These guides are free to use and share under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. They are written for healthcare improvement teams — ward managers, laboratory leads, biomedical scientists, service improvement practitioners, and clinical staff. No prior lean experience is required for the introductory guides.
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New to Lean?
A plain-language introduction to lean thinking — what it is, where it comes from, and why it matters for healthcare teams. No jargon, no assumptions.
Read guide ReferenceLean Glossary
Definitions for every lean term used across the Gemba Suite tools — Japanese originals, plain-language explanations, healthcare context throughout.
Browse glossaryValue Stream Mapping — Gemba-VSM
Value Stream Mapping with Gemba-VSM
The complete guide — VSM methodology, gemba observation skills, DOWNTIME wastes, and a full walkthrough of Gemba-VSM v6.0 including parallel paths, variation capture, and AI coaching export.
Read guide Quick StartVSM Quick Start
For experienced lean practitioners who already know VSM methodology. A concise reference covering the Gemba-VSM v6.0 tool — installation, tabs, fields, parallel paths, exports.
Read guide Full GuideSeeing Past the Chaos — Pathology & Diagnostics Edition
VSM tailored to pathology and diagnostic laboratories. Map specimen journeys from receipt to authorised report; covers IHC parallel paths, batch processing, and cycle time variation across sections.
Read guide Full GuideSeeing Past the Chaos — Clinical & Ward-Based Edition
VSM tailored to nursing, therapy, and clinical teams. Map patient pathways through assessment, investigation, and decision; covers diagnostic parallel paths, queues, and variation across shifts.
Read guideA3 Problem Solving — Gemba-A3
A3 Thinking: PDCA Problem Solving with Gemba-A3
The complete guide — PDCA cycle, Art Smalley's four problem types, stage-gate discipline, evidence import, and a full walkthrough of Gemba-A3 v1.14 including AI coaching export.
Read guide Quick StartA3 Quick Start
For experienced lean practitioners who already know A3 methodology. A concise reference covering the Gemba-A3 v1.14 tool — problem types, tabs, nine sections, stage gate, imports, exports.
Read guideRoot Cause Analysis — Gemba-RCA
Root Cause Analysis with Gemba-RCA
The complete guide — why treating symptoms fails, Fishbone diagrams, evidence-based 5 Whys chains, Pareto prioritisation, root cause validation, and a full walkthrough of Gemba-RCA v1.2.
Read guide Quick StartRCA Quick Start
For experienced lean practitioners who already know RCA methodology. A concise reference covering the Gemba-RCA v1.2 tool — setup, Fishbone, 5 Whys, Pareto, exports, and suite connections.
Read guide Full GuideProcess Behaviour Charts with Gemba-SPC
The complete guide to XmR charts, common and special cause variation, signal detection rules, Phase I and Phase II workflows, specification and capability, and a full walkthrough of Gemba-SPC v1.2 using Donald Wheeler methodology.
Read guide Full GuideStandard Work with Gemba-StandardWork
The complete guide to capturing work elements, VA/NNVA/NVA classification, takt time, work combination sheets, and QMS documentation, with a full walkthrough of Gemba-StandardWork v1.9.
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