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Industrial Engineering & Manufacturing vocabulary · Lean Manufacturing

Gemba

Meaning in industrial engineering & manufacturing, with examples

/ˈɡembə/nounCommon term

In industrial engineering & manufacturing, gemba means: A Japanese word meaning 'the real place': where the actual work is done, such as the shop floor, the warehouse or the lab.

In Turkish: gemba, saha, işin yapıldığı yer

How it is used

Lean thinking says managers should go to the gemba to see problems with their own eyes instead of relying only on reports. A gemba walk is a regular visit to the shop floor to observe, ask questions and support teams. Sometimes spelled 'genba'.

Example sentences

  1. The plant manager does a gemba walk every morning at nine.

  2. Don't try to solve it from the office; let's go to the gemba and look at the machine.

Common collocations

  • gemba walk
  • go to the gemba
  • gemba visit
  • on the gemba
  • kaizenA Japanese word for 'change for the better', used for small, steady improvements made by everyone, and for a short, focused improvement event.
  • lean manufacturingA way of running production that aims to deliver what the customer needs with the least waste of time, material and effort, based on the Toyota Production System.
  • 5SA workplace organization method with five steps: sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain. It keeps work areas clean, tidy and easy to manage.
  • wasteIn lean thinking, any activity that uses time or resources but adds no value for the customer, such as waiting, extra movement or making too much.

More terms: Lean Manufacturing

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