# Gemba walk

Operations · `Gemba walk` · verification: source checked

A management practice of grasping the current situation through direct observation and inquiry at the place where value is created, before taking action. A productive walk follows one product family, product design, or customer-facing process from start to finish across departments, functions, and organisations. Everyone who touches the process walks together and discusses purpose, process, and people, so the walk becomes a way to understand work, lead, and learn.

## Specification

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Kind | methodology |
| Origin | Japanese lean terminology (gemba = "actual place") |

## Study notes

- Gemba means "actual place" in Japanese; Lean Thinkers use the term for the place where value is created.
- Japanese companies supplement gemba with the related term "genchi gembutsu" ("go and see") to stress the importance of empiricism.
- Following a single product family or customer-facing process from start to finish across departments is recommended by James Womack, author of Gemba Walks and founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute.
- Womack recommends gathering everyone who touches the process being studied to walk together.
- The walk covers three discussion areas: purpose (what problem does this process solve for the customer), process (how does it actually work), and people (are they engaged in creating, sustaining, and improving the process).
- The document refers to Gemba and Genchi Genbutsu as related terms.

## Sources

1. [Gemba Walk - Lean Enterprise Institute](https://www.lean.org/lexicon-terms/gemba-walk/) (accessed 2026-10-25)

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