Where is Gemba?
Let's go Gemba!
"Gemba isn’t a location - it’s a mindset. Whether you're on a shop floor, behind a reception desk, or in a planning meeting, Gemba is wherever value is created. Can you identify yours?"
Ten years ago, I stepped into a production management role at Methode Electronics Malta. That milestone got me thinking…
Nearly 20 years in industry - half of it spent in production and operations environments. And through all those years, one principle quietly shaped everything I do: GO SEE.
It wasn’t a corporate slogan. It was a question my mentor, Philip Farrugia, asked me often and earnestly:
“How does it look like on the shop floor?”
Not “What does the report say?” or “What’s the KPI trend?” But how does it look - right now, where the work happens.
That question taught me something profound: real leadership starts with presence. With walking the floor, listening to operators, watching the rhythm of production, and noticing the friction points that data alone can’t reveal. As I moved into more strategic roles, I began to ask a new question: Where is my Gemba now? And that shift gave me a deeper understanding of what Gemba truly means.
Because here’s the thing: Gemba isn’t just the shop floor. Gemba is anywhere work happens.
- From purchase order entry to work order creation
- From stock cycle counts to parts being dispatched
- From demand review meetings to planning sessions
Anywhere people follow a process to get something done - that’s Gemba. In a world of dashboards, remote oversight, and AI tools, we must also take a step back and solve problems by looking at their root - at where the work happens. At Gemba. Go See.
Before you solve, before you strategise - Go See.
And ask yourself:
How does it look where the work is being done?