Balanced Scorecards: your Ultimate Visual Management Tool for Gemba Walks
February 3, 2025
Do your Gemba Walks often uncover recurring issues, but the solutions remain buried in disjointed communication, or fail to deliver real analytical results? This is a common challenge many organisations face – achieving the intended benefits of Gemba Walks but often failing to translate observations into tangible positive changes.
Here’s the game-changer: the Balanced Scorecard. Traditionally used as a strategic planning tool, it can easily be adapted into a Gemba Board or an effective visual management that goes hand in hand with your everyday Gemba Walks. Balanced Scorecard software move beyond merely recognising the issues and it makes sure problems are documented, reported and viewed as related to organisational objectives in real time.
Balanced Scorecard software, when used as a Gemba Board, gives a clear transition from shop-floor analysis to shop-floor solutions. This helps the teams to visualise key metrics, record observations and decide corrective actions for that specific instance and at the same time, do not lose sight of the overarching goal.
In this blog, we will see how the Balanced Scorecard software can change the way you approach Gemba Walks and bring so much more than merely observing improvement initiatives in action. Let’s start by explaining what a Gemba Walk and how it acts as a foundation for operational improvement.
Here’s the game-changer: the Balanced Scorecard. Traditionally used as a strategic planning tool, it can easily be adapted into a Gemba Board or an effective visual management that goes hand in hand with your everyday Gemba Walks. Balanced Scorecard software move beyond merely recognising the issues and it makes sure problems are documented, reported and viewed as related to organisational objectives in real time.
Balanced Scorecard software, when used as a Gemba Board, gives a clear transition from shop-floor analysis to shop-floor solutions. This helps the teams to visualise key metrics, record observations and decide corrective actions for that specific instance and at the same time, do not lose sight of the overarching goal.
In this blog, we will see how the Balanced Scorecard software can change the way you approach Gemba Walks and bring so much more than merely observing improvement initiatives in action. Let’s start by explaining what a Gemba Walk and how it acts as a foundation for operational improvement.
Gemba Walk: Real-Time Insights for Continuous Improvement
To see where the real work happens, go for a Gemba walk. Yes, sitting in your seat and conducting meetings do not improve your production process. For that, you must need to do Gemba walks. Gemba walks are visiting the organisation lines to observe the workers and their task performance. The aim of Gemba walk is to spot the improvement needed areas, identifying the inefficiencies and coordinate the team members to achieve the organisational goals. Being a vital element of Lean management, it opens the door for continuous improvement in real time.
Gemba walks are significant for several reasons. The key benefits of Gemba walks are given below.
Gemba walks are significant for several reasons. The key benefits of Gemba walks are given below.
- Foster a collaborative approach
- Enables quick identification of bottlenecks and inefficiencies
- Give first hand understanding of work environment
- Aids effective direct interaction
- Make every team member engaged and contributes to their productivity
- Support open communication and idea sharing
- Leaders get deeper knowledge of the challenges
- Enables quick decision making
- Enhance transparency and overall organisational effectiveness
Connecting the Dots: How the Balanced Scorecard Supports Gemba Walks?
The perfect partnership of Balanced scorecard software and Gemba walks can create a drastic improvement in every part of the shop floor activities. While Gemba Walk focuses on the real-time actual process and how to involve the frontline workers, the BSC takes these observations and makes all the observations into tangible and relevant to organisational goals.
How Balanced scorecard software acts as a modern Gemba Board for optimised walks?
The traditional Gemba Boards have been used widely as the standard setting for the visual management to bring out the real time data of the Key Performance Indicators, problem area and the improvement projects. However, when manufacturing process becomes more complex, relying on open or static boards or basic tools may not always be sufficient. Introducing the Advanced Balanced Scorecard – a digital form of Gemba Boards that complements the Gemba Walks.
BSC software, a real-time, centralised solution operates as a dynamic Gemba board, handles all areas of shop-floor performance by providing a providing a centralised platform to track and visualise. Unlike traditional physical boards where information has to be rewritten manually, this digital device synchronises with shop-floor systems to collect fresh data, making the displayed information is actionable and useful.
