How to make Gemba work in the best possible manner?

November 23, 2013 by  
Filed under A Note for You, Front Page

Gemba VCR NRG

Gemba  (Photo credit: erokism)

How to make Gemba work in the best possible manner?

Gemba can be described as one of the most popular terms in the lean community. The word Gemba stands for ‘real place’ and a comprehensive method of approach is absolutely essential to make it work in the best possible manner. First of all, a business leader or manager should have a deep curiosity to know what is actually happening and there is no place for any imagination or assumption as far as Gemba is concerned. The focus will always be on what is actually going on.

Secondly, this process demands direct observation skills to assess how the work is performed and clear cut understanding about the existing reality of a particular situation will help businesses take the right remedial steps to ensure optimal performance. Respect for workers can be described as the third aspect and the manager or supervisor goes to the floor where work is performed to engage people directly. It clearly demonstrates the theory of respect for workers.

In order to make Gemba work in the best manner, the purpose should be identified and it can be said without any doubt that getting started without a purpose will not bring the desired results. People should understand what Gemba is all about and the key is to find out the point of activity. Gemba can be applied wherever the activity is performed and this understanding will help people make it work effectively. Observation should be done with the help of a framework and such an approach will help business people digest, analyze and communicate what they observe.

Validating the conclusions is another important aspect to make Gemba highly successful and things that cannot be seen on the surface should be found out with objective observation and analysis. Such an approach will represent the reality at its best and as a resultant factor; Gemba will become highly effective and result oriented as well.

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