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Worked examples · 12 gemba walks

Gemba walk examples: what to look for and what to ask

A gemba walk is a short, planned visit to where the work is done: you watch the process, ask the people doing it what gets in the way, and follow up on what you find. Most leaders are told to go and then do not know what to look at once they are there. Below are twelve worked walks, sorted by area and by purpose. Each one has a 20 to 30 minute route, the specific things to look for and what each points to, the questions to ask, what not to do, a filled-in observation log and where the actions go afterwards.

Illustrative examples. The walks are illustrative: written from the method and from conditions common on shop floors, not from one company. Plants, roles, times and counts are examples. The safety and calibration references are real and linked, so check the paragraph before you quote it to anyone. Want a blank sheet for your own walk? The gemba walk checklist is free in PDF and Excel.

Before you go: go see, ask why, show respect

Three habits decide whether a walk teaches you anything. Each one changes something concrete you do on the floor.

  • Go see

    Go to the place while normal work is running, and watch before you speak. Stand at one spot long enough to see several cycles. Taiichi Ohno is said to have drawn a chalk circle on the floor and left a new engineer standing in it until they had seen the problem. The story is retold by Jeffrey Liker and many others and may be partly legend; the habit it teaches is the useful part.

    On the walk: Spend your first 8 to 10 minutes on the route watching, before any question.

  • Ask why

    Ask about the process, with open questions, and ask the people doing the work. John Shook's advice is to start with what is happening and hold the why until you understand it: a why asked too early sounds like blame. Start with show me, walk me through, what happens when.

    On the walk: Your first question at each stop starts with show me or walk me through.

  • Show respect

    Respect means taking people's knowledge seriously and doing something with it: no blame, no notes about individuals, no promises you cannot keep, and an answer on everything raised. Shook links respect to not overburdening people and to deciding as close to the work as possible.

    On the walk: Every concern someone raises gets a reply, even when the answer is no.

Go see, ask why, show respect: Toyota chairman Fujio Cho's request of managers, as recalled by John Shook, who first heard it in the early 1990s (Lean Enterprise Institute, 2011, updated 2023). Going to see for yourself, genchi genbutsu, is principle 12 in Jeffrey Liker's The Toyota Way (2004).

The gemba walk loopSeven steps in a circle: 1. Pick one purpose, 2. Watch, 3. Ask, 4. Write facts, 5. Route actions, 6. Report back, 7. Spread it. Then the next walk starts by checking the last walk's actions.1Pick onepurpose2Watch3Ask4Writefacts5Routeactions6Reportback7SpreaditNext walk startsby checking these
One walk, start to finish.

The walk loop

  1. Pick one purpose. One purpose and one area, with a route of three or four stops.
  2. Watch. Several cycles at each stop before any question.
  3. Ask. Open questions about the process, to the people who do it.
  4. Write facts. Where, what, how many, and what people said, without names.
  5. Route actions. Tier 1 board for what the area can fix, tier 2 for what needs help.
  6. Report back. Tell the people who raised it what happens next.
  7. Spread it. Yokoten: check where else the same condition exists.

Should you fix things on the spot?

Two kinds of fix, two answers. Masaaki Imai's five golden rules of gemba management (Gemba Kaizen) are: go to the gemba first, check the gembutsu (the actual object), take temporary measures on the spot, find the root cause, and standardize to prevent recurrence. So make a hazard safe and contain a suspect part or gauge at once, with the people there; every walk above has at least one of those. What you do not do is redesign someone's work on the floor without them. The root cause and the new standard come later, with the team.

Twelve worked walks, by area and purpose

How to read each walk: the route says where to stand and for how long, and the longest stop comes early and is spent watching. Each thing to look for says why it matters and which waste or loss it points to. The questions are the ones the walker asked, the log is what they wrote down, and the last lines say where each action went and where else to look.

Area
Purpose

Showing 12 of 12 walks

Walk 1 of 12 · Receiving · Safety · 25 min

Receiving dock: a safety walk at the morning truck peak

Who walks:
Plant manager with the EHS lead
When:
A weekday at 07:30, while the first trailers unload
Why this walk:
Last week's near-miss report: a forklift reversing out of a trailer passed close to a receiving clerk on foot.

Route, 25 minutes

Route of the walk, 25 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 25 minutes: 1. Door 3, standing beside the dock, out of the forklift path (8 min); 2. Staging lanes behind the doors (6 min); 3. Receiving desk and paperwork drop (5 min); 4. Forklift parking and charging area (6 min).18 min26 min35 min46 min
Route, 25 minutes: 1. Door 3, standing beside the dock, out of the forklift path (8 min); 2. Staging lanes behind the doors (6 min); 3. Receiving desk and paperwork drop (5 min); 4. Forklift parking and charging area (6 min).
  1. Door 3, standing beside the dock, out of the forklift path, 8 min. One trailer unloaded from start to finish: chocks or restraint, dock plate, the truck's path in and out.
  2. Staging lanes behind the doors, 6 min. Where pallets land, how high they are stacked, where people on foot walk.
  3. Receiving desk and paperwork drop, 5 min. Where clerks stand and walk while trucks are moving, and what they can see.
  4. Forklift parking and charging area, 6 min. Pre-use check sheets, parked trucks, the start-of-shift routine.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • A trailer entered by a forklift with no wheel chock, or a chock on one side only, and the vehicle restraint not engaged.

    A trailer that creeps forward, or a driver who pulls away early, can drop a forklift off the dock edge. OSHA requires the trailer's brakes set and wheel chocks under the rear wheels while a powered truck boards it.

    Points to:Safety risk29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1)

  • People on foot crossing the forklift path between the doors and the staging lanes, or a marked walkway blocked by pallets so people walk around it.

    This is where struck-by injuries happen. The painted route only protects people if it is clear; OSHA wants permanent aisles marked and kept clear of obstructions.

    Points to:Safety riskMotion29 CFR 1910.176(a)

  • Pallets stacked two or three high with crushed or leaning bottom layers, or torn stretch wrap.

    A leaning stack can collapse onto a clerk, and crushed cartons are damage you then have to claim or scrap. Stored material has to be stacked so it is stable.

    Points to:Safety riskDefects29 CFR 1910.176(b)

  • Forklift pre-use check sheets left blank, or ticked for the whole week on Monday morning.

    A check filled in ahead of time tells you the check is a form, not a habit, and usually that the trucks are needed before there is time for it. Trucks have to be examined before use, at least daily.

    Points to:Safety riskEquipment loss29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)

  • The sight lines at the near-miss spot: no dock light into the trailer, mirrors missing, the clerk's desk in the turning path.

    A dark trailer nose and a desk in the swing area make the same near miss likely again. It is a condition to change, not a person to retrain.

    Points to:Safety risk

Questions to ask

  • “Walk me through what you do from the moment a trailer backs onto this door until the first pallet comes off.”

    Whether chocking or the restraint is part of the sequence, or something people remember when they have time.

  • “Where do you walk when a forklift is coming out of a trailer?”

    The real walking route, which may not be the painted one.

  • “What gets in the way of doing the pre-use check at the start of the shift?”

    Usually time (a trailer is already waiting) or no place to do it. Both can be fixed.

  • “What happened the last time something nearly went wrong here, and what changed after it?”

