FAIRFIELD MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT LTD

The 7 Wastes

Lean aims to remove wastes from processes. Before diving into the 7 wastes, it is important to understand what waste is. Waste is any action or step in a process that does not add value to the customer. In other words, waste is any process that the customer does not want to pay for.

Waiting

The waste of waiting includes:

People waiting on material or equipment
Idle equipment.

Waiting time is often caused by unevenness in the process flow and can result in excess inventory and overproduction.

Over Production

Overproduction occurs when we make a product/ service or an element of the product/ service before it is being asked for or required.

Rework

Rework occurs when the product is not fit for use. This typically results in either reworking or scrapping the product.

Motion

The waste in motion includes any unnecessary movement of people, equipment, or machinery. This includes walking, lifting, reaching, bending, stretching, and moving.

Over Processing

Over-processing refers to doing more work, adding more components, or having more steps in a product or service than what is required by the customer.

Inventory

Holding more inventory than your customer requires is deemed as a waste. Excess inventory can be caused by over-purchasing, overproducing work in process (WIP), or producing more products than the customer needs.

Transportation

Waste in transportation includes movement of people, tools, inventory, equipment, or products further than necessary. Excessive movement of materials can lead to product damage and rework.