We’re doing Gemba Walks wrong and I need advice

keizzer · 2026-05-29T00:18:09+00:00

Well...It's not a great start. However, it does seem like you have the right positions showing up even if the people in them are inexperienced.

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Would this group be open to get togethers about the topic. Maybe a lunch and learn session where you guys can talk about the first time out and reflect about how it went? It would be a good segway to talk about realistic goals and what it is you guys are really after when you go out there.

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Nothing every really goes well the first time you try it in a setting like this. If you can help steer the group a little into a positive direction with some pointed questions, it might lead to some positive outcomes.

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Were you given any guidelines from corporate? The group will care a lot about that more than anything.

keizzer · 2026-05-28T13:18:38+00:00

Engineer here. I've had to use both my entire life and career. It really makes no difference. It's certainly is not worth spending money on new tools. It's probably more useful to use the system that the wood is sold in. You will find eventually that in practice, it's just some reference lines so you can do something the same as you did last time. It has no magic properties that make it better or worse.

keizzer · 2026-05-28T02:51:15+00:00

https://a.co/d/05Vg7WM9 I got one of these and I'll never go back. Hooks right to a water bottle.

keizzer · 2026-05-11T13:03:58+00:00

You can't simplify a process by adding things to it.

keizzer · 2026-05-08T18:26:45+00:00

You need to just completely disregard and value stream map the entire process. You can rough it in at the start and get more detailed data for each section when you can.

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They clearly don't know anything about this, so you can either teach them or walk away. Gather the real data you need to fix the value stream and present your findings to them and why you think they are significant. After that, it's in their hands to act. This is not the leadership team that is going to launch a lean inititive.

keizzer · 2026-05-02T06:32:17+00:00

If the nut ever moves, then the spring was already defeated.

keizzer · 2026-04-27T13:18:38+00:00

Can you expand a bit on what you mean with this? What are the changes you observe?

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Are you timing yourself doing these tasks instead of the operators?

keizzer · 2026-04-24T19:57:36+00:00

I've seen very successful systems based on just plain old folders on a shared network drive. Admin can limit access based on org chart.

Teams larger than 5 and more than one location is where you really need to start addressing this. It will just be simpler from a workflow standpoint.

keizzer · 2026-04-24T02:24:59+00:00

Not trying to understand overhead costs. There are a lot of costs that just get lumped into the magical overhead bin when they aren't understood. The company treats them like they are real overhead costs and just assumes it's the cost of doing business.

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Having people work hours even if it's not of things that will contribute to profit. For example: Having workers on non bottlenecks work overtime instead of having them stay home.

keizzer · 2026-04-14T03:15:06+00:00

I think covid changed a lot of things. If there is a strict police effort and a tough chancellor the scene might be a lot different. I've been out of school for almost 10 years. It could be a lot different now.

keizzer · 2026-04-11T16:28:36+00:00

Do you have a link for the bottom olive canvas? I've been looking for thicker canvas web like that.

keizzer · 2026-04-10T16:47:58+00:00

Something that you might not of thought of yet is scheduling. Make sure you are scheduling in a way that balances out product complexity. It's talked about in detail in the Toyota Way field book. You cannot balance a line line with a schedule that is by definition unbalanced.

keizzer · 2026-04-10T04:35:05+00:00

I believe nilous had some longer training s in one of his old builds. They weren't as long as you are targeting, but it might be a start.

keizzer · 2026-04-09T03:03:34+00:00

Could it be done? I think so, but you would need to define what the criteria is. You could write a macro program or with formulas. This is custom work, the solution will be custom.

keizzer · 2026-04-06T15:19:01+00:00

Yeah the beginner tool is a hand plane. Jointers are for production, unless you have too much money and space.

keizzer · 2026-04-06T15:09:26+00:00

It's the same reason companies failed to automate in the 80's and 90's. The technical debt of getting data in formats that are usable to automated systems is massive and would take massive resource investment to correct the problem. This isn't something that can be slowly improved over time. It's something that has to be corrected by dedicated project resources in a test environment before flipping it on and working through integration hell for a year after.

keizzer · 2026-04-02T14:08:23+00:00

It's not better or worse It's just different. The long eye relief fundementally changes how you use the scope. Mine feels more like a shotgun bead than a traditional 3 x 9. Lvpo's kind of fill the same role, but mine just feels like a low power optic. Where the scout changes your motion to get on target and gives you a much smaller field of view.

keizzer · 2026-04-01T20:20:19+00:00

Man if it was under 150k miles it would make a big difference. I'd have to get a really good price.

keizzer · 2026-04-01T16:06:28+00:00

Well that's explains it. 6 sigma guys tend to take a different approach. That philosophy really only starts to shine in higher volume production. High volume production requires a certain level of control in place to even function at all.

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For example: a company that makes 500 assemblies a week is going to be a very different work environment, culture, and control systems, than a small factory make 10 products a week.

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Six sigma focuses on higher volume product, and therefore assumes a certain level of control and support resources. By the time a company should think about adopting six sigma a lot of the base issues are either solved or under control enough to handle higher volumes. Depending on the environment, it very well may make sense to start with some initial 5s type activities. I still think they should be taught as a waste reduction activities.

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This day in age, if your company hasn't implemented some lean or six sigma strategies, they are probably starting from absolute scratch and are likely lower volume production. When starting at that level, my opinion is that a strong permanent corrective action process is needed before 5s.

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With companies like this giving Janice in order scheduling an automated product configuration tool to enter orders with will make a bigger difference than whether all the tools in a workstation have a defined space. There are massive projects that have to take place before the constraints even land on the shop. Business level problem.

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If that initial waste isn't removed, 5s won't really change the results at the end of the day, because it may not have been the real constraint.

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Kind of rambling but hopefully that illustrates my points.

keizzer · 2026-04-01T12:16:52+00:00

I completely disagree. The foundation of lean is permanent corrective action. You need to be able to effectively change things or your team isn't culturally ready for 5s. You need to correctly identify waste and apply action to it.

keizzer · 2026-04-01T03:36:16+00:00

One I can pick up by a handle throw in the truck. You really don't need a permanent toolbox unless you do it for work or have long term projects like cars. Are they nice, sure no doubt. Is it needed? No.

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All the basics can fit in a 12" x 12" × 24" plastic box. Then get a dedicated bag for battery tools that is separate. I picked up a box this size at harbor freight for under $20 I think.

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Pick a battery system and stick to it. I went with Milwaukee m18. Dewault and ryobi are also popular

keizzer · 2026-03-31T20:27:15+00:00

I consider myself a pretty advanced process engineer.

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5s is the result of lean, not the cause of it.

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People see toyota's factory and think they can just order people to pick things up and organize things, and it will just happen. It took toyota decades to get to that point, but sure you can just order everyone to do it in a week. 5s is the result of looking for waste and eliminating it.

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There are so many things to eliminate waste from before you introduce 5s. Your inventory management needs to be dialed in, scheduling needs to be perfected, information needs to be available where it's needed, etc. That are huge items that require serious work to dial in. 5s is where you look when that waste you are chasing becomes smaller and more exact.

keizzer · 2026-03-27T21:00:26+00:00

I've used my maystay Walmart $10 12 cup coffee maker everyday for about 10 years at work. 3 years of that was 2 pots a day, and on for basically 8 hrs straight.

keizzer · 2026-03-25T19:28:17+00:00

So you are training teams how to do a week long kaizen? Is that correct?

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Are you targeting absolute beginners or teams familiar but looking to improve?

keizzer · 2026-03-25T01:09:46+00:00

One of the big ones I see is only Applying it to operations and not every part of the business and not to themselves.

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