Introduction: What is Gemba?

​

The concept of Gemba, a term derived from Japanese meaning "the real place," is a cornerstone of lean management. In its simplest form, Gemba refers to the place where value is created in any business—whether it’s the factory floor, the retail store, or the service delivery environment. The purpose of the Gemba walk is to gain direct, firsthand insight into operations by going to this "real place" and observing processes as they unfold in real-time.

At its core, Gemba emphasizes the importance of observation and engagement with those on the front lines of operations. It fosters a deeper understanding of process inefficiencies, challenges, and opportunities that may not be apparent through reports or secondhand accounts. Through Gemba, managers and leaders can address problems at the root and drive improvements based on real-world insights.

​

Key Concepts of Gemba:

​

• Observation: The practice of physically visiting the location where work happens to observe processes and identify issues.

• Engagement: Active interaction with employees involved in the process, gaining insights into their challenges and ideas for improvement.

• Continuous Improvement: Utilizing the information gathered during Gemba walks to drive decisions that eliminate waste and enhance operational efficiency.

​

Purpose of Gemba:

​

• Empowerment: By going to the source, managers can make informed decisions grounded in firsthand knowledge rather than relying on abstract reports.

• Problem-Solving: Gemba encourages a culture of continuous improvement and problem-solving by identifying issues that might not be evident in high-level overviews or paperwork.​

​

Process Mining: The Evolution of Gemba

​

In the digital age, where information flows faster and business operations are increasingly supported by technology, process mining emerges as a powerful complement to Gemba. Process mining refers to the technique of using data from IT systems to visualize, analyze, and optimize business processes. It provides real-time insights into how processes are actually functioning, without the need for physical observation or manual data collection.

Where Gemba requires managers to go to the "real place" to observe and interact with processes, process mining offers an alternative that leverages data to provide a clear, data-driven picture of operations. Using event logs from ERP, CRM, and other enterprise systems, process mining uncovers the detailed steps, variations, and bottlenecks in processes, highlighting inefficiencies that may otherwise go unnoticed.

​

What is Process Mining?

​

• Data-Driven Insights: Process mining extracts and analyzes data from business systems to reveal how processes are actually being executed in real-time.

• Visualization: It generates visual process maps that illustrate the flow of activities, showing where processes deviate from the standard and where inefficiencies or delays may occur.

• Process Discovery: Unlike Gemba, which observes processes in specific locations or at specific times, process mining continuously monitors and reveals how processes are functioning across the entire organization, all in real-time.

​

Why Process Mining is the Evolution of Gemba:

​

• Real-Time Analysis: While Gemba provides valuable insights through periodic visits, process mining delivers ongoing, real-time monitoring and analysis.

• Scalability: Process mining allows for a broader, organization-wide analysis of business processes, unlike Gemba, which is often limited to localized or manual observations.

• Objective Decision-Making: Whereas Gemba can involve subjective interpretations based on human observation, process mining provides objective, data-driven insights that eliminate biases.

​

Benefits of Process Mining:

​

• Objective Analysis: Data from process mining provides objective evidence of how processes are running, free from the potential biases of manual observation.

• Holistic View: Process mining delivers an end-to-end perspective of processes across the organization, rather than focusing on specific locations or activities, ensuring no part of the process is overlooked.

• Automated Continuous Monitoring: With process mining, businesses can continuously track performance and uncover inefficiencies automatically, without waiting for periodic Gemba walks.

​

Process Mining as an Essential Tool for Process Excellence

​

Business transformation is about reinventing how a company operates, adopting new methodologies, systems, and technologies to improve performance and adapt to changing environments. One of the critical pillars of business transformation is process excellence, which focuses on enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes to deliver superior outcomes. In this context, process mining becomes a vital tool that helps organizations achieve true process excellence by uncovering inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and variations in real-time.

​

By incorporating process mining into business transformation initiatives, organizations can continually assess the effectiveness of their new systems and processes. Unlike traditional methods that might rely on feedback loops or periodic reviews, process mining provides continuous, actionable insights into how business operations are unfolding. This ensures that transformation efforts are based on real-time data, rather than outdated or incomplete information.

​

By combining process mining with strong expertise in project management and change management, companies can ensure that their business transformation is successful, sustainable, and continuously improving.​