits of Gemba are as follows: Promotes a culture of continuous improvement. Helps to identify and solve problems in real time. Repeats errors with permanent solutions. Increases employee participation. Thus, it enables employees to identify problems in processes and produce solutions. Strengthens communication between employees and managers. Increases employee motivation.
