IDENTIFYING WASTE - GEMBA WALK

Observe a running process, preferably a manufacturing related process. It may be a process you observe in person, such as a fast-food kitchen or oil-change/car service or on-going road construction process that can be observed safely.

You may consider a service process as well - a supermarket check-out line, a warehouse operation, etc. If you are currently working, and have permission, try this exercise at your workplace.

Alternatively, you may find a video of a manufacturing process. There are several under the search term "how its made" which provide process details. Try to find one that shows a process running over several cycles so you can observe how the operator loads/unloads, retrieves tooling, performs inspection, makes adjustments, waits for part, etc.

Watch the process run, and look for a minimum of 4 specific wastes.

1. Name the process. Provide the reference video. Be as specific as possible - rather than "road construction" describe the specific process you are observing such as "pot-hole repair"
2. Describe the "value add" goal for the process. In other words, what is the customer or employer "paying for." For example "filling in an existing pot-hole to make the road-way level." Everything else (travel to site, unloading tools, searching for a shovel) should be considered non-value added activity.
3. Describe the basic process steps. Provide a break-down of what is actually happening in the process you are observing.
4. Identify 4 examples of waste you observe in the process. Name the type of waste (any of DOWNTIME). Describe each waste in clear detail. What are you seeing, how is it a waste, what is being wasted.
5. Try to quantify the waste - how much time is spent retrieving tooling, what qty is scrapped or what time is spent reworking, etc.
6. Make a reasonable and specific suggestion of how each waste could be reduced or eliminated. Be as specific as possible. Try not to add cost to the process - for example, adding another person is not generally an acceptable solution. Consider relocating items, improving procedures, introducing Poke Yoke, 5S, etc.
7. Please provide the process video link for above answer.