Business management should evolve with time, and it’s necessary to find new ways to increase productivity and profits. Gemba Walk, for the uninitiated, is a management technique that belongs to what’s called the ‘Lean business methodology’. It allows a business to improve their operations in a continuous manner. The process involves managers, who must leave their desks do to the actual place of work to find the possible lapses in processes. Managers observe the work and look for potential opportunities for improvement.
In this post, we will discuss 3 important questions related to Gemba Walks.
- What’s the ideal purpose of a Gemba walk?
Ideally, Gemba walk is all about observation. Managers are required to have a keen eye on every process involved within the business and find potential scope for improvement. It is also about optimizing tasks and roles by keeping a check on all aspects, besides having a direct talk with the concerned employees and workers.
- Is an app important for Gemba walk?
There’s a difference between ‘necessary’ and ‘important’. Gemba walk can be continued without an app, but that doesn’t always make the process more fruitful. In fact, apps from brands like Tervene has made Gemba walks more easier for managers to manage. Besides taking text notes and videos, such apps also facilitates collaboration and allow managers to analyze information in the right context. If you are business is engaging in Gemba walk, having an app most certainly helps.
- How important are employees in the process?
For starters, it is necessary to understand that Gemba walk is not same as management by walking around. In this case, the focus is on getting information and being friendly with employees and workers, so that they can offer suggestions. Gemba walk is a not a ‘bossy’ exercise. Employees need to feel welcomed in the process of sharing thoughts and ideas, which not only helps in improving certain processes but also help them in doing their jobs better. What’s also important is to explain the process of this exercise, so that employees don’t feel nervous or think of this as an inspection.
Gemba walk should be an ideal exercise in every business setup, and it shouldn’t not involve making changes along the way. Managers can observe, ask the ‘whys’ and collaborate with employees – All done with the objective of enhancing productivity, and an app certainly helps in making the process easier.