Key features of Balanced Scorecard Software include:
BSC software, a real-time, centralised solution operates as a dynamic Gemba board, handles all areas of shop-floor performance by providing a providing a centralised platform to track and visualise. Unlike traditional physical boards where information has to be rewritten manually, this digital device synchronises with shop-floor systems to collect fresh data, making the displayed information is actionable and useful.
Key features of Balanced Scorecard Software include:
- Customisable Dashboards: Customise view to show KPI, corrective actions and team tasks related to Gemba walks.
- Real-Time Data Sync: Reduce errors and delays by making automatic updates from shopfloor systems or MES and ERP.
- Enhanced Accessibility: Cloud-based platforms provide better team collaboration and remote oversight by giving access from any part.
The Visual Management board that drives Gemba walks
The Balanced Scorecard software is not solely a strategic map but is an effective tool for visual communication, much like a Gemba Board. Since all the main metrics, correction activities, and improvement programs are presented in a single platform, it allows for easy monitoring when things are going wrong with operations. This makes it easy to follow up on matters that are pointed out during the Gemba Walks that leads to accountability and transparency.
Let's understand the quantitative impact of using balanced scorecard for your Gemba walks.
Let's understand the quantitative impact of using balanced scorecard for your Gemba walks.
- Quality improvement: Real time visibility of the quality metrics in the visual dashboards provide overall analysis. Converting these indicators into operation outputs results in higher quality, customer satisfaction and increased revenue.
- Increased Productivity: Measuring of every KPIs with balanced scorecards during or after the Gemba walks, helps to make necessary changes for increasing productivity.
- Shorter Lead Times: Acting as a Gemba board, BSC feeds the shop floor information directly and initiate necessary actions during delays. This ensures a streamlined process with minimised lead times.
- Cost reduction: Gemba walks can identify defects, idle time and other inefficiencies. By tracking these insights BSC make actionable data based on continuous improvement. This process controls unnecessary expenses, reduces waste, and streamlines processes, which result in cost saving.
Balanced Scorecard for Strategic Gemba walks
Employing an advanced Balanced Scorecard makes your Gemba Walks more strategic. Through performance visualisation, an organisation can identify emerging problems or predict them along with monitoring work in progress.
Look at the contributions of balanced scorecard for better organisational strategic management along with Gemba walks.
Look at the contributions of balanced scorecard for better organisational strategic management along with Gemba walks.
- Immediate Problem Identification: The Balanced Scorecard includes visual signals indicating that certain areas require attention, which guide the teams to make their Gemba Walk discussion.
- KPI Integration: Upon conducting Gemba Walks, the observations made are directly connected to KPIs so that change is aligned with goals.
- Structured Action Plans: It is possible to designate tasks, deadlines, and corrective action progress to be carried directly from the board.
How to Use Balanced Scorecards for Effective Gemba Walks?
Implementing Balanced Scorecard software alongside Gemba Walks can make desirable transformation in your organisation with improved visibility and performance tracking. Here’s a step-by-step guide to integrating these tools and creating a seamless feedback loop for continuous improvement:
1. Define objectives and align metrics
Begin with identifying the core objectives of your Gemba walks and tie it with BSC to make strategic priorities. For that:
Make your digital Gemba board with balanced scorecard that must include relevant information. For that:
Integrate the BSC software with existing MES and ERP system. For that:
Leverage the Balanced Scorecard to guide your Gemba Walks:
Document the vital information into the BSC software during Gemba Walks. For that:
The feedback loops aid to understand the success of Balanced scorecards and Gemba walks. For that:
1. Define objectives and align metrics
Begin with identifying the core objectives of your Gemba walks and tie it with BSC to make strategic priorities. For that:
- Map the identified objectives into the four perspectives of the balanced scorecard including Financial, Customer, Internal Processes and Learning and Growth
- If needed map the objectives with the customisable SQDCP dashboard of balanced scorecard
Make your digital Gemba board with balanced scorecard that must include relevant information. For that:
- Display the Key Performance Indicators connected to the Gemba walks
- Highlight actions, owners and timeliness
- Use colour codes to identify progress and problems
Integrate the BSC software with existing MES and ERP system. For that:
- Create custom dashboards for specific processes or departments to focus on Gemba walks
- Update action statuses and KPIs in real time with connected systems
- Track trends comparing the historical data with the current data
Leverage the Balanced Scorecard to guide your Gemba Walks:
- Start the process by checking the digital Gemba Board, to understand the deviation from target
- Do a shop floor inspection for confirmation and crosscheck the data gathered
- Involve frontline workers in the discussions on challenges and how they can be solved through the visual aids put forward on the Scorecard.