    Whether near misses get an answer, which decides whether people report the next one.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not stand in the forklift path to get a better view, and do not ask a driver a question while the truck is moving. Wait until it is parked with the forks down.
  • Do not ask who was driving in last week's near miss. You are there for the route, the light and the sequence.
  • If a forklift is about to enter an unchocked trailer, stop that move politely there and then. Stopping a hazard is not fixing on the spot; it is the one thing you never walk past.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Door 3Done on the walk

    Saw:
    Trailer chocked on the driver's side only, restraint not used. Same on both trailers watched.
    Said:
    Clerk: the restraint at door 3 has been faulty for about two weeks, so people use the chock.
    Points to:
    Safety risk
    Next:
    Chock both rear wheels until the restraint is repaired; work order for the restraint.
    Owner:
    Receiving team leader
    Due:
    Today

  • Staging lanes, doors 2 to 4Tier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Painted walkway blocked by 6 pallets waiting for putaway; clerks cut through lane 3 instead.
    Said:
    Putaway falls behind on Mondays when three trailers arrive before 08:00.
    Points to:
    Safety risk, Inventory
    Next:
    Mark an overflow area off the walkway; look at Monday arrival times with purchasing.
    Owner:
    Receiving supervisor
    Due:
    Friday

  • Door 3, trailer interiorTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    No dock light at door 3; the trailer nose is dark when reversing out.
    Said:
    Driver: you go slowly and guess.
    Points to:
    Safety risk
    Next:
    Dock light for door 3, and check every other door.
    Owner:
    Maintenance planner
    Due:
    2 weeks

  • Forklift parkingTier 1 board

    Saw:
    Check sheet for truck 2 ticked Monday to Friday at 07:40 on Monday.
    Said:
    Operator: the trucks are needed straight away when the first trailer is on the door.
    Points to:
    Safety risk, Equipment loss
    Next:
    Team to trial a 5-minute check slot before the first trailer for two weeks.
    Owner:
    Receiving team leader
    Due:
    Next Monday

After the walk

The chock rule starts during the walk. The check slot goes on the receiving tier 1 board today. The restraint repair, the dock light and the overflow area go to the tier 2 meeting with dates, because receiving cannot fix them alone. The EHS lead tells the clerk who reported the near miss what is being done, within two days.

Yokoten: where else to look

Check every dock door for a working restraint and a dock light this week, and ask the shipping dock whether its forklifts face the same squeeze on pre-use checks at the start of the shift.

Take on this walk: forklift inspection checklist, near miss report form and warehouse safety inspection checklist.

Walk 2 of 12 · Machining and fabrication · Quality · 25 min

CNC machining cell: a quality walk after a customer complaint

Who walks:
Quality engineer with the cell's team leader
When:
Second shift, an hour after start
Why this walk:
Two parts with an oversize bore reached a customer last month.

Route, 25 minutes

Route of the walk, 25 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 25 minutes: 1. Cell inspection bench (8 min); 2. Machine 2, control and tooling area (6 min); 3. Gauge board (5 min); 4. Red bin and hold area (6 min).18 min26 min35 min46 min
Route, 25 minutes: 1. Cell inspection bench (8 min); 2. Machine 2, control and tooling area (6 min); 3. Gauge board (5 min); 4. Red bin and hold area (6 min).
  1. Cell inspection bench, 8 min. The operator measuring one part: which gauge, how often, where the reading is written.
  2. Machine 2, control and tooling area, 6 min. A tool change or offset entry, and the first-piece check after it.
  3. Gauge board, 5 min. Calibration labels, empty slots, gauges that are not on the control plan.
  4. Red bin and hold area, 6 min. What is in it, how it is tagged, how long it has been there.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • A bore gauge or micrometer with a calibration label past its due date, or no label at all, still in use.

    An out-of-calibration gauge can pass a bad part. Measuring equipment should be identified so its calibration status can be seen, and protected from adjustments that would make readings invalid. Read the date on the label against today's date.

    Points to:DefectsISO 9001:2015 clause 7.1.5.2 (as quoted by Auditor Training Online)

  • Operators measuring with their own calipers in place of the gauge named on the control plan.

    Personal gauges are usually outside the calibration system, and a caliper may not be capable for a tight bore tolerance. A gage R&R study answers that, not the operator's confidence.

    Points to:Defects

  • Readings written on a scrap of paper or a glove box and copied later, or an hourly sheet with the same reading every hour.

    Real readings drift a little. A row of identical numbers usually means the reading was not taken, and copying later breaks the link between the part and the result.

    Points to:DefectsExtra processing

  • No first-piece check after a tool change or offset adjustment, or the machine running on while the operator waits for an inspector.

    The parts made while waiting for a check are the ones at risk. A long wait for sign-off pushes people to run on.

    Points to:DefectsWaiting

  • Parts in the red bin without a tag, or tagged parts sitting there for more than a few days.

    Untagged nonconforming parts get mixed back in. Old parts in hold mean nobody owns the decision to rework or scrap.

    Points to:DefectsInventory

Questions to ask

  • “Show me how you check this bore, from picking up the part to writing down the reading.”

    The real method, the real gauge and where the reading goes.

  • “What do you do when a reading is close to the limit but still inside it?”

    Whether there is a reaction rule (adjust the offset, check the last parts, call someone) or each person decides.

  • “Where do you go when the bore gauge is in use at the other machine?”

    The reason personal gauges appear.

  • “What happens to a part after it goes in the red bin?”

    Who decides, how long it takes and whether anyone looks at why it was rejected.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not pick up a gauge and re-measure parts yourself to prove a point. Ask the operator to show you, and stay with the method.
  • Do not note which operator used a personal caliper. Write that a personal caliper was in use at machine 2 and ask why the right gauge was not at hand.
  • Do not announce a new inspection frequency on the floor. Change the control plan and the work instruction first, then train both shifts.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Gauge boardDone on the walk

    Saw:
    Bore gauge B-14 labelled due two months ago, still in use at machine 2. The slot for the second bore gauge is empty.
    Said:
    Team leader: the second gauge went out for calibration and has not come back.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Quarantine B-14 and send it for calibration; check parts measured with it since its due date.
    Owner:
    Quality engineer
    Due:
    Today

  • Machine 2Tier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Bore measured with a personal digital caliper; the drawing tolerance on the bore is 0.025 mm wide.
    Said:
    Operator: the bore gauge is shared with machine 4, and the walk there takes too long while the machine waits.
    Points to:
    Defects, Motion
    Next:
    A second calibrated bore gauge kept at machine 2; no caliper on this bore unless a gage R&R accepts it.
    Owner:
    Quality engineer
    Due:
    2 weeks

  • Inspection benchTier 1 board

    Saw:
    Hourly sheet shows 25.012 mm for six hours running.
    Said:
    Readings are written up at the end of the shift when it is busy.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Team to redesign the check sheet so the reading is written at the machine.
    Owner:
    CI lead
    Due:
    Next week

  • Red binTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    11 parts, 4 without a tag, oldest tag 9 days.
    Said:
    Nobody is sure who decides between rework and scrap.
    Points to:
    Defects, Inventory
    Next:
    Agree a 48-hour decision rule for held parts and who makes the call.
    Owner:
    Quality engineer
    Due:
    Friday

After the walk

The quarantine and the check of past parts start before the walkers leave. The check sheet goes on the cell's tier 1 board. The second gauge and the held-parts rule go to the tier 2 quality meeting with owners. The quality engineer goes back to the operator who explained the shared gauge and shows the order.

Yokoten: where else to look

Walk every gauge board in the plant for overdue labels the same week, and list the other cells where two machines share one gauge.

Take on this walk: gauge calibration log, control plan template and gage R&R study sheet.

Walk 3 of 12 · Machining and fabrication · 5S and visual · 20 min

Welding and fabrication bay: a 5S and visual management walk

Who walks:
Production manager
When:
Mid-shift on a Thursday
Why this walk:
The bay's 5S audit score has dropped three months running, and the team says the audit does not show the real problems.

Route, 20 minutes

Route of the walk, 20 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 20 minutes: 1. Welding booths 1 and 2, from behind the screens (8 min); 2. Shadow board and consumables cart (6 min); 3. Gas cylinder store (3 min); 4. Floor and aisles around the booths (3 min).18 min26 min33m43m
Route, 20 minutes: 1. Welding booths 1 and 2, from behind the screens (8 min); 2. Shadow board and consumables cart (6 min); 3. Gas cylinder store (3 min); 4. Floor and aisles around the booths (3 min).
  1. Welding booths 1 and 2, from behind the screens, 8 min. One weldment from fit-up to final weld: how often the welder leaves the booth and why.
  2. Shadow board and consumables cart, 6 min. What is missing, what is extra, and how far it is from the booths.
  3. Gas cylinder store, 3 min. Valve caps, separation of oxygen and fuel gas, labels.
  4. Floor and aisles around the booths, 3 min. Floor markings, offcuts, cables, the work-in-process square.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • Empty outlines on the shadow board, tools hung on the wrong outline, and tools collected in each welder's own box at the booth.

