Gembutsu is a Japanese word meaning “real thing”. It is one of the components of the ‘Three Reals‘ meaning go to the real place (gemba) to see the real thing (gembutsu) and collect the real facts (genjitsu). This term simply means that there is no substitute for seeing something with Read more…
The refrain “Go to Gemba” simply means to go to the place where the work is being done for answers to process questions. Far too often, kaizen teams will discuss a process while sitting in a conference room. Instead, they should “go to gemba” and be where the action is. Read more…
Gauge Repeatability & Reproducibility (Gauge R&R) uses a mathematical method to analyze the variation in a measurement system. Gauge R&R uses a statistical tool called ANOVA, or analysis of variance. It allows the person conducting the testing to separate out the variation cause by the operator, the gauge itself, and Read more…
Literally translated, “gemba” means “the real place”. To experienced practitioners of Lean, this means the place where work is actually being done or value is being created. NOTE: You may also hear the term as genba, with an “N”. Those who focus more on the traditional manufacturing roots of Lean Read more…
A gauge is a measuring device. A gauge can be as simple as a piece of string cut to a specific dimension or a cutout of an animated character with an outstretched arm and the caption, “You must be this tall to ride this attraction.” On the other end of Read more…
Growth is the driver of stock appreciation. The basic way investors determine what to pay for a stock is to look at the value of its assets, minus its liabilities, and then factor in expected future earnings. With growth, those expected earnings get bigger, and the company’s stock prices go Read more…
Guidelines are general instructions on how to make decisions. Unlike specific policies and processes, guidelines are not rigid. Guidelines are loose blueprints for success, such as “Don’t swim for 30 minutes after eating”. Contrasting with policies and rules, there are generally no sanctions for disregarding guidelines. While there is a Read more…
Guidance is the way that a leader or mentor provides assistance to another person to help her reach her goals. Guidance is more general in nature than specific directions. The goal is to help a person make a good decision on her own, not to tell her what to do. Read more…
A simple definition of goal setting is that it is the act of declaring something that you want to achieve and putting some specific parameters around the end result. It includes the who, what, when, where, and why. This goal setting definition, though, is overly simplistic. Goal setting has a Read more…