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Gemba Observation Form & Interview Prompts

Structured, easy-to-use observation form and interview prompts that capture frontline facts, identify waste, and convert findings into prioritized, owner-assigned experiments.

Interactive Tool

Gemba Observation Form & Interview Prompts

Use this structured observation form to capture frontline realities, identify waste, and convert findings into prioritized experiments. Focus on measurable facts, times, and people — then assign a clear owner and next step.

Tip: Stay curious, avoid blame, and confirm numbers when possible. If you take photos, note where you saved them.

Your name or role (e.g., Lead, Engineer).
When the observation occurred (e.g., 2026-08-11 10:30).
Shop floor, cell, station, department, etc.
Describe the specific step or micro-process (what triggers it, inputs, outputs).
Record cycle times, wait times, frequencies, and measured or estimated delays with units (e.g., cycle=45s, wait=120s).
Check all that apply. Choose the most specific options for analysis.
Is this step value-adding from the customer's perspective?
Who you spoke with on the front line (name and role).
List the key interview prompts used (e.g., What slows you down? What would help?).
Concise statements of problems or frustrations heard during the interview.
Any improvement ideas or quick fixes suggested by people doing the work.
If yes, stop and escalate per procedures.
Describe a small, testable change to try (who, what, where, when, expected outcome).
Estimate the potential time saving if the idea works. Use minutes (can be fractional).
Rate the urgency/impact to help prioritize follow-up.
1.0 10.0
Who should take responsibility for follow-up (name or role).
Date to check results or run the experiment (e.g., 2026-08-18).
Platform may not accept file uploads here — note where you stored photos (shared drive, mobile app, ticket), or paste links to images.
Anything else observers should know (context, shift, staffing).
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