    Empty outlines usually mean the board is in the wrong place or holds the wrong tools: people keep what they need where they work. The personal boxes show what the board should hold.

    Points to:Motion

  • A welder leaving the booth to look for clamps, grinding discs or wire, and how long each trip takes.

    Searching is the waste the set-in-order step of 5S is meant to remove. Time one trip so the follow-up starts with a number, not an opinion.

    Points to:MotionWaiting

  • Cylinders with no valve cap while they are not connected, or oxygen stored next to fuel-gas cylinders.

    A knocked-off valve can turn a cylinder into a projectile, and oxygen beside fuel gas feeds a fire. Caps go on when a cylinder is not in use, and stored oxygen is kept 20 feet from fuel gas or behind a 5-foot noncombustible barrier (1910.253(b)(4)(iii)).

    Points to:Safety risk29 CFR 1910.253(b)(2)(iv)

  • Welding leads and grinder cords across the walkway, offcuts and spatter on the floor.

    Trip hazards in a bay where people carry hot or heavy parts. Walking surfaces have to be kept free of protruding objects and spills.

    Points to:Safety risk29 CFR 1910.22(a)(3)

  • Floor markings worn away, or a square marked for 3 frames holding 7.

    A limit nobody can see or keep is not visual management: the bay cannot tell normal from abnormal at a glance, and frames pile up for the next process.

    Points to:InventoryOverproduction

Questions to ask

  • “Show me what you need for this weldment and where each thing is kept.”

    The point-of-use list, in the welder's own order.

  • “Which tools do you keep at the booth, and what made you start keeping them there?”

    The redesign of the shadow board, from the people who use it.

  • “How do you know when to start the next frame?”

    Why the work-in-process square overflows: a push from the schedule, or no signal at all.

  • “If you could move one thing closer to the booth, what would it be?”

    The single change that saves the most trips.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not take away or red-tag a welder's personal tool box during the walk. It tells you what the shadow board is missing.
  • Do not score the bay on the 5S audit form while you walk. The walk is to find out why the score dropped; the audit is a separate check.
  • Do not look toward an open arc to get closer. Watch from behind the welding screens.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Shadow boardTier 1 board

    Saw:
    7 of 22 outlines empty; 5 of those tools found in booth tool boxes. The board is about 15 m from booth 2.
    Said:
    Welders: walking to the board for each tool takes too long, so they keep a set in the booth.
    Points to:
    Motion
    Next:
    Team to lay out a point-of-use board for each booth with the tools used every shift.
    Owner:
    Bay team leader
    Due:
    3 weeks

  • Booth 2Tier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    In 8 minutes of watching, the welder left the booth twice: once for clamps (about 90 seconds), once for wire (about 2 minutes).
    Said:
    Wire spools are kept in the stores cage, which is locked on second shift.
    Points to:
    Motion, Waiting
    Next:
    Agree a small wire stock in the bay with stores, with a minimum and maximum on the label.
    Owner:
    Stores supervisor
    Due:
    Next week

  • Cylinder storeDone on the walk

    Saw:
    2 oxygen cylinders without valve caps, stored beside acetylene with no barrier.
    Said:
    Team leader: the barrier was moved when the bay was laid out again in the spring.
    Points to:
    Safety risk
    Next:
    Caps on now; restore the separation or the barrier.
    Owner:
    EHS lead
    Due:
    Today

  • Work-in-process squareTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Square marked for 3 frames holds 7. Paint collects frames twice a day.
    Said:
    We keep welding to stay busy when paint is full.
    Points to:
    Inventory, Overproduction
    Next:
    Look at the signal between the bay and paint with both supervisors.
    Owner:
    Production manager
    Due:
    2 weeks

After the walk

The caps go on with the team leader before the walk ends. The point-of-use boards go on the bay's tier 1 board. The wire stock and the paint signal go to tier 2 because they cross departments. The production manager tells the next shift's welders what was agreed about the wire.

Yokoten: where else to look

If the point-of-use boards cut the trips, copy the layout to the other welding bays, and check every cylinder store in the plant for caps and separation.

Take on this walk: 5S audit checklist template, shadow board planner and 5S red tag log and red tags.

Walk 4 of 12 · Assembly line · Standard work · 30 min

Assembly line: a standard work adherence walk at one station

Who walks:
Area supervisor with a CI lead
When:
First shift, after the first break
Why this walk:
Torque faults at the end-of-line test have risen since a model change two weeks ago.

Route, 30 minutes

Route of the walk, 30 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 30 minutes: 1. Station 6 (torque) (10 min); 2. Stations 5 and 7 (8 min); 3. Line-side racks for stations 5 to 7 (6 min); 4. Andon board and end-of-line test (6 min).110 min28 min36 min46 min
Route, 30 minutes: 1. Station 6 (torque) (10 min); 2. Stations 5 and 7 (8 min); 3. Line-side racks for stations 5 to 7 (6 min); 4. Andon board and end-of-line test (6 min).
  1. Station 6 (torque), 10 min. Five cycles against the posted standard work sheet: sequence, timing, key points.
  2. Stations 5 and 7, 8 min. The handoffs either side: what arrives, what waits, what gets passed back.
  3. Line-side racks for stations 5 to 7, 6 min. How parts are presented after the model change, and old and new parts side by side.
  4. Andon board and end-of-line test, 6 min. What the test records, and how a fault gets back to station 6.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • A posted standard work sheet that shows the old model, or a revision date before the model change.

    If the standard is out of date, people follow what they were told on day one and each shift ends up doing it differently.

    Points to:Defects

  • A sequence different from the sheet, for example bolt 3 torqued before the cover is seated.

    A different sequence is a clue, not a fault. Either the sheet is wrong for the new model or something at the station makes the written way hard.

    Points to:Defects

  • Tape, a marker line or a homemade spacer on the fixture.

    Workarounds show where an operator solved a problem the process did not. They hold knowledge you want in the standard, and they hide the problem from engineering.

    Points to:DefectsUnused talent

  • Cycle times that vary widely over five cycles, or the operator waiting for station 5 and then rushing.

    Variation around takt points to imbalance or missing parts, and rushing after a wait is where steps get skipped.

    Points to:WaitingDefects

  • Two similar part numbers in neighbouring bins with nothing to tell them apart.

    Mixed presentation after a model change is a common source of wrong-part errors.

    Points to:Defects

Questions to ask

  • “Walk me through this station the way you would teach a new person.”

    Teaching makes people say the key points and the reasons, which shows what the sheet leaves out.

  • “What is different about this station since the new model started?”

    The changes that never made it into the standard.

  • “What do you do when the torque gun faults?”

    The reaction plan, or the lack of one.

  • “I noticed the tape mark on the fixture. Can you show me what it is for?”

    The problem the workaround solves, and who solved it.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not tell the operator to follow the sheet. When the sheet and the work differ, find out which one is right first.
  • Do not time the station without saying why. Say you are timing the station, not the person, ask first, and share what you found.
  • Do not peel off the tape. It is the operator's fix; replace it later with a proper locator, with them.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Station 6Tier 1 board

    Saw:
    Standard work sheet rev C is dated before the model change; the new model has 6 bolts, the sheet shows 4.
    Said:
    Operator: the team leader showed the new sequence on the first day.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Update the sheet for the new model with operators from both shifts.
    Owner:
    CI lead
    Due:
    Friday

  • Station 6Tier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Bolt 3 torqued before the cover is seated on 3 of 5 cycles.
    Said:
    The cover does not sit flat unless bolt 3 is snug first.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Check the cover fit on the new model.
    Owner:
    Manufacturing engineer
    Due:
    2 weeks

  • Station 6 fixtureTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Blue tape line used to locate the bracket.
    Said:
    Second shift added it after brackets were going on crooked.
    Points to:
    Defects, Unused talent
    Next:
    Design a fixed locator to replace the tape, with the second-shift operator who added it.
    Owner:
    Manufacturing engineer
    Due:
    4 weeks

  • Line-side rack, station 6Tier 1 board

    Saw:
    Old and new brackets in neighbouring grey bins, labels on the back of the bins.
    Said:
    Operator: they check the part number printed on the bag.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Separate or color-code the two bins until the old model ends.
    Owner:
    Materials team leader
    Due:
    Tomorrow

After the walk

The bins and the sheet update go on the line's tier 1 board. The cover fit and the locator go to tier 2 with engineering. The next walk starts at station 6 and checks five cycles against the new sheet.

