Three Minute Features Video:
- Automated Steps Creation
- Data Collection
- Cross-functional Reporting
- Critical Analysis
- Action Plan Creation
- Team Engagement
- Observation Notes
- AI Driven Summaries, Suggestions & Projects
- *Available 3rd party Integrations
“Our team used to take days manually creating status reports. Today, Praxie’s Connected Worker AI automatically creates business summaries, reports and action plans for every layer of management, it’s amazing!.” – Satisfied Customer
A Gemba Walk is a management practice often employed in manufacturing settings to enhance process improvement and employee engagement. Typically conducted by managers, supervisors, or process improvement teams, the practice involves physically walking the shop floor, observing workflows, and engaging with employees to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, or unsafe conditions. The primary aim is to gain insights into the actual work environment rather than relying solely on reports or metrics. This firsthand observation provides a unique and valuable perspective, often uncovering opportunities for process optimization and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
The Gemba Walk is a powerful technique in the manufacturing sector aimed at enhancing continuous improvement and operational excellence by involving management in direct observation and interaction on the factory floor. This systematic approach helps leaders better understand the processes, identify potential inefficiencies, and improve the overall workflow.
The Gemba Walk serves as an interactive tool that brings managers closer to the actual work conditions and promotes a culture of continuous improvement. It allows an organization to align its managerial visions with operational realities, thus ensuring more effective decision-making. By consistently applying this technique, organizations can not only identify but also implement meaningful changes that drive efficiency and improve the overall work environment.
Integrating the Gemba Walk into a manufacturing environment requires careful planning and execution. Done right, this observational technique can provide valuable insights into processes and workflows, helping to pinpoint areas of inefficiency and potential improvement. The following steps outline how a project manager can successfully implement the Gemba Walk.
The implementation of a Gemba Walk is not just a one-off event but an ongoing process that requires thoughtful planning, execution, and follow-up. The key success factors are clear objectives, a multidisciplinary team, effective planning, open communication, prompt analysis, and actionable insights. This structured approach ensures that the Gemba Walk becomes an integral part of the organization’s culture of continuous improvement.
Praxie’s Manufacturing Ops application has greatly improved our daily management initiatives. With remote workers and several different locations, it’s easy to see how we are doing, identify issues, and track our improvements – no matter where we sit.
With Praxie we’ve created a way to report on complex projects that gives management full visibility. Executives have full visibility to all aspects of projects, assignments, etcetera at their fingertips.
Praxie’s software transformed our operations, enabling data-driven decisions and streamlining our manufacturing process.
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Michael Lynch is a creative and successful executive with extensive leadership experience in delivering innovative collaboration products and building global businesses. Prior to founding Praxie, Michael led the Internet of Things business at SAP. He joined SAP as part of the acquisition of Right Hemisphere Inc., where he held the position of CEO. During his tenure, he transformed a small tools provider for graphics professionals to the global leader in Visualization software for Global 1,000 manufacturers and led the company to a successful acquisition by SAP.