Lean Manufacturing

Waste Walk Checklist

Systematic observation checklist for identifying the 8 wastes during facility gemba walks.

Format: PDF Size: 108 KB 1,000+ Downloads
Waste Walk Checklist Preview

About This Template

The Waste Walk Checklist is a structured observation tool for conducting gemba walks (go and see) to identify the eight wastes of lean manufacturing: Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-utilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, and Extra processing (DOWNTIME). This template guides observers through systematically looking for waste in production areas, asking structured questions, and documenting improvement opportunities with photos and notes. Waste walks develop lean thinking capability by training people to see waste that has become invisible through familiarity. Regular waste walks by teams and leadership demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement and generate improvement projects based on actual observation rather than assumption.

Key Features

Checklist organized by the 8 wastes (DOWNTIME)
Guiding questions for each waste category
Photo documentation and location notes
Impact assessment and prioritization
Quick win identification
Follow-up action assignment

How to Use This Template

  • Schedule regular waste walks with cross-functional teams
  • Walk through production areas with beginner

Ideal For

Lean facilitators leading waste identification exercises
Leadership teams conducting gemba walks
Continuous improvement teams generating project ideas
New employees learning to see waste

Common Use Cases

Monthly leadership gemba walks in production areas
Training teams to identify lean improvement opportunities
Generating kaizen project lists from observations
Benchmarking visits to sister facilities

Use this template in a live digital workflow

Start with this downloadable form, then transition to real-time production execution, quality tracking, and automated reporting with Bulk.

Ready to unify your operations?

See how Bulk can transform your manufacturing floor with a personalized demo.

Live dashboards
Operator tablet
Quality workflows
Templates included
Email pre-filled on next step Takes under a minute