In the realm of continuous improvement and lean management, Gemba walks stand as a formidable yet underexplored asset for refining processes and boosting productivity. Originating from the Japanese term "Gemba," meaning "the real place" or "the actual place," this approach involves leaders immersing themselves in the workplace. Managers step onto the shop floor, interact with frontline employees, and intimately grasp the intricacies of processes and challenges. 

In this blog, we delve into the potent impact of Gemba walks, unlocking their potential to drive positive change and foster a culture of continuous enhancement within various industries.

What is Gemba Walk?

At the heart of Lean management philosophy lies the concept of Gemba, a term derived from the Japanese language, specifically "現場" and sometimes spelled as Genba. Gemba translates to "the real place" or "the actual site of action." Its significance extends beyond corporate contexts; Japanese police employ Gemba to denote a crime scene, while television reporters proudly proclaim their live reports as originating directly from Gemba.

In a business context, Gemba takes on profound importance through the practice of Gemba Walks. This management approach involves leaders immersing themselves in the actual workplace, physically engaging with operations, and gaining firsthand insights into processes. The essence of Gemba Walks lies in the belief that the best way to understand a process is to witness it where it unfolds—the real place where the action occurs.

What Outcomes to Expect from a Gemba Walk ? 

1. Identification of issues accompanied by detailed pictures for a clear understanding.
2. Efficient assignment of identified problems to specific team members or departments for resolution.
3. Simple and effective tracking mechanisms to ensure timely and comprehensive problem resolution.
4. Verifiable evidence demonstrating the successful resolution of identified issues.

Qualitygram : How it can Help with Gemba Walks?

Qualitygram allow you achieve tangible results from Gemba Walks. Qualitygram is an app (accessible on both mobile and web) that allows you to capture problems and track them as they get solved with a highly visual image and video based interface. 

With Qualitygram, you can maintain the records of issues in a video and picture form. It is easy to use and one with less expertise to prepare reports can highly find it useful. 

Here’s how it works:

• Capture real-time observations using photos and videos directly at the Gemba, the actual workplace or shop floor.
• Efficiently assign identified problems to the relevant team members for targeted resolution.

• Drive faster problem-solving by utilizing Qualitygram's streamlined approach, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Categorize issues as open, contained, or closed, providing a visual indication of their current status.

The interface of Qualitygram is easy to use and minimal enough that only useful navigations are presented on the screen.  

Not just capturing the issues is its biggest advantage, you can also prepare automatic reports with it. The reports also notify about the status of issue; open, contained or closed so you don’t have to follow up again and again with the team. 

Who Does it Help? 

• Manufacturing facilities aiming to implement continuous improvement and witness tangible results.
• It can be useful for a diverse range of roles including Managers, Supervisors, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Team leaders, Engineers, and Specialists to ensure the required quality is maintained. These parties can use Qualitygram for leveraging the benefits of Gemba Walk.
• It can also be used by the support team to ensure the issue is only visible to the relevant team by forming groups for each specific issue.

Qualitygram is not limited to the above use cases or parties involved, anyone that requires record of issues, capturing real-time issues and ticket resolution system can be highly benefited with Qualitygram. 

Conclusion

Gemba Walks isn’t a new concept, it has been in consideration for decades but the use and techniques are transforming. Qualitygram is one of its advanced transformations that allow Gemba Walks on your smartphones or on the web. 

With Qualitygram, you can achieve speedy and continued improvements as compared to traditional methods of caption issues, tracking resolution and success. It also provides quick reports of issues in terms of open, contained and closed with appropriate resolution. Ultimately, it helps in improving the quality. 

If you want to leverage the benefits of Qualitygram, Book a demo or Get a free trial for 14 days with us. 

Let Qualitygram be your partner in success.