Toyota... Sony... Mitsubishi. What do these names bring to your mind? You might say "innovation" or "dedication" and you would be spot on. However, they are also known for something a little less conspicuous- EFFICIENCY. It's no secret that the Japanese know how to run a business. They also know that within a business, there are areas that often get clogged up and become inefficient, causing productivity to suffer. To combat this, they utilize a strategy that helps remove waste and makes things more productive. It is called Kaizen. When there is a short focus on a specific area to increase efficiency, it is called a Kaizen Blitz. These tend to last for a week or so and help to remove wasted energy by the employees as well as management.

In a Kaizen Blitz, all levels of the company are involved. This ranges from the lowly janitor, all the way up to the CEOs. Although the improvements made through a Kaizen event are often small, the results can generate big dividends. To begin the process, a supervisor is often given the task of implementing and overseeing the improvements. Many times, this focus is in just one area of the business. It might even be just one work station. This can create a rippling effect and spread to the other workstations nearby. Once the blitz has been performed, there is daily monitoring to ensure that the area of focus remains as efficient as possible.

Kaizen is an ongoing mindset that helps bring harmony and productivity to a business or organization. The thing that kills a business is the unwillingness of its members to embrace change. We get set in our ways and don't want to "learn new tricks." Kaizen events are becoming more and more popular in the western world and deserve a chance to be welcomed. Only by looking in the mirror will we discover that our appearance is in disarray.

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Note, that lean manufacturing is basically a comprehensive system in the business, composing of significant elements that are meant to minimize waste as well as save time when it comes to management. It is about defining various values as perceived by the client. Here, these values should flow right from raw materials until they reach the customer. To achieve this, the business owner must hire a lean consultant. At this point, it is advisable to understand that there are several major benefits that come along with these consultants.

The main advantage of contracting lean consultants is because they usually bring a wide range of business experiences, especially from their past implementations. This actually helps in ensuring that the execution is as smooth as possible. It is significant to realize that since the consultant is normally not bounded by politics or internal loyalties within the business, he is definitely in a better position to focus more on the project specifics without distraction, which may be happening in the business.

Another reason why hiring a lean consultant is important is because he will definitely have the necessary experience to implement different lean tools like the 5C and 5S in various situations. Besides, he really understands the best ways to involve and guide other people within the business for quality results.

Generally, lean manufacturing benefits include improving efficiencies, reducing inventories and lead times, reducing transportation, and improving the overall business performance. The best expert to help the business enjoys this is actually a reputable lean management consultant.

Therefore, it is important to understand that lean consulting is typically greater than an individual coming to the business and make an impression by simply saving a few coins by clearing the obvious waste. Thus the hired consultant role is to mentor and train people in the business to achieve the targeted objectives.

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Gemba walk is designed to help you develop a close relationship with your staff in your working place. It also helps you develop good leadership and managerial skills as well. Gemba walk will make you get out of your office and get to know how the work is going on as you meet with employees or people.

Gemba walk is slow, steady but definitely not suspicious. Walking in such a way helps you to draw the attention of your staff towards you. A steady but slow walk will increase the comfort of your employees while working for you and talking to you as well. Remember when you sit in the office, it becomes hard for them to know how you react to situations and thus they may be quiet even when there is a problem.

Developing a Gemba walk will motivate employees even further. Walking in your workplace makes the staff feel that you support them and that you are one of them. Because of the respect, they have towards you, they will be challenged to work hard and thus take your business to a higher level.

There are many things that can be done contrary to the way you wish in your workplace. While you are walking, you are likely to realize the mistakes employees do and strategize how to handle them. Gemba walkthrough does not recommend that you yell at your staff if something is not right. This is where you take notice of what is right and wrong so that you see the way forward.

Gemba walk also allows you to know the environment for your staff better. As you are walking, therefore, you need to have a glance at all directions of the workplace. If it is a building, for instance, you can look at the walls, chairs, and even the floors. From this, you can determine whether the conditions under which employees are working are conducive for better service delivery.

