Gemba Walks: Go and See Where the Work Happens

Gemba is Japanese for "the real place": where the work actually happens. A gemba walk means going there to see the work for yourself, rather than relying on reports or opinions in a meeting. In the Toyota Production System the related principle is genchi genbutsu, "go and see for yourself".

For a small business the gemba might be the workshop, a customer's kitchen, the warehouse, the van or the accounts office. The owner often thinks they know what happens there. A quiet half-hour of watching usually shows something new.

What a gemba walk is not

• An inspection. You are looking at the process, not checking up on people.
• A chance to fix things on the spot. Watch and ask first; agree actions afterwards.
• A one-off. The value comes from walking regularly, so people get used to it and start raising problems themselves.

How to do one

1. Pick one area or process. Do not try to see everything.
2. Tell people beforehand that you will be coming and why.
3. Watch for at least ten minutes before asking anything. Follow one job or one piece of work through.
4. Look for waste. The eight wastes are a good checklist: waiting, searching, rework and walking are usually easiest to see.
5. Ask open questions about the process.
6. Agree one action, with an owner and a date.
7. Go back to the same area to check what changed.

Questions to ask

• What are you working on, and what happens to it next?
• How do you know what to do next?
• What gets in your way most often?
• What do you have to wait for?
• If you could change one thing about this job, what would it be?

Avoid questions that sound like blame, such as "why is this taking so long?". People will tell you what they think you want to hear.

An illustration

An owner of a small wholesale business walks goods-in on a Tuesday morning. Deliveries sit on the floor for up to a day before being booked in, and two people spend ten minutes looking for one pallet. The stores lead says the delay is waiting for paperwork that matches the delivery. The agreed action is a marked booking-in bay and booking deliveries in on arrival. Two weeks later the owner walks the area again to check.

Keep a record

Use the record sheet below during or straight after the walk. Email it to yourself as a PDF so you can compare walks over time.

How often?

Weekly in one area is better than monthly across the whole business. Short and regular walks show patterns; occasional big walks feel like an inspection.