Homework
Part I
Now that you have completed your SWOT Analysis, select and analyze the areas in need of improvement, and narrow down the list of places to do your Gemba walk.
Use your SWOT analysis to focus your Gemba walk. Identify and analyze weaknesses and threats to review during your walk.
While completing your walk, look for ways to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce waste, improve a product, or streamline a process.
Write 3 pages Opportunities for Improvement Recommendation paper in APA formatting for management on your observations and recommendations from your Gembawalk, based on your SWOT analysis.
Complete the following in your report:
1. Include a summary of the organization (e.g., products or services, mission, and vision).
2. Provide context (where did you focus your Gemba, and why?).
3. Explain how you utilized your SWOT analysis to focus your Gemba walk.
4. List your Gemba observations.
5. What was the goal of your Gemba?
6. Where did you go?
7. What did you observe?
8. Who did you observe?
9. Prepare an analysis of your observations.
10. List key takeaways, providing evidence for each.
11. List 1 long-term and 3 short-term opportunities to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce waste, improve a product, or streamline a process within the organization.
Part II
Write 175 to 265 words response to the following:
1. What preparations do you need to make to complete a Gemba Walk in your organization?
2. What obstacles are you encountering in your preparations and what are you doing to overcome them?
Part III
Read and respond to at least two of your classmate's discussion posts. Be constructive and professional with your thoughts, feedback or suggestions. Do not merely agree or disagree, carry the conversation forward. 150 word minimum per response.
1. I believe that in order to best prepare for the GEMBA walk it is important to communicate your intentions with the staff. It is important to let everyone know that it is going to be an overall evaluation of how the office is completing its daily tasks and how to make things better. I also think it is important to do some research on the GEMBA walk so you know exactly what you are looking for and not doing it blind as there are things that can be missed. I think the biggest struggle for me is knowing what I'm going to be looking for so I have been doing a lot of research on the GEMBA walk as a whole. Another problem that I face is recognizing that it's not an individual evaluation but an evaluation of the organization and how all of its part work together. Jotting down questions before and during the GEMBA walk is going to be a key part to the evaluation because it will allow me to organize my thoughts better. Knowing where to start the walk is crucial in preparation as well because it is important to start from where it all begins and move through each part of the system.
2. I definitely need to do extensive research on how to conduct a Gemba walk. I want to communicate with the staff on what I am conducting, I would not like them to feel uncomfortable or nervous. I will make a list of question for myself and for the staff during my Gemba walk through input is always a great practice in business. The obstacles I will encounter is maybe some backlash from some employees who do not enjoy being observed. This is where we speak to them and advise them of what I will be conducting and that it is something that is going to be beneficial for all. I have conducted annual evaluation but they are different we do not walk through a full day of work and continue the product until it is complete. In the business I work for it is a 24/7 facility knowing when they work if fulfilled might be a challenge but I will stay on track and gather as much information as possible.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
1. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.