Gemba Walk audits software
Gemba Walk
Gemba (in Asian countries as Genba) is a Japanese term meaning "real place". In production this usually means the factory floor.
The Gemba Walk takes the form of a leadership walk through the production hall and around the offices. During the walk, the management observes the work, processes, efficiency, and also helps in solving problems.
Gemba Walk can be carried out at different levels of the organization and with different frequency, therefore Gemba Walk can apply the basic scheduling principles known from the Layered Process Audit (LPA).
One of the extremely important effects that the application of Gemba Walk is expected to cause is that leadership becomes visible to employees. From the point of view of the management, Gemba Walk is, above all, an opportunity to directly observe the company and look at the entire production process. From the employees' point of view, it means respect for them and their duties. In addition, Gemba Walk contributes to the removal of barriers and problems with the help of management.
During Gemba walks, it's worth remembering three guidelines:
Go and see - Regular observation allows for the identification of various problems (which may not be noticed in everyday routines);
Ask why - Conversations with employees and a holistic view of the process can help identify and diagnose areas/parts of the process that can be improved;
Respect people - Gemba Walk is not meant for pointing out errors and finding blame. Attention should be focused on the process and searching for weak points that can be enhanced.
Gemba Walk is an excellent tool that allows everyone to focus on the heart of the company - the production floor.
Gemba Walk in Action Audit
Using Action Audit software, you will perform Gemba Walk audits quickly, without harm to your other duties and in a standardized manner. For this purpose, you can schedule periodic audits according to the schedule, but you can also use the new function available in the mobile application, i.e. "Ad-hoc audits".
Immediate or ad-hoc audits are a fantastic feature for Gemba walks. Why? Because in the work of a president, plant director or other member of the factory management, it is sometimes difficult to save 30 minutes or an hour to perform Gemba Walk. On the other hand, as can be seen from the process characteristics described in the chapter above, the presence of the management on the factory floor is invaluable and extremely necessary to achieve better and better results. Therefore, being able to perform an audit immediately without scheduling in advance is invaluable.
As with other types of audits, the Gemba Walk also offers advanced configuration options, including:
the ability to create your own checklists (ready-made Gemba Walk checklists are also at your disposal)
the ability to create a multi-tier Gemba Walk schedule with varying frequency and multiple auditors from various levels of the organization
the possibility of defining many groups of auditors and use of multiple scales of assessment
After completion of the Gemba walk, in the event of a discrepancy, the system will automatically assign people responsible for corrective actions and assign them tasks.
Key benefits of implementing Gemba Walk using Action Audit software
Increased Gemba Walk frequency
- using both the audit schedule and the ad-hoc audit function contributes to the increase in the number and frequency of audits, which in turn releases the real potential of the <i>walks</i>, which is the improvement of factory efficiency through the presence of the management in the hall.
Building management-employee relations
- the frequent presence of management in the hall among people who actually do the work contributes to the creation of relationships between them and makes the organization more aware that everyone, regardless of their position, works for the same results.
Quick identification of problems
- in every process, including production, when left to itself, problems, errors and other pathological situations arise and swell, which over time negatively affect the efficiency and quality of the production process. With Gemba Walk, identifying problems and taking action to improve is much faster.
How to run Action Audit in 3 steps?
Step 1
Click on the link below and fill out a short form in which we will ask you to present a few basic parameters regarding audits in your company.
Step 2
One of our specialists will contact you to arrange an online meeting to see how Action Audit will work in your organization.
Step 3
Based on the information from the form and the meeting, we will prepare an Action Audit especially for you and make it available for free testing for 30, 45 or even 60 days!