Yokoten: where else to look

The tape line is a fix worth copying: check whether the same bracket goes on crooked on the other line building this model, and list every station whose sheet predates the model change.

Take on this walk: standard work audit checklist, standard work sheet template and time study sheet.

Walk 5 of 12 · Assembly line · People and coaching · 25 min

Assembly line: a people and coaching walk with a new team leader

Who walks:
Area manager coaching a team leader in their first month
When:
Late morning, mid-shift
Why this walk:
The team's idea board has 14 ideas; the oldest is three months old and only two have an answer.

Route, 25 minutes

Route of the walk, 25 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 25 minutes: 1. Two stations the team leader picks (10 min); 2. The team's tier 1 board (7 min); 3. Training matrix by the break area (4 min); 4. Back at the board (4 min).110 min27 min34 min44 min
Route, 25 minutes: 1. Two stations the team leader picks (10 min); 2. The team's tier 1 board (7 min); 3. Training matrix by the break area (4 min); 4. Back at the board (4 min).
  1. Two stations the team leader picks, 10 min. How the team leader answers an andon call or a question. Watch the team leader, not the operators.
  2. The team's tier 1 board, 7 min. Then read it with the team leader: today's numbers, open problems, ideas and how old they are.
  3. Training matrix by the break area, 4 min. Who can cover which station, against today's absences.
  4. Back at the board, 4 min. Agree one thing for the team leader to try this week.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • Ideas on the board with no answer, no owner or no date.

    Unanswered ideas teach people that suggesting is pointless, and the number of new ideas falls a few weeks later.

    Points to:Unused talent

  • Andon calls answered by the team leader fixing the problem alone while the operator stands and watches.

    The stop is cleared but nobody learns, and the team leader becomes the bottleneck for every problem on the line.

    Points to:WaitingUnused talent

  • Most operators trained on one station only, and the team leader covering an absence on the line.

    A team leader working a station cannot answer andon calls or coach. Check the skills matrix against today's absences.

    Points to:Unused talent

  • Board numbers last updated yesterday, or written up by the team leader with nobody else reading them.

    A board nobody uses is wallpaper. Ask who reads it, and when.

    Points to:Unused talent

  • How the team leader opens a conversation: with a question or with an instruction.

    This is the coaching target of the walk. The area manager is watching the team leader's habits, not grading the operators.

    Points to:Unused talent

Questions to ask

  • “Which of these ideas could the team try this week without help from anyone else?”

    Asked of the team leader: what they believe they are allowed to approve.

  • “What do you spend most of your shift doing that you wish you did not have to?”

    Asked of the team leader: the work that keeps them off the floor.

  • “When you put an idea on the board, what happens to it next?”

    Asked of an operator: whether ideas go anywhere, in their own words.

  • “Who covers your station when you need to step away, and how did they learn it?”

    Asked of an operator: the real cover, and whether training is planned or by chance.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not correct the team leader in front of the team. Note what you saw and talk about it at the board afterwards, one to one.
  • Do not answer the andon call yourself. The walk is to see how the team leader responds.
  • Do not promise money for an idea on the spot. Say when the team will hear back, and keep the date.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Team boardTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    14 ideas, 2 answered, oldest 3 months.
    Said:
    Team leader: does not know which ideas they can approve without asking.
    Points to:
    Unused talent
    Next:
    Set what a team leader can approve alone (a cost limit, inside the area) and post it on the board.
    Owner:
    Area manager
    Due:
    This week

  • Station 4, andon callTier 1 board

    Saw:
    Team leader arrived in about 1 minute and cleared the jam alone; the operator watched for about 4 minutes.
    Said:
    Team leader: it is quicker to do it myself.
    Points to:
    Waiting, Unused talent
    Next:
    On the next two calls, the team leader asks the operator to show the problem first. Review at Friday's walk.
    Owner:
    Assembly team leader
    Due:
    Friday

  • Training matrixTier 1 board

    Saw:
    2 absences today; the team leader is covering station 9; 3 of 12 operators are trained on station 9.
    Said:
    Operator: station 9 is learned by watching when someone is off.
    Points to:
    Unused talent
    Next:
    Plan training for two more operators on station 9 this month.
    Owner:
    Assembly team leader
    Due:
    4 weeks

After the walk

The approval limit goes to the area manager's tier 2 meeting and comes back to the team board with an answer. Cross-training goes on the tier 1 board. The team leader's new habit with andon calls is not a board item: it goes into their leader standard work for the next two weeks.

Yokoten: where else to look

If a clear approval limit gets ideas moving, give every team leader in the area the same limit and show the age of the oldest open idea on each board.

Take on this walk: leader standard work template, idea suggestion form and skills matrix template.

Walk 6 of 12 · Packaging · Safety · 25 min

Packaging line: a safety walk focused on clearing jams

Who walks:
EHS lead with the packaging supervisor
When:
Night shift, first two hours
Why this walk:
A first-aid case last week: a cut finger while clearing a carton jam at the case erector.

Route, 25 minutes

Route of the walk, 25 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 25 minutes: 1. Case erector, from outside the guarding (10 min); 2. Labeller and checkweigher (6 min); 3. Control panel and lockout station (5 min); 4. Line walkway (4 min).110 min26 min35 min44 min
Route, 25 minutes: 1. Case erector, from outside the guarding (10 min); 2. Labeller and checkweigher (6 min); 3. Control panel and lockout station (5 min); 4. Line walkway (4 min).
  1. Case erector, from outside the guarding, 10 min. Count the jams and watch how each one is cleared: guard door open or closed, machine stopped or paused.
  2. Labeller and checkweigher, 6 min. The same, and where rejected cases go.
  3. Control panel and lockout station, 5 min. Locks and tags available, stop buttons, the posted jam-clearing method.
  4. Line walkway, 4 min. Cardboard and glue on the floor, light at the infeed.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • Jams cleared by reaching past a guard while the machine is paused, not stopped.

    A paused machine can restart. Minor servicing during production is outside full lockout only when it is routine, repetitive and integral to production and done with alternative measures that give effective protection. Reaching into a paused machine is not that.

    Points to:Safety risk29 CFR 1910.147(a)(2)(ii)

  • A guard door propped open or an interlock taped or bypassed with a spare key.

    A bypassed interlock is a workaround: the jam rate made the guard feel too slow. Machine guarding is required, so the walk has to end with the guard working.

    Points to:Safety risk29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1)

  • How many jams happen in ten minutes, and whether anyone records them.

    Frequent minor stops push people toward shortcuts, and they are lost output that rarely shows up in a shift report.

    Points to:Safety riskEquipment loss

  • Cardboard scraps and spilled glue at the infeed, and dim light where operators look into the machine.

    Slips and poor visibility add risk to every jam clear. Walking surfaces have to be kept free of spills.

    Points to:Safety risk29 CFR 1910.22(a)(3)

  • No posted jam-clearing method, or a posted one that does not match how the jam is really cleared.

    If the method is not used, find out why before anyone is retrained. Usually it is slow, or it does not fit the machine as it is now.

    Points to:Safety risk

Questions to ask

  • “After you clear the next jam, can you walk me through each step you took?”

    The real sequence, asked after the hands are out of the machine.

  • “How many times a shift does this jam, and what seems to cause it?”

    The operators' own data on causes: cartons, glue, speed, settings.

  • “What would make stopping the machine properly as quick as pausing it?”

    The fix is usually in the machine or the cartons, not in another reminder.

  • “What changed after last week's cut finger, and has it helped?”

