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Lean & Variation – Understanding The 3 M’s

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I have seen examples of the 3 M’s in many places. I think it is important to understand their interrelationships before starting to implement solutions!

The 3 Msdreamstime_5669182
Muda: Waste – One or more of the 7 types –  (Overproduction, Waiting, Transport, Extra Motion, Extra Processing, Defects, Inventory)

Mura: Variation (unevenness or fluctuation ) in performance

Muri: Hard to do / burdensome (usually caused by Mura and/or Muda)

Examples abound of how the 3 M’s are related. Here are some:

Example >> Poor layout of a facility (indicated by Transport Waste) would lead to “difficulty in getting the job done in a timely manner” which leads to accidents and making mistakes due to always being in a rush

Example >> Unstable process (Variation or Unevenness) – think of situations where equipment is down often – this would create Waste downstream (Waiting, Defects) >> then Muri – hard to do for operators – like sorting / inspection / disposition.

Example >> Searching for tools or information (Extra Motion) would result in less time focusing on value-adding activities which could result in errors.

Example >> Documentation too wordy / confusing  / not visual  (Extra Processing) would result in spending too much time in finding what is needed in a timely manner.

The Waste Series: Waiting

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time_runningWaiting can take many forms in different organizations – and can add up quickly – making it a significant form of waste. In its simplest form, one production station could be idle and waiting to receive parts from an upstream operation. Other forms may be related to support  and information flow processes and are just as important to study. Consider the following examples:

  • Production is waiting on maintenance to fix a piece of equipment
  • Maintenance is waiting for a critical part
  • Shipping dock operator is waiting for paperwork to be completed before shipment can leave
  • Operator can’t access portal to generate advance shipping notice (ASN) with customer
  • Team is waiting for the CEO before they can start a meeting
  • Electric forklift truck is in charging station and not available to move material
  • Buyer is waiting for signatures to approve a new supplier or subcontractor

Understanding and eliminating this form of waste can have a big impact on reducing the lead time and creating more capacity. For support processes, freeing up people’s time can be helpful in utilizing skills on important issues. Ultimately this will lead to improved customer satisfaction and increased profitability.

SQPS LTD

Columbus, Ohio   USA

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March 2023
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