Recently the team from GembaDocs and Lean Made Simple stepped into British Rototherm’s headquarters for what would become a masterclass in GembaDocs and Lean.
Over the course of the tour, the team witnessed how Rototherm, known worldwide for precision pressure gauges and thermal fluid systems, has woven Lean principles into every touchpoint. From safety briefings in the reception to AI agents supporting the production team, Rototherm demonstrates how answering the fundamental Lean question of “where?” unlocks efficiency, empowers people, and paves the way for smart automation.
Tour Highlights
1. Safety and First Impressions
- Point-of-Use PPE: As soon as visitors arrive, PPE stations sit exactly where they’re needed: helmets, glasses, and gloves clearly laid out. This “where” answer sets the tone: safety isn’t an afterthought but a visible, accessible priority.
- Core Principles: The team, and visitors, are greeted with set of core Roto principles that set the tone for the site, and tour.
2. Visual Management Everywhere
- Visual Control with GembaDocs: throughout the factory expectations are set immediately with printed, laminated or QR codes to digital step-by-steps standards.
- GembaDocs at the Coffee Stop: In the breakout area, GembaDocs allow everyone to meet the standards to keeping Roto Coffee Stop in pristine condition and well stocked.
- GembaDocs for supply chain: The team utilise SOPs for every corner of the supply chain, from Kanban picking and despatch to material adjustment planning and goods-in. No part of the warehouse is left to guess work. And anything that linked to a daily task had a superb go/no-go green and red card system.
- 3S Cleaning Tool Outlines: Every cleaning board, in the office to the shop floor, features clear indicators of tool placement, and to cut any confusion, photos and names of each tool. These clear demarcations answer “where does this belong?” instantly, eliminating waste from searching or misplacing equipment.
3. Employee-Led Improvements and Responsibilities
- Two-Second Improvements: Each morning, each of the team devotes 30 minutes to two-second improvements – tweaks to remove friction, secure loose components, or reorganize a parts bin.
- No Dedicated Cleaners: Instead of external cleaning staff, teams rotate through cleaning and inspection tasks. By engaging everyone in 3S, Rototherm builds ownership and reinforces the question “where is dirt or defect hiding?” before it becomes a problem.
4. “House Rules”
- Scene, Stop, Call, Wait: A simple mantra – scene (identify anomaly), stop (halt production), call (seek support), wait (hold for resolution) – empowers any team member to act on abnormalities. This rule answers “where should we intervene?” by clearly mapping the escalation path.
- Tool and Park Location Rules: “Every tool has a home; every part has a location; nothing on the floor.” This drill-simple guideline eliminates clutter and uncertainty, making it obvious “where does everything go?” and preventing floor-level hazards.
5. Embracing Digital, AI and Automation
- AI Agent Integration: Rototherm treats its AI agent like another team member – and started with one task to tackle with AI, and built the skill set, tools and methods from there to create an AI organization within the team to work on projects, at speed.
- Skills Module: Tom got a look at Rototherm’s old way of doing the skills module training for the team, used before they embraced Gemba Skills – briging another element of their shop floor to digital, reducing so much admin waste!
- Robots: While robots handle repetitive loading/unloading, and conveyors help with movement flow, the team can utilise their time for precision welding to create high-quality finished products. Showing these systems free people to focus on value-tasks, and that automation can complement, not replace, human ingenuity. They’ve also got automated guided vehicles across the warehouse to support the team.
Takeaways
British Rototherm’s tour reveals a powerful truth: Lean isn’t just a toolkit, it’s a mindset that starts by plainly answering “where?”.
Whether it’s where to find PPE, where a tool belongs, or where a process anomaly lurks, clear visual controls, GembaDocs and standardized routines create a foundation for efficiency. Layer in daily 3S habits, house rules that empower every employee, and cutting-edge AI automation, and you’ve got a resilient, future-ready operation.
Key Takeaways for Manufacturing Leaders:
- Answer “Where?” Visibly: Use floor markings, GembaDocs, shadow boards, and data screens to eliminate ambiguity.
- Engage Everyone in 3S: Rotate cleaning and provide dedicated improvement time builds ownership and pride of the site, as well as encouraging personal development.
- Standardize Responses: Simple rules like “Scene, Stop, Call, Wait” ensure swift action on anomalies.
- Leverage AI as a Team Member: Integrate AI agents for problem solving, project assistance and development opportunities with ease.
About Rototherm
British Rototherm Group, founded in the UK over 170 years ago, is a global leader in precision measurement solutions. Headquartered in the UK, the company designs and manufactures rotary unions, temperature and pressure instruments, and digital monitoring systems for industries ranging from oil and gas to pharmaceuticals.
With ISO 9001 certification and a culture of continuous improvement, Rototherm invests heavily in research and development – partnering with world-class firms such as GembaDocs, and embracing innovative technologies to remain at the forefront of quality and customer satisfaction.