    Whether the first-aid case got an answer the team can see.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not talk to someone while their hands are near the machine. Ask after the jam is cleared.
  • Do not ask who was cut or treat it as one person's mistake. You are there for the jam, the guard and the method.
  • If a guard is bypassed, make the machine safe with the supervisor before you leave the line. Then find out why it was bypassed.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Case erectorTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    9 jams in 10 minutes; 7 cleared through the side guard door with the machine paused, not stopped.
    Said:
    Operator: a full stop and restart takes about 3 minutes and the line backs up.
    Points to:
    Safety risk, Equipment loss
    Next:
    Measure the restart time and look at a safe stop for jam clearing that is quick enough to be used.
    Owner:
    Maintenance engineer
    Due:
    2 weeks

  • Side guard doorDone on the walk

    Saw:
    Interlock on the side door taped over.
    Said:
    Supervisor was not aware of it.
    Points to:
    Safety risk
    Next:
    Tape removed and the interlock tested with the supervisor before restart.
    Owner:
    Packaging supervisor
    Due:
    During the walk

  • Carton magazineTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Jams cluster on cartons from one lot, which look bowed.
    Said:
    Operators: worse with cartons stored near the dock door.
    Points to:
    Equipment loss, Defects
    Next:
    Check carton flatness by lot and where cartons are stored.
    Owner:
    Quality engineer
    Due:
    1 week

  • InfeedTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Light at the infeed is dim; operators use phone torches to look in.
    Said:
    It has been like that since the lights above were moved.
    Points to:
    Safety risk
    Next:
    Task lighting at the infeed.
    Owner:
    Maintenance planner
    Due:
    2 weeks

After the walk

The interlock is fixed before the walkers leave and logged on the tier 1 board as done. Carton flatness, restart time and lighting go to tier 2 with dates. The EHS lead reports back at the next night-shift start meeting, because the night shift is who asked for a faster restart.

Yokoten: where else to look

Check every interlocked guard on the packaging lines for bypasses this week, and count jams at the other case erectors to see whether the same carton lot is behind them.

Take on this walk: lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure template, safety observation card template and job safety analysis (JSA) template.

Walk 7 of 12 · Packaging · Standard work · 30 min

Packaging line: a standard work walk during a product changeover

Who walks:
Production supervisor with the quality lead
When:
During a scheduled changeover between two products
Why this walk:
A customer found labels from the previous product in a case of the new one.

Route, 30 minutes

Route of the walk, 30 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 30 minutes: 1. Filler and labeller, during line clearance (10 min); 2. Label store and issue point (6 min); 3. First-off check at the end of the line (8 min); 4. Changeover board (6 min).110 min26 min38 min46 min
Route, 30 minutes: 1. Filler and labeller, during line clearance (10 min); 2. Label store and issue point (6 min); 3. First-off check at the end of the line (8 min); 4. Changeover board (6 min).
  1. Filler and labeller, during line clearance, 10 min. The clearance, step by step, against the line clearance checklist.
  2. Label store and issue point, 6 min. How labels for the new product are issued and part rolls of the old one come back.
  3. First-off check at the end of the line, 8 min. Who checks the first cases, what they compare them against, where it is signed.
  4. Changeover board, 6 min. Planned against actual time, and the problems written up.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • Labels, cartons or product from the last run still in drawers, under conveyors or on the floor after clearance is signed.

    Leftovers from the previous run are how mixed labels reach a customer.

    Points to:Defects

  • The clearance checklist signed before the steps were done, or signed by one person for every area.

    A signature without a look is a form, not a check, and it tells the next shift the line is clear when it is not.

    Points to:Defects

  • Labels issued as full rolls with no count, and part rolls put back on the shelf without being reconciled.

    Counting labels out and back in is the evidence that none are missing on the line.

    Points to:Defects

  • A first-off check made from memory, with no master sample or approved label proof at the line.

    A check with nothing to compare against catches only obvious errors.

    Points to:Defects

  • The line waiting at the end of the changeover for a quality sign-off.

    A long wait pushes people to start before the sign-off. Ask how long they normally wait.

    Points to:Waiting

Questions to ask

  • “Walk me through how you clear the labeller, the way you do it on any changeover.”

    The real clearance, including the spots the checklist does not name.

  • “Where do part rolls of labels go at the end of a run?”

    Whether labels are reconciled or just returned.

  • “What do you compare the first case against?”

    Whether there is a reference at the line.

  • “What happens when quality is not here to sign off?”

    The real rule on nights and weekends.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not make the team restart the clearance because you are watching. Watch the normal one.
  • Do not ask who signed the checklist on the day of the complaint.
  • Do not turn the walk into a changeover time study. Note the time, and come back with a SMED focus if the time is the problem.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • LabellerDone on the walk

    Saw:
    After clearance was signed, one part roll of old labels was still in the labeller's side drawer.
    Said:
    Operator: the drawer is not on the checklist.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Remove the roll now; add the drawer and the spaces under the conveyors to the checklist, with a photo of each spot.
    Owner:
    Packaging team leader
    Due:
    Next changeover

  • Label storeTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Labels issued by the roll, not counted; no return log.
    Said:
    Stores: rolls come back sometimes and go straight back on the shelf.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Count labels out and back in, with a return log at the label store.
    Owner:
    Quality lead
    Due:
    1 week

  • End of lineTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    First-off check done by eye; no label proof at the line.
    Said:
    Operator: they know what the label should look like.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Post the approved label proof for each product at the first-off point.
    Owner:
    Quality lead
    Due:
    1 week

  • Changeover boardTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Planned 40 minutes, actual 65; 18 minutes of it waiting for the quality sign-off.
    Said:
    One quality technician covers two lines on this shift.
    Points to:
    Waiting
    Next:
    Decide who can approve a first-off on this shift and what they check.
    Owner:
    Quality lead
    Due:
    2 weeks

After the walk

The roll comes out of the drawer during the walk. The new checklist goes on the line's tier 1 board for the next changeover. Label reconciliation, the label proofs and the sign-off rule go to the tier 2 quality meeting. The supervisor tells the operator who pointed out the drawer that it is now on the checklist.

Yokoten: where else to look

Check the clearance checklists on the other packaging lines for drawers and hidden spots, and copy the photo checklist if it works here.

Take on this walk: changeover checklist, first article inspection (FAI) report template and quality alert form.

Walk 8 of 12 · Warehouse and shipping · Flow and waste · 30 min

Warehouse and shipping: a flow and waste walk that follows one order

Who walks:
Logistics manager with a CI lead
When:
Early afternoon, during the main picking wave
Why this walk:
Same-day orders miss the 16:00 carrier cut-off two or three times a week.

Route, 30 minutes

Route of the walk, 30 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 30 minutes: 1. Order release and pick ticket printer (5 min); 2. The pick path, following one picker at a distance (12 min); 3. Packing bench (7 min); 4. Shipping staging lanes (6 min).15 min212 min37 min46 min
Route, 30 minutes: 1. Order release and pick ticket printer (5 min); 2. The pick path, following one picker at a distance (12 min); 3. Packing bench (7 min); 4. Shipping staging lanes (6 min).
  1. Order release and pick ticket printer, 5 min. When an order prints and how long until someone picks it up.
  2. The pick path, following one picker at a distance, 12 min. Travel, doubling back, searching, waiting for a forklift.
  3. Packing bench, 7 min. Boxes and tape at hand, repacking, labels.
  4. Shipping staging lanes, 6 min. Full lanes, mixed carriers, pallets waiting for their truck.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • A picker walking past the next pick and doubling back, or crossing the building for a single line.

    Travel is transport and motion, and the order of the pick ticket and where stock is slotted decide most of it.

    Points to:TransportMotion

  • A picker reading location labels along a rack, or asking a colleague where a product is.

    Searching points to faded or missing location labels, or stock in overflow locations the system does not know about.

    Points to:Motion

  • Pick tickets waiting in the printer tray or on a desk.

    An order sitting before anyone starts it is invisible on a pick-rate report but counts against the cut-off.

    Points to:Waiting

  • A packer walking to fetch boxes or tape, or repacking an order because the first box was the wrong size.

    Fetching is motion repeated on every order, and repacking is rework. Both point to what the bench holds and how the box size is chosen.

    Points to:MotionDefects

  • Staging lanes full, carriers mixed in one lane, pallets staged hours before their truck.

    Staging too early is overproduction in shipping: it blocks lanes, hides the urgent orders and leads to reloading.

