ABSTRACT
An upper-level executive walk with staff may be separate from the daily gemba walk involving plant or operations management and the support functions which directly support the work areas. There are a number of support systems which are critical components of an effective Lean strategy. The use of the word support is to indicate that these systems and related policies are in place to assist the primary value-adding flow and enable the value-adding personnel of the organization to be more effective in their roles. The gemba walk process instills accountability for providing timely support to the gemba operations. Leaders and support personnel, e.g., maintenance, engineering, IT, maybe even customer service and sales, could, and probably should, be in contact with work area personnel throughout the day, not only during the scheduled gemba walk meeting. The chapter focuses on the previous discussion of key performance indicators (KPIs) and delve into the physical display of KPIs and related process information.
