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Gemba: What Is It?

The Gemba is the Japanese term for “Actual Place” and is often used as a single word to describe the front lines or where the work is done.  In English it can also be spelled Genba.

“Walking the Gemba” is an important phrase in Lean, and means that we must go to the front lines – where the actual work is done – to see first hand how a process works.  Second hand information, reports or accounting numbers will not do, it must be experienced first hand.

This also means we must get front line staff involved in our change initiative, which can be cone with kaizen events or meetings, mapping a value stream and prompting them to call out wastes and opportunities.

By David McLachlan

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