The customer's needs often change over the time it takes to produce a larger batch. Making more of a product than is required results in several forms of waste, typically caused by production in large batches. In traditional processes, a large part of an individual product's life is spent waiting to be worked on. Whenever the product is not in transportation or being processed, it is waiting (typically in a queue). This can include wear and tear for equipment, repetitive strain injuries for workers, or unnecessary downtime. In contrast to transportation, which refers to damage and transaction costs associated with moving the product, motion refers to the damage and costs inflicted on what creates the product. The smooth, continuous flow of work through each process ensures excess amounts of inventory are minimized. The longer a product sits in one of these states, the more it contributes to waste. Whether in the form of raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP), or finished goods, represents a capital outlay that cannot yet produce an income. is not a transformation for which the consumer is willing to pay. Transportation does not add value to the product, i.e. as well as being a cost for no added value. Ī mnemonic may be useful for remembering the categories of waste, such as TIM WOOD or TIM WOODS: Transportation Įvery time a product is touched or moved unnecessarily there is a risk that it could be damaged, lost, delayed, etc. Later, an eighth waste, unused skills, was added. Taiichi Ohno, 'father' of the Toyota Production System, originally identified seven forms of muda or waste: One of the key steps in lean process and TPS is to identify which activities add value and which do not, then to progressively work to improve or eliminate them. These contribute to waste, incur hidden costs, and should be eliminated. Muda Type II: non value-adding and unnecessary for end-customers.For example, while an end-customer might not view quality inspection in car assembly as value-adding, it is necessary to ensure the car meets safety standards. These are usually harder to eliminate because while classified as non-value adding, they may still be necessary. Muda Type I: non value-adding, but necessary for end-customers.7 Deadly Wastes, Inventory, Waste Deadly Waste #1: Transportation Stop Trying to Run Faster â Instead, Shorten the Distance Itâs Black Friday, and you are out shopping for mad deals with your family (Disclaimer: I am NOT a fan of shopping in total chaos, but it helps.įrom an end-customer's point of view, value-added work is any activity that produces goods or provides a service for which a customer is willing to pay muda is any constraint or impediment that causes waste to occur.

7 deadly wastes