    Points to:OverproductionInventory

Questions to ask

  • “When a new order prints, how do you decide which one to pick next?”

    Whether there is any priority for same-day orders.

  • “Show me how you find a location you have not picked from before.”

    How good the labels and the system locations are, from the user's side.

  • “What makes an order late on a normal day?”

    The usual causes in the team's words, often different from the report.

  • “Which part of the job takes longer than it should?”

    The step people would change first.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not walk at the picker's elbow and slow them down. Follow at a distance and ask your questions after the order is packed.
  • Do not compare pickers' rates on the walk. You are following the order, not the person.
  • Do not move stock to a better location on the spot. Note it: a slotting change needs the system updated too.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Pick ticket printerTier 1 board

    Saw:
    Order printed at 13:42 and picked up at 14:05: 23 minutes in the tray.
    Said:
    Picker: tickets are collected when a picker finishes the current wave.
    Points to:
    Waiting
    Next:
    Trial releasing same-day orders as single-order picks after 13:00.
    Owner:
    Warehouse supervisor
    Due:
    Next week

  • Pick pathTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    7-line order: the picker crossed from aisle 1 to aisle 14 three times; 2 items were in overflow locations not on the ticket.
    Said:
    Overflow locations are known from memory.
    Points to:
    Transport, Motion
    Next:
    Put overflow locations in the system and sort the ticket by aisle.
    Owner:
    Inventory control lead
    Due:
    2 weeks

  • Packing benchTier 1 board

    Saw:
    Packer walked to the box store twice for one box size during one order.
    Said:
    Size 4 boxes are not kept at the bench.
    Points to:
    Motion
    Next:
    A two-bin kanban for the three most used box sizes at the bench.
    Owner:
    Shipping team leader
    Due:
    1 week

  • Staging lane 2Tier 1 board

    Saw:
    Lane full; 3 pallets for the 18:00 carrier staged since 11:00.
    Said:
    We stage as soon as an order is packed.
    Points to:
    Overproduction, Inventory
    Next:
    Mark lanes by carrier and stage by departure time.
    Owner:
    Shipping team leader
    Due:
    2 weeks

After the walk

The release trial, the box kanban and the lane marking go on the warehouse tier 1 board. Overflow locations go to tier 2 because they need the system changed. At the next walk, follow another same-day order and compare its tray time with the 23 minutes.

Yokoten: where else to look

If single-order release and aisle-sorted tickets work, apply them in the second warehouse building, and check for unlisted overflow locations everywhere.

Take on this walk: spaghetti diagram template, waste walk checklist (TIMWOODS) and kanban card template.

Walk 9 of 12 · Maintenance shop · 5S and visual · 25 min

Maintenance shop: a 5S and visual management walk

Who walks:
Maintenance manager with the maintenance planner
When:
Start of the day shift, while jobs are handed out
Why this walk:
Technicians say they spend much of each job looking for parts and tools.

Route, 25 minutes

Route of the walk, 25 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 25 minutes: 1. Job board and work order rack (6 min); 2. Parts cage and bench stock (7 min); 3. Tool crib and shared tools (6 min); 4. Lockout station and chemical cabinet (6 min).16 min27 min36 min46 min
Route, 25 minutes: 1. Job board and work order rack (6 min); 2. Parts cage and bench stock (7 min); 3. Tool crib and shared tools (6 min); 4. Lockout station and chemical cabinet (6 min).
  1. Job board and work order rack, 6 min. How jobs are handed out, and which ones wait for parts.
  2. Parts cage and bench stock, 7 min. Labels, minimum and maximum marks, unlabelled bins, parts from old jobs.
  3. Tool crib and shared tools, 6 min. Sign-out, missing tools, calibration labels on torque wrenches.
  4. Lockout station and chemical cabinet, 6 min. Locks and tags available, locks left on machines, labels on containers.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • Work orders on the ready board that are still waiting for a part or a permit.

    A job that is not ready goes out anyway, and the technician waits or searches. Ready should mean everything is there.

    Points to:WaitingMotion

  • Bins with no label, and parts from old jobs on shelves with no work order number.

    Nobody knows whether they are spare or reserved, so new parts get ordered while old ones age on the shelf.

    Points to:Inventory

  • Torque wrenches with no calibration label or an overdue one.

    A wrong torque reading is a defect you cannot see afterwards. Calibration status should be visible on the tool.

    Points to:DefectsISO 9001:2015 clause 7.1.5.2 (as quoted by Auditor Training Online)

  • Lockout station short of locks or tags, or a lock on a machine with nothing to say whose it is.

    If locks are hard to get, people are tempted to skip them, and an unidentified lock cannot be safely removed. Lockout and tagout devices must show who applied them.

    Points to:Safety risk29 CFR 1910.147(c)(5)(ii)(D)

  • Spray bottles or decanted chemicals with no label.

    Nobody can tell what is in an unlabelled bottle. Workplace containers of hazardous chemicals must be labelled, tagged or marked.

    Points to:Safety risk29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6)

Questions to ask

  • “Show me what you need for your first job today and where you get each thing.”

    The real kitting route and every stop on it.

  • “How do you know a job is ready before you start it?”

    What ready means to the people doing the job.

  • “What do you do when the part you need is not in the cage?”

    The workaround: robbing other machines, buying locally, or waiting.

  • “Which tool do you look for most often?”

    The first candidate for a fixed home.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not throw out unlabelled parts during the walk. Red-tag them with the team so the decision is shared.
  • Do not touch a locked-out machine or remove a lock to see inside. Lock removal follows the site's procedure.
  • Do not note which technician keeps the most tools in their own box.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Job boardTier 1 board

    Saw:
    5 of 12 jobs on the ready board are waiting for parts.
    Said:
    Planner: jobs are marked ready when the part is ordered, not when it arrives.
    Points to:
    Waiting
    Next:
    Ready means parts received and kitted; change the board column.
    Owner:
    Maintenance planner
    Due:
    Monday

  • Parts cageTier 1 board

    Saw:
    23 unlabelled bins; 6 kits with no work order number.
    Said:
    Technician: kits are left over from jobs that were cancelled.
    Points to:
    Inventory
    Next:
    Red-tag session in the cage with two technicians.
    Owner:
    Maintenance supervisor
    Due:
    2 weeks

  • Tool cribDone on the walk

    Saw:
    2 of 4 torque wrenches with overdue calibration labels.
    Said:
    They go out because the other two are already out.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Quarantine both and send them for calibration.
    Owner:
    Maintenance planner
    Due:
    Today

  • Lockout stationDone on the walk

    Saw:
    4 of 10 lock hooks empty; 2 locks on the air compressor with no tag.
    Said:
    Technician: they may be from last night's job.
    Points to:
    Safety risk
    Next:
    Supervisor follows the site's lock removal procedure for the two locks; refill the station.
    Owner:
    Maintenance supervisor
    Due:
    Today

After the walk

The wrench quarantine and the two unknown locks are dealt with before the walk ends. The ready rule and the red-tag session go on the maintenance tier 1 board. The manager reports back at the next morning meeting, since the trigger was the technicians' own complaint.

Yokoten: where else to look

Apply the same meaning of ready to the shutdown job list, and check every lockout station in the plant for empty hooks and unidentified locks.

Take on this walk: maintenance work order form, 5S red tag log and red tags and lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure template.

Walk 10 of 12 · Quality lab · Quality · 20 min

Quality lab: a quality walk on samples and test results

Who walks:
Plant quality manager
When:
Mid-morning, when the first production samples arrive
Why this walk:
Production says batches wait too long for release, and two results were retested last month after a disagreement.

Route, 20 minutes

Route of the walk, 20 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 20 minutes: 1. Sample drop-off point (5 min); 2. Test bench, one test from start to finish (8 min); 3. Instrument area (4 min); 4. Results release (3 min).15 min28 min34 min43m
Route, 20 minutes: 1. Sample drop-off point (5 min); 2. Test bench, one test from start to finish (8 min); 3. Instrument area (4 min); 4. Results release (3 min).
  1. Sample drop-off point, 5 min. How samples arrive, how they are labelled, where they queue.
  2. Test bench, one test from start to finish, 8 min. The method followed, instrument checks, how the result is recorded.
  3. Instrument area, 4 min. Calibration labels and today's daily check records.
  4. Results release, 3 min. How the line learns that a batch has passed or failed.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • Samples with handwritten labels that miss the batch, the line or the time taken.