Gemba though should not be done with a particular intention. Workers or people should see you as harmless and only interested in good progress of work. It is wrong therefore for you to walk into Gemba with a negative attitude. This may lead to negative responses from the staff. Furthermore, if the staff discovers that you are unfriendly or a troublemaker, they may hide many things in that you will never understand what to do to increase profits.

The post Why Developing A Gemba Walk Can Make A Difference In Your Workplace appeared first on Get Kaizened.

Gemba in Japanese means ‘the place to be’. In terms of business, this means that you are in the right place in order to get things done and to meet the objectives that your company has set in place. In terms of business, it is where your ‘value is added’ to the company, for example, the manufacturing plant or on the shop floor. Let’s take a little look at how people have used a Gemba Walk in order to improve their business.

The major benefit of a Gemba walk is that you really take a role in the way that your business is being run. For example, you will be able to directly approach the managers that you are meant to be controlled rather than delegating what you want them to do via other members of staff or worse, over email. The staff will actually love this, and they will feel much more motivated to work as they feel that their ideas are getting heard as you are also given them the option to open up to you. Many staff won’t actually bring the problems directly to the management team, instead, they will keep them bottled up. A Gemba walk means that you are building up a rapport with them.

The Gemba Walk will also highlight problems within the business; you will be able to see who is working effectively and who is slacking a tiny bit. You will be able to spot the small problems and make changes before they become much larger. It is vital that managers know exactly what is going on in the company so that they can make changes which will make a difference, for example offering more training.

Many staff members feel like there is a ‘divide’ between them and the managers. A Gemba walk will help you integrate with them and lessen the divide, this is important if you really want your employees to work hard for you. The Gemba walk means that you are giving them the motivation to succeed.

You don’t even need to integrate with your employees, although it is suggested. Just find a quiet spot in the room and just observe the employees and see how your company works. Not enough managers sadly do this and ask a high-level manager the processes on the shop floor and they will be clueless. I find that only through a proper understanding of the way a company works will you be able to make it profitable and achieve the goals that you have set yourself.

Yes, as managers I understand that it is difficult to find the time to walk around their business and observe what is going on. It doesn’t matter though, you don’t need to be there all the time, just set a certain amount of time each week in order to walk around your company and experience how it works. Pretty soon you will be feeling the benefits that a Gemba Walk can give you.

The post How To Take Advantage Of Gemba Walk For Improving Your Business appeared first on Get Kaizened.

Gemba is a Japanese term that has different meanings with respect to the different professions it is referring to. For instance, Japanese detectives would refer to a crime scene as the Gemba. In a business situation, the Gemba refers to the location or area in which value is created and maximized.

Glen Mazur initiated the use of the term Gemba in quality function deployment. The idea behind its application was for a business to go to the place where the customer was or his Gemba. Here, the seller could maximize the value of his product by identifying the needs or problems that a customer faces. These needs can then be converted to opportunities for the seller and his business. In this way, the business becomes consumer-oriented rather than production oriented.

The Gemba walk is practiced in order to raise the value of the business. It entails walking into the office and identifying opportunities or wasted resources. The walk enables these top officials to promote a healthy improvement structure and a sustainable standardization process.

The walk might involve taking note of the general housekeeping in the office. Here, the official might identify if there is proper or improper waste removal. He should also be able to identify if there is any clutter in the workplace.

Another aspect would be the display of information to the workers. A point to consider here is whether the bulletin boards have up to date information. Also, he should note if the bulletin boards are well maintained. Irrelevant or outdated postings on the bulletin board should be removed in order to ensure that proper communication is achieved between the management and the subordinates.

Also to be considered would be the general appearance of the equipment. The manager should locate any leaks such as oil leaks. He should ensure that the maintenance records of the equipment are available and they are current.

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The Gemba walk generally involves getting out in the workplace. It gives the leaders of the company, managers as well as supervisors a simple, reliable, and easy way of giving support to an improved structure as well as encouraging process standardization.

As a manager, getting up and being out of the office a number of times a day will help improve your productivity as well as the relationship with your own team.

