{"id":4030,"date":"2022-11-04T08:37:37","date_gmt":"2022-11-04T12:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/?p=4030"},"modified":"2022-11-04T08:37:37","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T12:37:37","slug":"why-walk-the-floor-of-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/blog\/article\/why-walk-the-floor-of-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Why walk the floor of your business?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In business, we talk a lot about the big picture. But <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens when we zoom in and focus on the details?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> That is where Gemba walks come into play. Gemba walks are part of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/blog\/article\/understanding-lean-six-sigma\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">six sigma methodology<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They are a way for leaders to get out of the office and see what is happening on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doing a Gemba walk or walking the floor means visiting your business premises \u2013 whether that\u2019s an office, factory or retail outlet \u2013 and observe how tasks and processes are carried out. For leaders in agile environments, Gemba walks are an essential part of daily life. They provide an opportunity to see first-hand how things are going and identify potential problems or improvements. In this blog post, we explain the importance of walking the floor and share tips to perform successful Gemba walks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does it mean to walk the floor in business?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>In business, the term &#8220;walking the floor&#8221; refers to physically visiting each area of your company in order to observe what is happening.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This can include observing employees at their workstations, talking to customers, and generally getting a feel for the day-to-day operations of your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a very important concept in agile environments, as it allows leaders to get a first-hand look at what is working well and what needs improvement. It also helps build relationships with employees and customers, as well as gain a better understanding of the company&#8217;s overall culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/blog\/article\/what-is-a-gemba-walk\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is a Gemba walk?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why should you walk the floor of your business?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are several reasons why you might want to walk the floor of your company on a regular basis. Here are <\/span><b>Gemba walk benefits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It allows you to get a firsthand look at what is happening in your business. This can be helpful in spotting potential problems or areas for improvement that you might not be aware of.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walking the floor gives you an opportunity to show your employees that you care about their work and are interested in what they are doing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gemba walks allows businesses to implement a culture of continuous improvement.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They strengthen the relationship between management and employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They improve communication and employee morale.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They serve to optimize processes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How often should leaders perform Gemba walks?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>The answer to this question depends on the objective of your Gemba walk and your specific business needs. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it is generally recommended that leaders conduct Gemba walks on a regular basis in order to ensure that they are up-to-date on what is happening in their business. A good rule of thumb is to conduct a Gemba walk at least once per week, but this can vary depending on the size and complexity of your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/blog\/article\/how-often-should-a-gemba-walk-take-place\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How often should a Gemba walk take place in your enterprise?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How much time should you spend on the floor?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amount of time you spend on the floor during a Gemba walk will also depend on the specific needs and specific goals you hope to achieve with this process. However, it is generally recommended that you spend at least 30 minutes on the floor during each visit. This will give you enough time to talk to employees, observe workstations, and get a feel for the overall atmosphere of your company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are<\/span><b> tips for a successful Gemba walk:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focus on a specific goal or area for continuous improvement<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have a structured format<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk to employees and customers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Observe workstations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take notes and pictures. You will need them if you want to implement<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/blog\/article\/what-is-kaizen\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kaizen<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> principles later on!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gemba walk app<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to digitize your insights and generate custom reports\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/blog\/article\/how-long-should-a-gemba-walk-take\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How long should a Gemba walk take?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to organize a successful Gemba walk<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still not sure<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/blog\/article\/how-to-do-a-gemba-walk\/\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how to get started with your first Gemba walk<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Here are a few tips to help you make the most of this process.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focus on a specific goal or area for improvement<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When conducting a Gemba walk, it&#8217;s important to have a specific goal in mind. This will help you focus your observations and ensure that you are gathering relevant information. For example, you might want to focus on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/blog\/article\/safety-walk-vs-gemba-walk\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">improving safety<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in your company, or reducing customer complaints. By having a specific goal in mind, you can ensure that your Gemba walk is focused and productive.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have a structured format<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When conducting a Gemba walk, it&#8217;s important to have a structured format. This will help ensure that all areas of your business are covered, and that you are gathering relevant information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One way to structure your Gemba walk is to use the PDCA cycle:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Plan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Decide on the specific goal or area you want to focus on during the walk.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Do<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Conduct the walk and take note of anything that stands out.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Check<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Compare your observations with your initial goals and make sure that all areas of your business are covered.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Act<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Make changes based on what you observed during the walk.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Invest in technology<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although you want to organize Gemba walks but don\u2019t know where to start, it helps to invest in technology. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gemba walk app<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a lean management solution designed for continuous process improvement. By digitizing your Gemba walk, you can optimize efficiency and reduce waste. Gemba walk software is also a great way to thoroughly document issues, reduce data collection time, and quickly assess problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/contact\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get a demo\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What does it mean to walk the floor in business?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Walking the floor refers to physically visiting each area of your company in order to observe what is happening. 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This will give you enough time to talk to employees, observe workstations, and get a feel for the overall atmosphere of your company.\"\n    }\n  }]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> Learn more about the concept and benefits of Gemba walks, and discover tips to walk the floor of your business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4030"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4032,"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030\/revisions\/4032"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemba.duoegpanel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}