The GEMBA

The GEMBA walk is an important ingredient to the pharmaceutical process control strategy and/or data governance strategy.  The GEMBA walk, as it was originally intended, exists to establish a direct line of communication/visibility between upper management and front-line employees.  How can upper management make critical steering decisions based on hearsay? – it is inefficient and risky!  This very cool concept was designed to identify sources of variability that lead to excessive waste, which causes increased costs, a reduction in quality, and worker frustration.  It is accomplished by listening, collaborating, and making corrections where improvements are needed.  Not inspecting, examining, or interrogating; this kind of behavior works contrary to the goals of the program as it is management by fear. 

The GEMBA, if conducted in the right spirit, can be a form of spontaneous brainstorming that can add incredible process improvements.  It is simply human nature that sometimes those involved in the day-to-day activities (front-line) or managing the day-to-day activities (middle management) are too invested in the process themselves to notice these opportunities. 

I have observed some additional benefits of the GEMBA walk, that I would like to share here:

1.       Upper management on the shop floor demonstrates that communication is essential, which motivates middle management to perform their essential role: create the “right environment” for employees (see MHRAs DI guidance).  Some even call this a “speak up culture”.

2.       Upper management on the shop floor listening to employees with several layers of middle management between them demonstrates that everyone participates in quality, and old-school quality metrics goals (e.g. reduction of deviations through “re-training”) are now fossilized deep underground, never to be misused again through management by fear.  We now measure performance of the process, and value everyone’s efforts to reduce sources of variation. 

Quality culture gimmicks are fun (t-shirts, games, etc.), and are a welcome break from our routine activities.  But what to employees really need in order to thrive both personally and professionally?  Meaning in Labor.  Feeling Valued.  Helping Others. 

The products we produce make these goals easy to achieve.  Let’s get to it! 

Pete