The Walkabout^® Method gets its name from my working with an Australian vice president of operations. Every morning we’d have coffee and then he would say, “Mate, I’ve got to go do my walkabout.” He would walk through his facility and check every area. He was spectacular as a manager. This led to the third trait of effective managers, “they are better at assessing the operation for correctness, consistency, and capability on a daily basis.”

To guarantee an effective operation, it should be checked daily. In Australia, a walkabout is a wandering stroll to see the countryside. In our context, we are wandering in a controlled and disciplined way to assure correct, consistent, and capable processes.

To support this method, we developed the tool called the Walkabout. The Walkabout^® provides the roadmap and metrics test the knowledge base. Knowledge checklists for all associates must be built from the metrics.

In my book Optimize Your Operation, I explain the building and use of the Walkabout^®.

To support your design efforts, below you will find a Walkabout® PDF and PowerPoint template file that you can download.

English pdf files

Spanish pdf files

English PowerPoint Templates

Spanish PowerPoint Templates