How to Measure the Quality of Gemba Walks?

Gemba Walks enable supervisors and managers to detect, solve and transfer issues proactively.

Otherwise, these problems impact performance indicators negatively and bring time-consuming activities in the manager’s daily work. One of the causes of a reactive system is managing in a firefighter mode.

Why is Measurement Important?

The main challenge is to conduct a standard and effective Gemba Walk. When managers adhere with the process, it becomes an efficient operational control practice. Measuring the efficacy of Gemba Walks helps with:

The performance of Gemba Walks:

The enhancement of the supervision team’s skills:

Set Goals to Managers and Supervisors

Having managers set quantifiable and qualifiable goals for their Gemba Walks helps empower them to support their team and improve the processes they are responsible for. Relevant goals that could be used are the number of Gemba walks performed, the average time, the issues count or the number of opportunities.

Follow Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Useful indicators to follow:

Other validation elements to consider:

Conduct Gemba Walks with your Team on the Floor

The immediate manager of a supervisor or team leader can occasionally conduct a Gemba Walk with his subordinates. This gives insight on how the supervisor interacts with the employees. Doing so helps the manager pinpoint how to better coach the supervisors.

Points to keep in mind while accompanying your supervisors on the floor as they perform a Gemba Walk:

Conduct Inspections to Improve Compliance of Supervisors’ Behaviours

It is possible to inspect the execution of the Gemba Walks to enhance the management behaviour of supervisors and help team leaders identify training needs.

Managers will audit how the Gemba Walk is performed with a validation list. Audits should not be a surprise: the criteria of the inspection and when the inspection takes place should be known by employees. Regular inspections ensure compliance with the practice.

Measure with Tervene

The features of Tervene’s Gemba Walk App provide better real-time visibility, as well as, the history of many indicators:

Managers are responsible for logging information which is required to validate the relevance of the problems that arise for the Gemba Walks. A management behaviour dashboard provides helpful insights to measure how supervisors perform Gemba Walks which helps identify areas where coaching might be needed.

“We have access to a great amount of information in real-time. We know if Gemba Walks have been conducted as planned and if issues have been addressed or transferred into opportunities. We have access to everything that’s been done, and it helps us better coach our managers.”

Related Resources

Ebook: Checklists, templates, detailed strategy on how to implement a Gemba Walk structure

Blog: 6 Essential Features of a Gemba Walk App

Blog: Who Should Perform Systematic Gemba Walks?

Blog: Gemba Walk Checklist and Questions

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