Effective Gemba Walks - A key skill for Team Leaders
Online Area Patrol Training Course
Master the ability to spot and solve issues before they become costly problems with this hands-on Lean course.
✓ Catch abnormalities early and prevent downtime
✓ Solve problems fast, stopping them from escalating
✓ Foster a culture of continuous improvement
✓ Develop practical, shop-floor skills you can use right away
✓ Learn from real-world examples taught by industry experts
✓ Equip yourself with essential skills for long-term career growth
What is Area Patrol?
Area Patrol can broadly be broken down into three key areas:
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Routine Inspection - Area Patrol is all about regular walkarounds where team leaders check out key areas, equipment, and processes to spot any issues or abnormalities early on.
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Problem Solving - It gives your team the power to not just notice problems, but jump in and fix them on the spot with quick actions.
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Sustained Improvement - Area Patrol helps build a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging everyone to tackle small issues before they turn into bigger headaches.
Why Area Patrol matters
Area Patrol isn’t just about inspections—it’s a proactive approach that focuses on preventing issues before they escalate and empowering your team to take ownership in keeping operations running smoothly.
Prevent downtime
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Area Patrol acts as an 'early warning system,' catching small issues before they become major problems that disrupt production
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By spotting wear and tear, unusual noises, or overheating during patrols, you can schedule maintenance before a breakdown happens
Improve efficiency
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Identify bottlenecks causing employee 'wait’ time
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Spot an increase in excess inventory
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Running regular checks helps maintain consistent standards
Empower your teams
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Help team leaders stay in control with less need for crisis support
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Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team
Enhance Safety Procedures
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Quickly address safety issues like blocked exits, spills, or improper PPE use
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Reinforce safety as a daily priority with consistent Area Patrol checks
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Identify where SOPs are not being followed leading to inefficient workflows
Always stay one step ahead with our Area Patrol course
In the SempaiGuide Area Patrol course, we bring the gemba to life, showing you how to improve safety, boost quality, ensure on-time delivery, and reduce costs—right on the shop floor.
This course is structured into 9 interactive, bitesize sections that are easy to fit into your workday. Throughout the course, you’ll:
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Sharpen your ability to spot and respond to issues before they escalate
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Master the art of running balanced patrols across safety, quality, delivery, cost, people, and the environment (SQDCPE)
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Empower your team to actively identify and address abnormalities
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Cut costs by tackling inefficiencies and potential problems early
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Maintain high standards and continuously improve your operations
* See case study examples.
Area Patrol Course Outline
With real-world examples, expert insights, and hands-on exercises, this course equips you with the tools and confidence to quickly identify and address problems directly on the shop floor.
It’s designed to fit right into your workday, so you can start, pause, and pick up whenever it works best for you.
01.
Area Patrol Introduction
What’s in it for me?
The Shopfloor Leaders Job
The 4 control skills of Shopfloor Leaders
What's the point of patrolling your area?
The 4 Core Skills of a Shopfloor Leader
S&E Download
02.
Problem v Abnormality
Problem or Abnormality
Spot the Abnormality
Abnormality or problem?
Looking but not seeing
03.
Your Patrol Before
Walk your patch
Diagnosing where your eye balance is
04.
The Top 1% Safety & Environment
An effective Area Patrol
Safety
Safety: Problems to look out for
Environment
Environment: Problems to look out for
Walk your patch: S & E
S & E Diagnosing where your eye balance is
05.
The Top 1% Quality & Delivery
Quality
Quality: Problems to look out for
Checking an Actual Part
Checking an Actual Part: Problems to look out for
Monitoring Defect Bins/Boxes
Delivery
Plan v Actual Progress: Problems to look out for
Delivery: Inventory Levels
Inventory Levels: Problems to look out for
Walk your patch: Q & D
Q & D Diagnosing where your eye balance is
Q&D Download
06.
The Top 1% Cost & People
Cost
Cost: Problems to look out for
People
People: Problems to look out for
Walk your patch: C & P
C & P Diagnosing where your eye balance is
C&P Download
07.
Your Patrol After
Duration: 3 mins
Walking your patch
Walking your patch round-up
Walk your patch: SEQDCP
A full SEQDCP Patrol
Before vs After
08.
