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kamalesh r

Techniques for Combatting Each of the

7 Wastes of Lean

One of the core goals of the Lean improvement methodology is the reduction
of any material, effort, or expense that does not ultimately add value to the
customer. Practitioners have identified seven distinct types of waste and
developed specific techniques to combat them. Whether your organization
practices the Lean methodology or not, knowing where to look for waste and
what to do when you find it is important.

Overproduction

Overproduction happens when something is created before it is needed.

Overproduction is considered one of the worst types of waste because it is
highly costly, degrades quality and contributes to the other types of waste.

Kanban is a Lean manufacturing technique that was developed to fight

overproduction. Kanban is a visual signal that’s used to trigger an action. The
word kanban is Japanese and roughly translated means “card you can see.” In
a lean production environment, a part is only manufactured (or ordered) if
there is a kanban card for it. This adds control to manufacturing or other
processes.

What are Countermeasures for Overproduction?

Pace production so the rate of manufacturing matches the rate of customer
demand (Takt Time).

Use a pull system to control how much is manufactured (Kanban).

Reduce setup times so that smaller batches can be economically manufactured

(SMED).

Transport

The waste of transport includes any unnecessary movement of raw materials,

works-in-progress, or finished products. Not all transport can be eliminated, of
course, but limiting it to what is strictly necessary is an important goal of Lean
organizations.

Value stream mapping is a useful approach for identifying the waste of

transport. All parts of a process, including transportation are documented and
aligned to value for the customer. Any activity that can’t be linked to value is
targeted for reduction or elimination.

What are Countermeasures for Transport?

Design a linear, sequential flow from raw materials to finished goods (Value
Stream Mapping).

Make sure work-in-process is not placed into inventory (Continuous Flow).

Avoid continual changing of job priorities (Theory of Constraints).

Motion

The waste of transport is about unnecessary movement of goods, while the

waste of motion is about unnecessary movements of people. Inadequately
stocked and poorly organized workspaces are frequent contributors to the
waste of motion.

Gemba Walks are a useful approach to combating this waste. Managers can go
to the place where work is being done to observe, ask questions, and identify
opportunities to eliminate unnecessary motion.

What are Countermeasures for Motion?

Ensure that work areas are logically organized (5S).

Consider alternate arrangements of equipment that reduce motion (Value

Stream Mapping).

Inventory

Inventory waste occurs when the supply of raw goods, works-in-progress, or

finished products exceeds the immediate demand. It can be a symptom of
overproduction or an interrupted process flow.

Kanban and value stream mapping can be applied to an excess inventory

problem.

What are Countermeasures for Inventory?

Bring raw materials in only as they are needed (Just-In-Time).

Reduce or eliminate buffers between steps in production (Continuous Flow).

Refer to Overproduction countermeasures (Takt Time, Kanban, and SMED).

Waiting
Whenever goods are not either moving or being processed, the waste of
waiting occurs. Wait time results in lost capacity and efficiency and it increases
the lead time to the customer while failing to add any value.

Because waiting is often the result of resources that are not in sync, defining,
documenting, and implementing Standard Work can help.

What are Countermeasures for Waiting?

Design processes so that the flow is continuous and there are minimal (or no)
buffers between steps in production (Continuous Flow).

Use standardized work instructions to ensure that a consistent method and

consistent times are used for each step of production (Standardized Work).

Over Processing

Over processing occurs when complex processes are used when a simple one
would do. Over processing can also involve the use of expensive equipment
that is not necessary. In healthcare, unnecessary diagnostic tests might be
considered over processing.

When over processing is suspected, the PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) continuous
improvement approach can be applied to define a more efficient path to value.

What are Countermeasures for Overprocessing?

Compare customer requirements to manufacturing specifications (Kaizen).

Look for potential simplifications to the manufacturing process (Kaizen).

Defects

Defects are perhaps the most obvious form of waste. When a product or part
can’t be used for its intended purpose both time and resources are lost.
Defects can be battled by employing the 5 Whys technique for uncovering the
root cause of the problem. By digging deeper and deeper into the issue each
time a new “why” question is asked, teams can identify and resolve the reason
for the defect.

Some degree of waste is inevitable, but the ability to minimize it is what sets
profitable companies apart. Fortunately, there are great tools and techniques
for addressing waste in whatever form it takes.

What are Countermeasures for Defects?

Design processes so they are less likely to produce defects (Poka-Yoke).

Design processes to detect abnormalities so they can be immediately corrected

(Jidoka).

Look for the single most frequent defect and determine why it occurs (Root
Cause Analysis).

Create work instructions that provide a consistent method of manufacturing

the part. (Standardized Work).

AN EIGHTH DEADLY WASTE

An extremely important form of waste that is not represented within the

Seven Deadly Wastes is unused human potential. This form of waste results in
all sorts of lost opportunities (e.g. lost motivation, lost creativity, and lost
ideas).

One of the reasons that this from of waste is often underemphasized or even
ignored at companies is that responsibility for it lies squarely on the shoulders
of management. Unused human potential often results from management
policies and management styles that diminish employee contributions. By way
of contrast, developing strong coaching skills for managers can be very
effective in strengthening employee contributions.