What does Gemba mean?

Gemba

What is Gemba?

In the context of lean management and business, the term “Gemba” (現場), also referred to as “Genba” in Japanese, means “the actual place” or “the real place.”

This is used to refer to any location or shop floor where value-creating work is directly performed. For instance, it could be a factory floor, construction site, kitchen, or sales floor. If you’re a cashier, your gemba is the checkout; if you’re a chef, your gemba is the kitchen.

Here’s a more thorough rundown of what gemba means in various industries:

Industry	Meaning	Example
Business	Gemba in business refers to the physical location, or “actual location” where products are produced into finished goods.	Factory Place
Medical	In healthcare Gemba means, visiting various sectors or the “actual place” in the hospital where critical surgery operations or exams are taking place.	Operating Room
Manufacturing	Gemba in manufacturing means “the place where value is created”, such as the floor where products desired by the customer are created.	Shop Floor
Construction	The job site in construction is the Gemba or “actual place” where work is being done. Contractors or construction managers can oversee the work being done in real-time.	Job Site

The practical application of Gemba is a Gemba walk, a workplace walkthrough in which supervisors or employees directly visit the “actual place.” This allows them to observe the workflow from a new perspective and identify potential bottlenecks and areas of improvement.

In simple terms, a Gemba walk means when leaders visit the workplace to observe the actual work being done in real time. It’s a lean management practice for leaders to learn about the inner workings of their organization by observing their employees, asking relevant questions, and focusing on a collaborative effort to work towards improvement. To help cultivate an environment of continuous improvement, Creative Safety Supply offers a range of Gemba labels that ensure each Gemba walk is successful.