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I asked participants at a Lean Systems seminar the following question: From your experience, what are some examples of typical waste activities at work? Here are some answers (with numbers indicating frequency):
- Meetings (11)
- Defect / Rework / Correction (6)
- Bureaucracy / poor communication (3)
- Gold-plating /over-development of an application (3)
- Large inventory during economic downturn (2)
- Re-training (2)
- Difficult processes
- Frequent change in process policy
- Resisting change
- Neglecting SME’s input
- Scope creep
- Equipment failure
- Producing wrong product
- Waiting too long before decision is made
- Double checking / verification
- Not having materials ready
- Making too many hardcopies
- Using technology not thoroughly tested
- Handoffs
- Too many checklists
Most of the responses belong to one of the traditional modes of waste (overproduction, waiting, extra motion, over-processing, correction, and inventory) – Is it possible to figure out the true cost of having such waste? what is your experience?
