22nd Northeast Lean Conference · AI at the Gemba track
Gemba Before Algorithms
A language model has never seen anything. So the assistant holds the clipboard. You go see.
Thank you, GBMP, for an amazing event. Join them next year on September 30th and October 1st in Manchester, NH.
Everything from the talk
Try it in ten minutes
Five principles
Jidoka for information
Every number carries a source tag. [NEEDS GEMBA] is the andon: nobody knows this yet, go look.
Poka-yoke for data
A missing column gets named, never guessed. OEE over 100% gets flagged, not printed.
Observe, don't solve
The gemba-walk skill asks what makes a step difficult. It won't hand you a punch list.
Sensei first, draft on demand
It coaches with a few questions. Say "just draft it" and you get a draft with every unknown marked.
Respect for people
It frees capacity. What the organization does with that capacity is a leadership decision, and it says so.
Follow up
Set up a 20-minute call
I run continuous improvement at Solar Cannabis Co. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, named co-inventor on medical-device patents in the U.S., Europe and Canada, and I came up through professional kitchens. More about my work.