The influence of Gemba is based on:
Choosing a theme for every walk
Questioning the supervisors regarding observed conditions
Listening attentively
Sharing what one has learned in the Gemba walk
Publicly sharing what one has learned by writing and then posting a short memo
Following up in order to monitor the process

The major things to consider during the walk include:

1. General Housekeeping- This includes:

Workplace clutter
Unsafe conditions
Poor lighting
Adequate waste removal
Clearly marked aisles, exits, walkways, and all point-of-use areas.

2. High WIP concentrations

At the point-of-usage
Damaged product
Up-stream and down-stream
Old inventory tags
Non-standard containers

3. Information and measures display

Up-to-date information on the bulletin boards
Workplace activity boards with up-to-date information

4. Equipment appearance

Current visible maintenance records
Leaks of oil, fluid, air, lubrication
Main body is clean
Guarding in position

5. In-plant office space

Free of clutter
Well organized

To get started with the Gemba walk, you need to have a discussion with your lean champions in order to establish the main focus of the walk. You have to ensure that you understand the expectations of the walk, when it is correct and when it is incorrect.

Just like any other new process, at first, the Gemba walk can be confusing, difficult to perform, and time-consuming but one needs to be patient and also focused and the process will work for them and their company.

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Most organizations have adopted a management practice of Gemba walk. The practice is borrowed from the Japanese concept and requires managers to engage themselves directly with employees in various departments in a company. Gemba technique being a management practice needs senior management to dedicate more time to the actual workplace. This technique is carried out to create an excellent relationship with employees and boost their morale. The prime objective of walking around is to comprehend all aspects of the business comprehensively. Gemba walk enhances a high level of communication between certain levels of staff within a particular organization.

A number of companies apply Gemba walk so as to gain a first-hand idea of business practices as well as create a solid relationship with staff in their work floor. This practice is paramount because it gives the manager a chance to get feedback straight from employees.

Any business that applies Gemba walk on a frequent basis is guaranteed improved productivity considerably. This practice is the best for any business because it enables a manager to identify certain areas of concern in the company. As a result of frequent visits, a manager is able to detect any accidents that may arise and enhance safety measures in different areas within the company. Not only will the safety of the employees be guaranteed, but also get to ensure the longevity of the company's equipment.

There are few things to watch anytime you go out on Gemba walk. A checklist will assist you in writing down crucial issues that require the company's intervention. Depending on company to company, you are likely to find different checklists. Even so, there are certain things that you have to include regardless of the nature of your company. For instance, you have to check whether your workplace contains the necessary information on crucial processes where each person can spot them. Only with this information viewable openly will the people responsible for various aspects know whether they've been doing what they are supposed to do or not.

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GEMBA is a Japanese term for the phrase "the real place". It specifically describes a place where the real action of a company or organization takes place. For instance, in a manufacturing firm, GEMBA is the factory where the manufacturing process takes place. GEMBA walk would, therefore, be a leader's or manager's activity that involves getting out of their offices and take a tour to the areas where the real work takes place. It helps them come into contact with the real work.

Importance of GEMBA walk
There are several benefits of a GEMBA walk: First, the leaders and the employees are able to build relationships with each other. This will increase the trust they have for each other and hence work efficiently without any fear of the unknown. The leaders are also able to know the challenges that the employees have regarding the production process and equipment, their welfare, and the performance expectations from the leaders. This helps them make necessary adjustments according to the goals of the company. This ensures that the workers are doing the right work in the right way. These will enable the company to achieve the goals it has set aside. Continuous contacts between the two parties help the members to be more disciplined. Those who are known to be absent from work or arriving late and leaving early may stop it. The leaders are able to know whether the production rate is the required rate. They would, therefore, make adjustments to the production rate. They are able to know whether their GEMBA has been overstaffed or understaffed hence interfering with the working process. The leaders can be able to give the policies to the members easily and make them understand by discussing it with them.

There are many advantages to taking a GEMBA walk. It inputs a lot when making decisions for the company. Leaders should see the importance and take the walk today

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