Gemba is a Japanese word that lean management strategists often apply to work settings. It describes the place where the work happens. For example, an artist’s Gemba might be their art studio. For car mechanics, the Gemba is the auto shop. Literally translated from Japanese, Gemba means “the real place.” My late sensei Taiichi Ohno coined the term to represent where teams work on their projects. Its incorporation into Lean management strategy encourages project managers to leave their offices and routines so they can see their teams in action. By visiting the ground floor, or wherever teams complete their work, managers can better observe, analyze, and improve processes.

When is Gemba Used?

Gemba is used to describe an important aspect of Lean management strategy. Typically, managers perform a “Gemba walk,” where they observe work processes in person. By visiting the Gemba, managers can connect with employees, better understand processes, and develop new strategies for improvement.

Why is Gemba Important?

Gemba is important because it gives managers access to the actual work being completed on their projects. Managers can improve the efficiency and productivity of their teams when they understand the processes and strategies their teams use. By viewing processes in person, project managers and Lean managers can develop their relationships with their teams and grow their knowledge of the operations they oversee. The walk can also help them get their team members involved in the continuous improvement process. By connecting with teams and seeing the work in action, managers can communicate their expectations more clearly and encourage employee engagement.

How to Perform a Gemba Walk

A Gemba walk is a process managers can use to make the most of their visits to their team’s Gemba. Here’s how to do one:

1. Identify priorities
   Before you go on your walk, plan what you hope to accomplish on your tour. Many Lean management professionals like to identify a theme for the walk. Your theme could focus on reducing costs, improving workplace safety, or increasing employee productivity. Whatever your goals, defining them before you perform the Gemba walk can help you stay focused and address one project aspect at a time. Create a checklist for your walk that allows you to record notes easily and check for essential project features. Use your checklist to describe the project and existing processes and to identify any concerns you may find during your walkthrough.
2. Communicate goals
   Also, before your walk, communicate what you hope to accomplish with your team. This can eliminate the element of surprise and help them feel involved in the improvement process. You can share your goals and priorities and assure them the purpose of the walk isn’t to identify individual employee shortcomings. Consider sharing your checklist and asking for their feedback. Performing the process themselves, they might have helpful insight into areas of inefficiency or waste.
3. Evaluate processes
   With your team’s support and your priority checklist, perform your walkthrough. Evaluate existing processes and activities. While evaluating team performance is also important, the purpose of the Gemba walk is to improve operations, not notice team deficiencies. Focusing on the process rather than the team can improve their collaboration with your efforts and make it easier for you to observe individual project components naturally.
4. Identify waste
   Establish where the most valuable parts of your production process are and survey these areas. For example, if safety is the focus of your walk, identify where the highest probabilities for danger exist. Similarly, if you’re looking at productivity or cost savings, find potential sources of waste or inefficiencies. The purpose of the walk is to discover these instances so you can mitigate risks and improve your processes.
5. Take notes and pictures
   Use your checklist or another method to record your findings, concerns, and potential solutions. Try not to voice suggestions during the walk itself. This can make team members feel as though you’re scrutinizing their performance. Instead, keep your notes in one place and wait until after you’ve completed the walk-through the compile your findings and produce your solutions. Even take pictures of areas that are of concern and send to responsible party to resolve such as safety concerns or 5s issues.
6. Seek a second opinion
   You might choose to invite another department’s manager or a colleague who doesn’t have direct involvement in your process to accompany you on the walk. Their objective perspective might produce unique insights or questions you can use to inform your final assessment. They might also have solution suggestions or strategies of their own to offer. Getting a second opinion can expand your understanding of your own operations and help you view the process from a third-party perspective. Again, ensure your team is aware of the walk and what your goals are. This can help them feel more receptive to someone overseeing their activities and asking questions.
7. Share your results
   When you’ve finished compiling your ideas and preparing proposed solutions, communicate your findings with your team. Even if your walk uncovered nothing noteworthy, sharing your discoveries can help team members feel involved and assure them the purpose of the walk isn’t to criticize their efforts. Help them feel like active participants in the process rather than subjects of observation. You can take their suggestions and incorporate them into your process revisions. If you have new strategies you want to try, communicate these new goals or methods to your team as well. Continue to perform walkthroughs to understand the effects of your solutions and proceed with improving your processes.

When it comes to getting your design from schematic to finished assembly without delays, file accuracy is everything. Even small oversights—like sending the wrong Gerber format or omitting the XY placement file—can trigger production holds, rework, or misaligned builds. At Summit Interconnect, we see recurring file prep issues that are easily avoided with a few key checks during export.

This article highlights some of the most common file submission problems we encounter during stencil and assembly preparation—and how to fix them quickly. Whether you’re a first-time designer or just need a refresher, use this as a practical guide to ensure your data package is complete, accurate, and ready for a smooth build.

1. Incorrect Gerber File Format for Stencil Paste

Fix: The gerber format MUST be RS274X (opposed to RS274D). The RS274X format is the most current industry standard and includes aperture information in the gerber itself instead of requiring a separate aperture file.. (Google for “RS274X format”) All current version CAD programs can generate the -X format although some may default to the older format for the sake of backwards compatibility.

2. Missing a gerber file for stencil paste for one or both sides

Fix: We need a paste layer in order to generate a paste stencil. (if you have 2 sided SMT, then there will be 2 paste layers) This is not the same gerber as the solder mask. A normal paste layer/gerber will contain ONLY SMT PAD features. A paste gerber will seldom include: un-tented vias, holes for axial or radial leads, or mounting holes with annular rings. Also, a paste gerber does NOT need a board outline, dimensioning marks, labels, or company logo/info boxes.

Note: The solder paste layer may have to be generated separately from the FAB layers and named as a cream or stencil gerber using your CAD system.

3. Bill of Materials (BOM) data is not in a format we can use accurately or quickly.

Fix: We need an “Assembly BOM” (not just a ‘Purchasing BOM’) in CSV format. XLS can lose data (cell over-flow ####) and a simple text format is hard to parse due to non-standard field usage or separators. A PDF document is never suggested because it cannot be converted.

4. The Assembly BOM is missing important details of each part.

Fix: Since a BOM is used for purchasing parts, then think of an expanded BOM for assembly manufacturing. We do more than just order parts for you. For electronic assembly processing, the “Assembly BOM” needs to include reference designators, value, package/decal, description, and part number. Part parametric information for the part is needed regardless of the actual part number. A part number could change by the manufacturer, or cross references could be different.

5. Missing the XYRS file. (Used for machine-placed assembly of SMT parts).

Fix: Since we don’t hand solder any SMT parts, we need the XYRS file that each CAD program presents in textual XYRS (x-coord, y-coord, rotation, and side of board) data. It’s in a free-form format of their own choosing. Even the process of generating this information is varied. For some it is a “save as”, export, report, or event tools > outputs…and (of course) different names are used: MNT, CLP, Insert, component locations…etc. Very few commercially available CAD programs fail to support the generation of this data.

Note: Please include the XYRS for through-hole components. Call us if you are having problems generating this file from your CAD program.

6. Parts just arrive without any kind of packing list documentation.

Fix: Ideally, you’ve used our free labels to make the incoming inventory error free. Our receiving personnel needs a PACKING LIST OR INVOICE with every shipment for comparison with your BOM. Also, please include a reference to our in-house job number on the box (i.e. B1001).

For more information about SMT assembly for engineers, visit our assembly page.