Gemba — Simulator · Tyshchenko Lean Academy

現場 · Gemba = “The place where the real work happens”

Decisions are made where the problems arise — not in an office, not in a meeting, not from reports. The truth is only at the Gemba.

The 4 core principles of Gemba

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Direct observation

See it with your own eyes — not secondhand. Report data ≠ shop floor reality

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Talking on the spot

The operator knows more than the director. Ask — and listen. They see the problem every day

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Solving on the spot

Not “put it in the minutes” — but “let’s fix it now.” Here and now

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Continuous improvement

Every trip to the Gemba = new Kaizen ideas. Gemba without action is a waste of time

5 rules of Gemba management (Genchi Genbutsu)

1

When a problem arises — go to the Gemba

Don’t call, don’t wait for a report. Go where it happened

2

Check the gembutsu — examine the surroundings

Equipment, materials, environment. What do you see and hear? Smells, sounds, the condition of surfaces

3

Take decisions and countermeasures on the spot

Decide where the problem is — not in an office a week later

4

Find the cause of the problem

5 Whys right on the spot. Don’t leave the Gemba without understanding “why”

5

Standardize so the problem doesn’t come back ⭐

Without standardization, a repeat is guaranteed. SOP + training = closes the loop

Gemba Walk — the 5 steps of a walk

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Prepare

Set the goal. What are we looking for? Which metrics?

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Go

To the area. While the process is running

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Look

Quietly. Take notes. Don’t interrupt the operator

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Ask

“What is this? Why? Is it always like this?” No blame

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Act

Record findings. PDCA. Kaizen. Feedback to the team

The biggest Gemba Walk mistake: going to the Gemba to police people. The right goal is to understand the process. “What does this machine do? Why is it set up this way?” — not “why is the operator moving so slowly?”

From Ohno to Bezos — Gemba through the eras

1

1950s

Taiichi Ohno and the “go and see” principle

At Toyota, Taiichi Ohno spent more time on the plant floor than in his office. He took his engineers onto the shop floor and literally drew a chalk circle: “Stand here. Observe. Don’t leave until you see 10 improvements.” That was Genchi Genbutsu — “go and see.” Decisions were made where the process happened.

2

1980s

Masaaki Imai — Gemba becomes part of Kaizen

In his book “Gemba Kaizen,” Imai popularized the principle beyond Toyota. The key idea: “Value is added at the Gemba, not in the office.” Managers must go where the work is — rather than wait for the problem to come to them as a report. The book has been translated into 20 languages.

3

2000s

Akio Toyoda — Toyota’s CEO on the assembly line

Akio Toyoda — the founder’s grandson and Toyota’s CEO — personally led Gemba Walks at plants around the world. When Toyota faced a massive accelerator pedal recall in 2009–2010, Toyoda personally went to the plants and work areas to understand the causes. Without Gemba, you can’t understand what really happened.

4

Today

Amazon, healthcare, aviation — Gemba everywhere

At Amazon, Jeff Bezos regularly packed orders in the warehouses himself to see where things could be improved. Hospitals run “Safety Walks” — doctors walk the wards like a Gemba Walk. Airlines send top managers to maintenance hangars — to observe. The principle never changes: the truth is where the work happens.

The paradox: The more senior the leader, the more important it is to go to the Gemba. A CEO who has never been on the production floor manages an imaginary plant, not a real one.

An interactive Gemba Walk checklist. Check off items during the walk — the system tracks your progress.

Walk progress

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Safety

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Quality

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Efficiency

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Equipment

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5S / Workplace order

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Gemba — go and see