    A sample nobody can trace is retested, or its batch is held. Both cost time and both look like a lab problem when the cause is upstream.

    Points to:DefectsWaiting

  • A queue tested in arrival order, whatever batch is waiting for the result.

    First in, first out is fair but not always right: the sample holding a line should go first.

    Points to:Waiting

  • An analyst working from a printed method that is not the current revision, or from memory.

    Two analysts using two versions of a method is a common reason results disagree.

    Points to:Defects

  • Today's daily check on the balance or pH meter not recorded, or recorded as failed with no action noted.

    A check that does not stop the test when it fails is not a check. The status of measuring equipment should be visible and acted on.

    Points to:DefectsISO 9001:2015 clause 7.1.5.2 (as quoted by Auditor Training Online)

  • A result typed from the instrument printout into a spreadsheet, then into an email.

    Every re-entry is extra work and a chance for a transcription error.

    Points to:Extra processingDefects

Questions to ask

  • “Walk me through what happens to a sample from the moment it is dropped off.”

    The real queue and every hand-off.

  • “How do you decide which sample to test next?”

    Whether the lab knows which batches are holding a line.

  • “What do you do when the daily check on an instrument fails?”

    The reaction rule, or its absence.

  • “How does the line find out that a batch has passed?”

    The time between the result and the line acting on it.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not question an analyst's result on the walk. When two results disagree, that is a method and measurement question, not a person.
  • Do not handle samples or touch instruments.
  • Do not tell production on the way out that the lab is the bottleneck. Share the log first.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Sample drop-offTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    6 samples queued at 10:15; 2 labels without the line number.
    Said:
    Lab technician: they phone the lines to find out which line it was.
    Points to:
    Defects, Waiting
    Next:
    Pre-printed sample labels with batch, line and time fields for every line.
    Owner:
    Lab supervisor
    Due:
    2 weeks

  • QueueTier 1 board

    Saw:
    The sample for the batch holding line 2 was fifth in the queue.
    Said:
    Samples are tested in the order they arrive.
    Points to:
    Waiting
    Next:
    A marked slot for samples whose batch is holding a line, tested first.
    Owner:
    Lab supervisor
    Due:
    Next week

  • Test benchDone on the walk

    Saw:
    Method on the bench is revision 4; the controlled copy is revision 5.
    Said:
    Analyst: revision 5 changed the sample weight.
    Points to:
    Defects
    Next:
    Remove old copies from every bench now; check which results used revision 4.
    Owner:
    Quality lead
    Due:
    Today

  • Results releaseTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Result typed three times (printout, spreadsheet, email) before the line hears.
    Said:
    The email is how the line supervisor knows to release.
    Points to:
    Extra processing
    Next:
    Agree one place the line reads results from.
    Owner:
    Quality lead
    Due:
    4 weeks

After the walk

Old method copies come off the benches during the walk. The priority slot goes on the lab's tier 1 board. Labels and the single results record go to tier 2 because they involve production. The quality manager shares the log with the production supervisors before anyone draws conclusions about the lab.

Yokoten: where else to look

Check every bench and line station that holds printed methods or work instructions for old revisions, and copy the priority slot to the micro lab if it has the same queue.

Take on this walk: gauge calibration log, gage R&R study sheet and standard operating procedure (SOP) template.

Walk 11 of 12 · Office and admin · Flow and waste · 25 min

Order entry office: a flow and waste walk that follows one customer order

Who walks:
Operations director with the customer service lead
When:
Morning, while overnight orders are processed
Why this walk:
Orders take about two days from receipt to release to the plant, although entering one takes a few minutes.

Route, 25 minutes

Route of the walk, 25 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 25 minutes: 1. Shared order inbox, sitting with the person who opens it (8 min); 2. Credit check and approvals (6 min); 3. Engineering and specification check (6 min); 4. Release to planning (5 min).18 min26 min36 min45 min
Route, 25 minutes: 1. Shared order inbox, sitting with the person who opens it (8 min); 2. Credit check and approvals (6 min); 3. Engineering and specification check (6 min); 4. Release to planning (5 min).
  1. Shared order inbox, sitting with the person who opens it, 8 min. One order from the customer's email to the system.
  2. Credit check and approvals, 6 min. Where orders wait for an approval, and who can give it.
  3. Engineering and specification check, 6 min. Custom orders waiting for drawings or a revision check.
  4. Release to planning, 5 min. How planning learns there is a new order.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • Orders in the shared inbox flagged as waiting, with no reason recorded.

    Office queues sit in inboxes rather than on the floor, so nobody sees them pile up.

    Points to:WaitingInventory

  • Order details typed from a PDF into the ERP, then again into a spreadsheet tracker.

    Double entry is extra processing, and each copy is a chance to get a quantity or date wrong.

    Points to:Extra processingDefects

  • Orders arriving without a ship-to address, part revision or delivery date, and chased by email.

    An incomplete order is the office's defect: it bounces back and forth and waits between each email.

    Points to:DefectsWaiting

  • An approval step where the approver is away and nobody else can approve.

    One person as the only route through a step makes the whole flow wait on their calendar.

    Points to:Waiting

  • People walking to the printer to print orders for a paper sign-off.

    Printing for a signature that could be recorded in the system is motion and extra handling.

    Points to:MotionExtra processing

Questions to ask

  • “Can you show me this order from the moment it arrived?”

    Every step and every wait, on a real order.

  • “What do you do when an order comes in with missing information?”

    The chase loop and how long it usually takes.

  • “Which orders wait longest, and what are they waiting for?”

    The queue the team already knows about.

  • “If you could remove one step from this process, which would it be?”

    Usually a check that duplicates another one.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not read people's emails over their shoulder. Ask them to show you the order.
  • Do not count how many orders each person entered.
  • Do not promise a new system on the walk. Most of what you will see is queues and rules, not software.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Shared inboxTier 1 board

    Saw:
    Order received at 16:50 yesterday, opened at 08:40 today; 31 orders flagged waiting, none with a reason.
    Said:
    Customer service lead: waiting usually means missing information or credit.
    Points to:
    Waiting, Inventory
    Next:
    Add a waiting reason to every flagged order and count them by reason for two weeks.
    Owner:
    Customer service lead
    Due:
    2 weeks

  • Order entry deskTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    Each order entered in the ERP and again in the order tracker spreadsheet.
    Said:
    The spreadsheet is how sales checks order status.
    Points to:
    Extra processing, Defects
    Next:
    Find out what sales needs from the tracker and whether the ERP can show it.
    Owner:
    Operations director
    Due:
    4 weeks

  • Credit approvalsTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    9 orders waiting for credit approval; the approver is out until Thursday.
    Said:
    Nobody else has the approval rights.
    Points to:
    Waiting
    Next:
    Name a backup approver with a limit.
    Owner:
    Operations director
    Due:
    This week

After the walk

The waiting reasons go on the customer service team's tier 1 board, with a count each morning. The tracker question and the backup approver go to the operations director's weekly tier 2 meeting. The director tells the team at their next huddle what was decided about the approver.

Yokoten: where else to look

Walk purchasing and invoicing with the same route, following one document from arrival to the next department.

Take on this walk: process flow diagram template, waste walk checklist (TIMWOODS) and sIPOC diagram template.

Walk 12 of 12 · Office and admin · People and coaching · 25 min

Production planning office: a people walk after a schedule change

Who walks:
Plant manager
When:
Mid-morning on a normal day, not at month end
Why this walk:
Planning moved to a daily schedule a month ago, and the planners are staying late to rebuild it.

