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Anyone who has a Gemba Walk Checklist that they want to share?

Discussion in 'Lean, Six Sigma and DFSS' started by reynald, Dec 9, 2015.

  1. reynald

    reynald Member

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    What do you usually look at when visiting shop floors? How to you identify opportunities for improvement?
     
  2. Emmyd

    Emmyd Member

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    No checklist really, mostly walking, talking to people and observing the processes. You have an initial learning curve if this is something new (new job, new people, new processes, etc), but once you take in your observations, the opportunities for improvement become clearer. You have to be careful in your observations though - what you think would be an opportunity to do something better may not actually be. This is why you talk to the people doing the job, they may have very valid reasons that can't be changed or they may have different ideas to make things better.
     
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  3. RoxaneB

    RoxaneB Moderator Staff Member

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    No real checklist here either, but for me, it goes beyond process. I also do an environmental scan - in a way, I suppose that's related to process. It's like my own mental turtle diagram - I look at inputs, outputs, materials, activities, people flow, work environment, etc. I think if you want an actual checklist, you'll need to have walks that focus on something specific or have themed walks (e.g., "Today, let's keep an eye out for how needed materials get to the work station").
     
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  4. Bev D

    Bev D Moderator Staff Member

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    a checklist would probably defeat the purpose in this case. a Gemba walk is a "moving ohno circle". a checklist could confine you to looking for only specific things instead of looking with an open mind for waste. In my organization I had 'badge' cards with the 7 wastes and the "4 rules in use". if you want people to have a reminder of what to look for you could use something like this. it is broad enough to keep people from focusing too narrowly yet serves as a brief reminder of the many types of things to be on the lookout for...
     
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  5. reynald

    reynald Member

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    Thank you all for the replies. I also dont have a checklist per se, but I have this 8 wastes list in my head plus the first 2S (sort/set) of the 5S. I don't know how I learned it but I just "see" things like falling products, piled-up scraps, waiting equipments, etc.
    My problem now is I dont know how to transfer my "eyes" to a new engineer. Any idea on how you can effectively (and quickly) mentor someone? I thought a checklist might do the trick but seems not to be the case. Is it a matter of personal interest and of spending time in the production floor?, or there is an underlying structure on how to teach this?

    Bev, what's "4 rules in use"? First time for me to hear this. Care to expound please? Thanks.
     
  6. Claes Gefvenberg

    Claes Gefvenberg Moderator Staff Member

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    Pretty much the same here. No list per se, but we do see things when we go for a walk... :eek:
     
  7. MCW8888

    MCW8888 Well-Known Member

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    Hi Bev,
    This badge card sounds like a best practice. Would you mind sharing the template with us? Thank you.
     
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  8. hogheavenfarm

    hogheavenfarm Well-Known Member

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    Here's a tidbit from the "Lean Files" that could be useful also....

    30-30 – Stand in the Circle
    We know that Lean is about eliminating waste , here is one of the tools to help accomplish that aim.
    Give Me 60 Minutes and I'll Give You a Lean Transformation


    That's 60 minutes from everyone in supervisory position and above, at least once every three weeks, forever.

    If that's too much to ask, save yourself two minutes and stop reading now.

    There's something called "stand in the circle" and although it might be known by other names, it is said to have started with Taiichi Ohno telling managers "Draw a circle and stand in it!" in order to teach them to see waste.

    You'll need a piece of paper with 30 or more lines on it. You'll need something to write with.

    You might need something to put the paper on and write against.

    This exercise starts with picking a spot in your gemba [work area] and standing in that one place for 30 minutes.

    Find 30 things to improve in 30 minutes. Write them down.

    Take the next 30 minutes and make at least one of the improvements you wrote down. The other improvements you can spend the next three weeks working on bit by bit, delegating to the appropriate people, or asking people "why" until you find the actionable root cause.

    You've got 58 minutes left. Go stand in the circle.
     
  9. MCW8888

    MCW8888 Well-Known Member

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    More like a Stand up meeting with the same goal in mind.
     
  10. Bev D

    Bev D Moderator Staff Member

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    Below is the text for our lean badge card. 7 wastes on one side and 5 rule-s on the other. WE also have large 4X3 posters of these in strategic places.

    I will post the word doc as a resource


    Badge Card for Gemba or standing in the circle


    7 Wastes

    Transportation

    Movement of product that does not add value to the product

    Inventory

    More materials, parts, or products on hand than the Customer needs right now

    Excess Motion

    People reaching, stretching, bending, walking, lifting, climbing

    Waiting

    Idle time created when material, information, people or equipment are not ready

    Overproduction

    Producing more than the Customer needs right now

    Overprocessing

    Effort that adds no value from the Customer’s viewpoint

    Defects

    Products or services that do not meet Customer or regulatory requirements


    5 Rules in Use

    Always protect the Customer

    All Work shall be highly specified as to content, sequence, timing and outcome

    Every connection must be direct and there must be an unambiguous yes-or-no way to send requests and receive answers

    The pathway for every product and service must be simple and direct

    Any improvement must be in accordance with the scientific method under the guidance of a teacher at the lowest possible level in the organization

    All of the rules require that activities, connections and flow paths have built-in tests to signal problems automatically. It is the continual response to problems that makes this seemingly rigid system so flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances.