If you’re looking to improve efficiency on your shop floor? The 8 Wastes Gemba Walk App makes Lean manufacturing simple and practical. Built around the DOWNTIME framework—Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-Utilized Talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, and Extra Processing—this tool helps you spot and analyze the most common sources of lost productivity.

When you notice waste during a gemba walk, the app guides you through possible root causes, such as:

• Defects: lack of process controls, poor quality materials, inadequate training, or unclear work instructions

• Overproduction: scheduling too much, producing too soon, or running faster than customer demand

• Waiting: unbalanced workloads, equipment breakdowns, long setups, or delays waiting for approvals

• Non-Utilized Talent: old-guard culture or lack of investment in training

• Transportation: poor plant layouts, large batch sizes, or oversized storage areas

• Inventory: “just in case” stockpiling, excess WIP, or unreliable suppliers

• Motion: inefficient workstation layouts, poor 5S organization, or unnecessary searching for parts

• Extra Processing: redundant approvals, rework, unnecessary reports, or doing more than the customer requires

With one tap, you can build a diagram that organizes these causes into clear categories (People, Process, Equipment, Materials, Environment, Management). You can even save your analysis directly on your phone to track improvements over time.