Route, 25 minutes

Route of the walk, 25 minutes in 4 stopsRoute, 25 minutes: 1. Planners' desks, watching the morning schedule update (10 min); 2. The planning team's board (5 min); 3. Line supervisors' desk area (6 min); 4. Back with the planning lead (4 min).110 min25 min36 min44 min
Route, 25 minutes: 1. Planners' desks, watching the morning schedule update (10 min); 2. The planning team's board (5 min); 3. Line supervisors' desk area (6 min); 4. Back with the planning lead (4 min).
  1. Planners' desks, watching the morning schedule update, 10 min. What is rebuilt by hand, and what interrupts it.
  2. The planning team's board, 5 min. Open issues, what is waiting for other departments, ideas.
  3. Line supervisors' desk area, 6 min. How a schedule change reaches the floor.
  4. Back with the planning lead, 4 min. Agree what the plant manager will take away.

What to look for, and why it matters

  • The schedule rebuilt by hand each morning from exports and copied cells.

    Skilled planners doing clerical work is the unused talent waste, and every manual step is a chance for an error.

    Points to:Unused talentExtra processing

  • Phone calls and walk-ups from supervisors asking for changes while the schedule is being built.

    Count them. Interruptions show that there is no agreed time after which today's schedule is fixed.

    Points to:WaitingUnused talent

  • A scheduling spreadsheet or macro that only one planner knows how to run.

    Knowledge held by one person stops the process when they are away, and the stress lands on them.

    Points to:Unused talent

  • Ideas or problems on the planners' board that wait on other departments.

    Planning sits between sales and production, so many of its problems can only be solved at a higher tier.

    Points to:Unused talentWaiting

Questions to ask

  • “What takes up most of your morning?”

    Where the time goes, in the planners' words.

  • “What would you change about how the schedule gets to the floor?”

    The planners' own fix, which is often a freeze time or a single change channel.

  • “Who else can do your part of this when you are away?”

    The single points of knowledge.

  • “What do you hear from the floor most often?”

    The repeat requests worth solving once.

What not to do on this walk

  • Do not sit at a planner's screen and check their spreadsheet formulas.
  • Do not discuss anyone's overtime hours on the walk.
  • Do not add a request of your own while you are there. You would become one of the interruptions.

The observation log from this walk (illustrative)

  • Planners' desksTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    11 calls or walk-ups from supervisors in the 25 minutes, 8 of them asking to swap tomorrow's orders.
    Said:
    Planner: changes keep coming until the end of the day, so the schedule is rebuilt twice.
    Points to:
    Waiting, Unused talent
    Next:
    Trial a 14:00 freeze on tomorrow's schedule, with one route for urgent changes.
    Owner:
    Planning manager
    Due:
    2 weeks

  • Planners' desksTier 1 board

    Saw:
    The daily rebuild runs on a macro only one planner can maintain.
    Said:
    Planner: they would like a second person to learn it.
    Points to:
    Unused talent
    Next:
    Pair a second planner on the macro and write down how it works.
    Owner:
    Planning manager
    Due:
    4 weeks

  • Planning boardTier 2 meeting

    Saw:
    4 open items wait on sales for confirmed dates; the oldest is 3 weeks old.
    Said:
    Planning lead: they raise them, but they do not reach sales.
    Points to:
    Waiting
    Next:
    Take the four items to the weekly sales and operations meeting.
    Owner:
    Plant manager
    Due:
    Next meeting

After the walk

The pairing goes on the planning team's own board. The freeze time and the sales items go to the plant manager's tier 2 meeting, because both need the production and sales managers. The plant manager tells the planners what was agreed within the week.

Yokoten: where else to look

If the freeze time works, use the same rule for the maintenance schedule, and look for other one-person spreadsheets across the offices.

Take on this walk: shift handover template, escalation matrix template and skills matrix template.

Nothing on this page replaces your site's own safety rules, lockout procedure or quality system. The regulatory references are US federal rules (29 CFR 1910); check the rules that apply where you work.

How to write the observation log

Write the process, not the person. A good line lets someone who was not there find the spot and act on it. Every log line in the walks above has five parts:

  1. Where: the station, door, desk or rack, so anyone can find it again.
  2. What you saw: counted or timed where you can (3 of 5 cycles, 23 minutes in the tray).
  3. What people said: in their words, attributed to a role or not at all, never to a name.
  4. What it points to: the waste or loss, so patterns show across walks.
  5. Next step: an action, a role that owns it, a date, and whether it is tier 1 or tier 2.

Before and after: the same notes, rewritten

  • Instead ofWelding bay is untidy.

    WriteWelding bay: 7 of 22 shadow-board outlines empty; 5 of those tools are in booth tool boxes.

    Count what you see and say where.

  • Instead ofOperator not following the SOP at station 6.

    WriteStation 6: sequence differs from the posted sheet (rev C) on 3 of 5 cycles. Operator: the cover will not seat unless bolt 3 is snug first.

    Describe the difference and the reason given, not the person.

  • Instead ofThe new packer is slow.

    WritePacking bench: two trips to the box store for size 4 boxes during one order; size 4 is not kept at the bench.

    Write the condition that slows the work. Never write about one person's speed.

  • Instead ofForklift safety is poor at receiving.

    WriteDoor 3: trailer chocked on one side only, restraint not used, on both trailers watched. Restraint reported faulty for about two weeks.

    Name the hazard, how often you saw it and what people told you about it.

  • Instead ofLab is a bottleneck.

    WriteLab: 6 samples queued at 10:15, tested in arrival order; the sample for the batch holding line 2 was fifth.

    Put a time and a count on a queue.

  • Instead ofTeam needs more training.

    WriteStation 9: 3 of 12 operators trained; the team leader covered it today for two absences.

    Turn a general need into the specific gap.

After the walk: where each action goes

Sort every log line into one of three places before you leave the area. Made safe or contained during the walk: record it as done. Something the area can fix within its own team: the tier 1 board, where the team meets daily. Something that needs another department, money or a decision: the tier 2 meeting, with an owner and a date.

Then report back. The people who told you about a problem should hear what happens to it from you, before your next walk in that area, even when the answer is not yet or no. Start the next walk by checking last time's actions at the board with the team.

Done on the walkTier 1 boardTier 2 meeting

Spread what works: yokoten

Yokoten is the Japanese term for deploying an idea horizontally across the company. The Lean Enterprise Institute's example: when a defective valve is found on one machine, you check every similar valve in the plant. On a gemba walk it is the last question in each follow-up: where else does this same condition exist? Every walk above ends with that line.

Keep a record of what was copied where with the yokoten tracker.

Walk or audit?

A gemba walk is to understand the process and help; an audit checks it against a standard and records compliance. Both have a place, run separately. The full comparison, including layered process audits, is in the post on gemba walks and audits. Read gemba walks vs audits.

What not to do on any gemba walk

Real people are doing real work while you watch. These are the habits that make them stop telling you things.

  1. Asking who

    Who did this teaches people to hide problems before your next walk. Ask what happened and what made it likely.

  2. Fixing someone's work for them

    Make hazards safe at once. Anything else, ask first and change it with the people who do it, or the fix will not last.

  3. Taking notes about people

    No names, no individual speeds or rates in the log. The log describes the process, and people can see what you write.

  4. Scoring the area while you walk

    A score turns the walk into an audit, and people manage the score instead of showing you the problems. Audits have their place; run them separately.

  5. Walking only after something went wrong

    If you only appear after a complaint or an injury, your arrival means trouble. Walk on normal days too, on a regular slot.

  6. Promising and not reporting back

    One unanswered concern costs more than ten walks earn. Every item raised gets an answer before your next walk in that area.

  7. Bringing a crowd

    Two or three walkers can watch and listen. Six people in a work cell is a visit, and work stops for it.

Where the method comes from

The principles and references follow these sources. The walks, routes and logs are ours.

Free templates for your own walks

The blank walk sheet, the checks the walks above lean on, and the boards the actions go to.

Go deeper

Key terms

Lean glossary

Doing this in LeanSuite

FAQ

Questions about gemba walks

More examples

See all example galleries, the worked A3 examples, the leader standard work guide that puts the walk in a leader's week, the gemba walk training deck and questions poster for teaching a team, and the lean glossary.

Walks that end in a notebook?

See on a call how LeanSuite runs a gemba walk checklist on a phone or tablet with photos and comments, and turns what you find into a corrective action or a Kaizen project.

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