Handling Abnormalities
09.
The End
Duration: 4 mins
Congratulations
Certificate
Let us know what you think
How will you handle it?
How did they do?
SempaiGuide Case Studies
The SempaiGuide Approach
With 25 years of global Lean experience and insights from today’s industry leaders, SempaiGuide courses are crafted to transform your manufacturing operations and equip you with essential skills for career growth.
Learn
with real-world examples
We start with why it is vital to spot and respond to issues before they escalate before guiding you through how to run your own Area Patrol.
Track
the impact in real-time
In-situ improvements are captured throughout the course with built-in improvement trackers for quantifiable ROI.
Why choose an Area Patrol course from Sempai?
100% of team leaders love or like the courses
Based on 50 users across 10 businesses in 5 manufacturing sectors
Immediate, tangible SQDCPE results
Each course features built-in improvement trackers for immediate, quantifiable results aligned to SQDCPE targets
Building the leaders of tomorrow
Each course, fosters a culture of continuous improvement whilst embedding essential skills for career advancement
Lean learning, on the shop floor
We understand that shop floor employees face frequent interruptions, so SempaiGuide courses are designed to seamlessly integrate into the natural flow of the working day on the shop floor.
Improved course engagement
Instant feedback loops provide positive reinforcement, improving course completion rates and scores.
Looking for additional support?
SempaiGuide Plus is a blended offering, giving you access to an annual subscription of Lean courses plus additional virtual support from our team which includes:
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Remote check-ins
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Q&A sessions
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Guidance on a scenario you want to address
Our customers find that regular check-ins and reviews, with targeted support, help to embed lean habits and sustain great results from the team.
Sempai consulting is a truly bespoke option where you can draw heavily on our expertise to work alongside you and your team to tackle a range of projects including:
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Senior management coaching to grow and embed a strong, high performing lean culture throughout your business
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Support for HR with employee development i.e. performance reviews and talent identification at all levels
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Development pathways across all levels in Operations Management, from Operator to Operations Director, Materials Management, Engineering, Quality & Maintenance
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Q. Can I track my/my employee’s progress?A. Yes! You will have a login which provides you an overview of your progress through the course and your score. A certificate is awarded at the end of the course but the focus is centered around the in-built trackers that showcase the real-world results achieved from implementing the 5s principles.
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Q. How much time am I going to have to invest?A. The course length varies but typically takes 10 hours to complete which includes the practical application. The course heavily focuses on the practical application of the 5s skills. We have designed the courses to work alongside you during the normal working day on the shop floor. It is broken down into bitesize sections, with the added option to pause at any point, making it easier to 'pick up and put down' where you left off.
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Q. What if I want additional support?A. SempaiGuide Plus gives you access to the online course plus additional in-person or virtual support from our team of experts. Over the years we have supported organisations and individuals with a vast array of projects from the creation of employee development pathways to ongoing coaching to develop Lean strategy across the business.
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Q. Will it deliver sustainable change?A. Each course is developed using an active learning approach within a 'micro-learning' framework, proven to deliver tangible, long-lasting results. If unsure if this course is right for you, we offer a free trial of one of the course sections.
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Q. What if staff leave the business – will I have to start again?A. Absolutely not! From a practical perspective, if you've purchased a course for several team members and someone leaves, you can easily transfer the course to someone else. When it comes to making changes, a key part of all SempaiGuide courses is demonstrating how to standardise these improvements so they become a natural part of your business workflow. Additionally, embedding Lean principles across your organisation not only improves workflow and safety but also helps reduce staff turnover. By enhancing work-life balance, involving employees in decision-making, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, Lean practices reduce burnout, increase employee loyalty, and support career development.
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Q. I’m concerned employees just won’t use the course.A. From a study of 50 users across 10 businesses in 5 different sectors, we found a 95% course completion rate, with 100% of team leaders recommending our courses. We offer free demos and trials, so if you're unsure, why not try it out for yourself!
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Q. How does the cost compare to the results achieved?A. Our courses are designed to be flexible, with on-demand courses starting at just £419 with up to 7x ROI achieved often after just one pass of the course. 5s, as part of team leader development, has led to promotion of team leaders to fill the talent pipeline.