Document the vital information into the BSC software during Gemba Walks. For that:
- Immediately designate tasks with responsibility and deadlines to ensure accountability
- Make action points to the relevant KPIs
- Measure the impact of KPIs with Balanced Scorecard
The feedback loops aid to understand the success of Balanced scorecards and Gemba walks. For that:
- Make regular reviews of the Balanced Scorecard usage to determine the success of Gemba Walk activities.
- Ensure employee involvement to make feedback on existing processes and make recommendations for improvement.
- Based on observations from Gemba walks, refine KPIs and action plans to reflect the organisations dynamic goals.
Boost your Gemba walk success with Data Point Balanced Scorecard software
The synergy between Gemba Walk and the Balanced Scorecard software gives a powerful foundation for attaining operational excellence. By combining the strategic insights of a Balanced Scorecard with the hands-on, real-time engagement of Gemba Walks, organisations can foster continuous improvement, address inefficiencies quickly, enhance real time visibility and streamline decision making.
For these concepts to be easily utilised in organisations, there must require a solution that translates the Balanced Scorecard into the manufacturing floor. Data Point, Lean Transition Solution’s innovative Balanced Scorecard software, is developed to fulfil this function as the ultimate digital Gemba Board.
Using Data Point, every Gemba Walk you conduct is no longer just an observation of physical work on the shop floor, or merely the implementation of lean ideas on operational level, but it will turn into a strategic intervention. Whether your goals are to decrease costs through waste reduction or increase operational efficiency, or engage the employees effectively, Data Point takes your team the tools you need.
For these concepts to be easily utilised in organisations, there must require a solution that translates the Balanced Scorecard into the manufacturing floor. Data Point, Lean Transition Solution’s innovative Balanced Scorecard software, is developed to fulfil this function as the ultimate digital Gemba Board.
Using Data Point, every Gemba Walk you conduct is no longer just an observation of physical work on the shop floor, or merely the implementation of lean ideas on operational level, but it will turn into a strategic intervention. Whether your goals are to decrease costs through waste reduction or increase operational efficiency, or engage the employees effectively, Data Point takes your team the tools you need.
FAQ's
1. What are the key features needed for Gemba Boards for process improvement?
Advanced visual management with real-time data display of KPIs. Continuous improvement tracking by supporting lean methodologies. Customisable for specific business needs.
2. Can a Balanced Scorecard software be used as Gemba Board?
Yes, BSC software solutions can integrate with Gemba Boards to provide a comprehensive view of performance metrics, strategic goals, and operational improvements.
3. How does Balanced Scorecard software support Gemba Walks?
During a Gemba Walk, managers and teams can use the software’s digital board view to review performance metrics, identify bottlenecks, and discuss issues on the shop floor. Unlike physical boards, it ensures that data is always up-to-date and accessible from anywhere.
Advanced visual management with real-time data display of KPIs. Continuous improvement tracking by supporting lean methodologies. Customisable for specific business needs.
2. Can a Balanced Scorecard software be used as Gemba Board?
Yes, BSC software solutions can integrate with Gemba Boards to provide a comprehensive view of performance metrics, strategic goals, and operational improvements.
3. How does Balanced Scorecard software support Gemba Walks?
During a Gemba Walk, managers and teams can use the software’s digital board view to review performance metrics, identify bottlenecks, and discuss issues on the shop floor. Unlike physical boards, it ensures that data is always up-to-date and accessible from anywhere.
