The Starter Kit for a Clean, Organised CI Workshop

What you actually need in the room, how to lay it out, and what to ditch.

If we’re honest, most CI workshops don’t fail on theory.They wobble on basics:

• The room isn’t ready.

• No one can find a working marker.

• Sticky notes run out halfway through mapping a process.

It’s hard to talk about clarity, structure and world‑class organisation when your own setup looks improvised. Gemba Tools (2)

This guide gives you a simple, repeatable “starter kit” for any CI workshop:

1. What you actually need in the room

2. How to lay it out

3. What to happily ditch

Use it as a baseline. Once this is standard, every session feels calmer and more professional.

1. Principle first: your room is your first 5S

Before we talk supplies, it’s worth naming the real job of your setup:

• Show clarity – people can see what’s happening and where things go

• Show structure – the room has a logic to it

• Show professional organisation – you look prepared, not scrambling

In other words, your workshop environment is a live demo of 5S:

• Sort – only what you need is in the room

• Set in order – everything has a place

• Shine – surfaces are clear and usable

• Standardise – you can repeat this setup anywhere

• Sustain – it’s simple enough to keep doing every time

Keep that lens in mind as you choose what to bring in… and what to leave out.

2. What you actually need in the room

This is the minimum effective kit for a clean, organised CI workshop. Not a fantasy list – just what makes real sessions run smoothly.

A. Surfaces & space

• One main writing surfaceFlipchart, whiteboard, or a clear wall where you can tape paper. This is your “shared brain”.

• Enough wall space for 3–4 zonesYou’ll want room for:

  • The main process / problem

  • Data / facts

  • Ideas / experiments

  • Actions / owners

• Tables people can reach the walls fromHorseshoe or small clusters work well. Avoid long rows if you can.

B. Core materials

Think “small, consistent, easy to restock” – not “everything in the cupboard”.

• Markers (two types)

  • Thick markers for flipcharts / headings

  • Finer markers for sticky notesA few good colours is better than 12 random ones.

• Sticky notes (two sizes)

  • Standard size for steps, ideas, issues

  • Larger ones for headers, categories or key points

• Tape & putty

  • Masking tape or painter’s tape for walls/floors

  • Re‑usable putty or low‑tack tape for sticking notes and sheets

• Basic tools

  • Scissors

  • Ruler or straight edge

  • A simple timer (phone is fine if you’re disciplined)

This is exactly the kind of practical, real‑world kit your brand is built around: useful, structured, nothing fancy for the sake of it.

C. Visual anchors

These are simple boards or areas that keep the session on track:

• Agenda & goals boardOne sheet that answers: Why are we here? What are we trying to fix? When do we finish?

• Parking lotA corner of wall or sheet for “important but not for today” topics.

• Action boardA simple grid: Task – Owner – Due date – Status. This stops actions disappearing into notebooks.

• Working agreement (optional)3–5 short points: phones, breaks, how decisions will be made.

You can build all of this with markers, tape and paper. No fancy templates required.

3. How to lay it out (simple room map)

Here’s a repeatable layout you can use in almost any room.

Front of the room

• Main screen or flipchartFor framing the session, quick explanations, and any necessary slides.

• Agenda & goalsOn a flipchart sheet or taped to the wall where everyone can see it. Refer to it often.

Right wall – “Process & facts”

• Map the process, problem, or value stream here.

• Keep it linear and readable. This is where people will spend a lot of focused time.

Left wall – “Ideas & experiments”

• Use this for brainstorming, countermeasures, experiments.

• Keeps ideas clearly separated from facts and current state.

Back wall – “Actions & parking lot”

• Action board on one side.

• Parking lot on the other.

• As the session goes on, having these behind people subtly nudges them to look back and check commitments.

Your kit

• Keep your kit (whether it’s Gemba Box or your own crate) beside you, near the main wall.

• Refills and spare notes live there, not scattered across tables.

The goal isn’t a perfect layout. It’s that everyone can tell what each wall is for at a glance. That’s clarity and structure in action.

4. What to ditch (on purpose)

A clean, organised workshop is as much about what you don’t bring in.

Here’s what usually clutters the room or adds noise:

• Too many marker coloursYou don’t need a rainbow. 3–4 clear colours beat 12 faded ones.

• Random props you don’t actually useOld flipcharts, leftover posters, retired diagrams – clear them out or park them elsewhere.

• Stacks of unused stationeryTen spare pads on the table just tempt people to fiddle. Keep extras in your kit and bring them out only if needed.

• Complex templates no one understandsIf you have to explain the form for 10 minutes, it’s probably too much. Keep it simple and visual.

• Decor for decor’s sakeIf it doesn’t clarify the work, it’s probably just visual noise.

A good test:

“Does this item help people see the work more clearly?”If not, it’s a candidate for removal.

5. A simple checklist you can reuse

You can turn this into a one‑pager and stick it inside your kit.

Before the session

•  Room booked with enough wall space

•  Main writing surface available (flipchart/whiteboard/wall)

•  Agenda & goal sheet prepared

•  Action board sheet prepared

•  Parking lot sheet prepared

Materials

•  Thick markers (working, tested)

•  Fine markers for notes

•  Sticky notes – standard size

•  Sticky notes – larger size

•  Tape + putty

•  Scissors + ruler

•  Timer ready

Layout

•  Front: screen/flipchart + agenda

•  Right wall: process / problem

•  Left wall: ideas / experiments

•  Back wall: actions + parking lot

•  Kit parked near facilitator, not in the way

Run this a few times and it becomes muscle memory – a standard you can copy to any site or room.

6. If you don’t want to build this from scratch every time…

You can absolutely DIY a kit with a crate and some foam, and this article should help you do that.

If you’d rather buy it once and have a ready‑to‑run, organised kit, that’s exactly why we built Gemba Box – a physical “5S in a case” designed to keep all of this structured, visible and easy to sustain. It exists to make Continuous Improvement feel more structured, simple and professional for anyone running workshops.

Either way, the goal is the same:

• Less scrambling

• More focus on the work

• A room that quietly shows the standard you expect from your CI efforts

You don’t need a perfect workshop. You just need one that’s organised enough for people to think clearly.