A Gemba Walk is a simple but effective way to understand what’s happening on the shop floor. It helps managers and team leads see the real work, talk to employees, and find areas that need fixing or improving. But to make a Gemba Walk useful, it needs to follow a clear process. Without structure, it can turn into a casual walkthrough that doesn’t lead to change.
This article explains what a Gemba Walk is, how to prepare for one, what to look for, and how to follow up. At the end, you’ll have a clear checklist you can use to make your next walk more focused and productive.
The word Gemba is Japanese and means “the real place.” In a work setting, it refers to the place where value is created. That could be a production line, a packaging area, a lab, or any place where hands-on work happens.
A Gemba Walk involves going to that place to observe how work is done. The purpose is not to inspect or criticize but to understand. It helps leaders see where problems are starting, how teams are working, and what might be getting in the way.
Gemba Walks are part of the lean methodology, which focuses on improving processes and reducing waste. The Lean Enterprise Institute describes Gemba Walks as a key part of leadership engagement in lean environments.
Before walking onto the floor, decide why you are going. Pick a specific area or process to focus on. For example, you might want to look at changeovers, equipment use, or how teams follow standard procedures.
Tell the team in that area what the walk is about. The goal is not to catch mistakes. It is to learn. When people know the purpose, they are more likely to speak openly.
Also, prepare a checklist ahead of time. This helps you stay focused and take better notes during the walk.
Start the walk by watching. Do not interrupt or ask questions right away. Just look at how the work is being done.
Pay attention to how people move, how materials are handled, how tools are used, and whether there are any delays or extra steps. Look for signs that something might not be going as planned. Are there stopgaps or workarounds? Are the tools or equipment in the right place?
This is not the time to offer advice or give instructions. Your job is to watch and learn.
Once you’ve observed enough, begin asking questions. Keep the focus on the process, not the person doing the work. Good questions help uncover real issues.
For example, you might ask:
Use open-ended questions that give the person a chance to explain what they experience every day.
Also ask about recent changes. If new equipment or procedures were introduced, ask how they’ve affected the work. These conversations often reveal early problems that reports or dashboards miss.
Every job has a standard way it should be done. During the walk, compare what you observed to that standard. Are the right steps being followed? Are instructions clear? Are materials easy to find?
If something isn’t being done the expected way, find out why. It could be that the process is too complicated. It might be that the tools don’t work well. Sometimes people have not been trained properly. In any case, your goal is to understand the reason.
This step helps you find the gap between the planned process and what is actually happening.
Write down what you observed and what was said. A consistent checklist helps make sure you don’t miss anything.
Your checklist should include:
Using the same checklist every time makes it easier to spot patterns across multiple walks.
If you are using digital tools, you can also attach photos or tag issues for later follow-up. This makes the process more organized and easier to review.
After the walk, meet with the team or department you visited. Share what you saw and heard. Go over your notes together and talk about what changes might help.
Agree on what needs to be fixed, who will take the lead, and when it should be done. Set clear deadlines and check back later to make sure things were completed.
If people do not see results from the Gemba Walk, they will stop taking it seriously. That is why follow-up is so important.
Gemba Walks work best when they are done regularly, not just once in a while. Use your checklist each time so that every walk follows the same process. That way, you can compare notes and track progress over time.
Try to focus each walk on a single topic. One week might be about reducing waste. The next might be about improving safety or checking standard work.
Over time, Gemba Walks become part of daily improvement. They help leadership stay connected to the work and help teams feel heard.
A Gemba Walk is not separate from your larger improvement efforts. It supports other processes like problem-solving, project planning, and performance reviews.
If your site is going through a capital project or layout change, a Gemba Walk can help spot problems early. For example, if new equipment is causing slowdowns or if materials are no longer flowing the right way, these problems will show up during the walk. That feedback is valuable and helps ensure changes work in real-world conditions.
By making Gemba Walks part of your routine, you can catch issues before they grow and support better decision-making on the floor.
A Gemba Walk is a simple practice, but it works best when it has structure. With a clear checklist and consistent follow-up, it helps improve communication, fix broken processes, and build trust between teams and leadership.
The real goal is not to watch over people. It is to understand what gets in their way and how to make work better. When done well, Gemba Walks help create a work environment where improvement is part of the culture, not just a project.
Gemba Walks are only valuable if what you observe turns into action. EviView helps you record your notes, track tasks, and follow through on improvements without losing anything in the process.
Request a demo of EviView to see how it can support every walk and help your team close the gap between problems and progress.
Written By: Karol Dabrowski
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