Gemba

• What
• Why
• When
• How
• Where

What is Gemba

Gemba (The Real Place) is a philosophy that stresses the importance of getting out and spending time on the “floor”, where the real action takes place.

Why Gemba

General advantages

• A critical and necessary step in understanding the actual process.
• Captures ideas for solutions and improvements from employees directly involved in the process.

Reduces waste types

• ☐ Conveyance
• ☐ Inventory
• ☐ Motion
• ☐ Waiting
• ☐ Overproduction
• ☐ Overprocessing
• ☐ Correction

When to use Gemba

Essential conditions

Non-essential conditions

How to implement and use Gemba

Implementation

• Use Gemba walk with other tools.

Use

Gemba walk general rules:

1. Theme-based (pick a focus area per walk)
2. Engage leaders (to help leaders understand the process and the value of the tool, and to underline the importance of it)
3. Set expectations (the scope and the goal of the walk)
4. Create a checklist (to prevent missing something)
5. Publish what was learned (to underline the importance of the tool and to integrate usage into the culture)
6. Follow up on the process (do something with noticed things)

Be aware:

• Don’t ➔ Be critical, enforce policy or solve problems.
• Do ➔ Learn, listen and receive input.

Where to find it

IASSC Body of Knowledge:

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About the Author

Floris Lap is an IASSC-certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and founder of Procestimal. He empowers organizations to maximize value and reduce waste through practical Lean Six Sigma solutions—contributing to a more sustainable world where businesses thrive with minimal resources. Contact us

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