The process of Lean Six Sigma helps an organization highlight the 8 main kinds of waste that delay or slow down the production process. Finding out what they are and getting rid of them enables an organization to streamline their methods of production and get the best results while saving plenty of time.

1. Waste as a result of defects

This is waste that comes from things like employing low skilled laborers to do a job, poor communication, incorrect information being as well as defective processes. Waste caused by defects can easily be dealt with by having an open line of communication, dealing with the correct information, employing skilled labor and updating equipment or tools used during work.

2. Waste as a result of overproduction

When an organization is overproducing, it simply means they are making more than they should at a fast pace. This causes an inventory mess as they will have a massive pile of stock that isn’t being used. An example of overproduction can be buying a bulk of perishable products and not using them all to a point where some of them rot.

The best way to deal with overproduction is by making sure that there is a balance between supply and demand. This requires the doors of communication to be open as well as an organization making sure that make, purchase and produce products based on accurate estimates.

3. Waste a result of waiting

This is the most common form of waste as it deals with things like waiting for deliverables, at queues or even transport. Waiting causes a great deal of stress and significant delays can make an organization and even people lose revenue. An organization can deal with waiting by hiring private transport for their deliverables and if someone is waiting for output on their co-worker, they can move on to other tasks.

4. Waste as a result of not using talent properly

This is often called the 8th form of waste, in addition to the original 7 developed at Toyota. An organization can have a huge amount of waste on their hands if they don’t use the talents of their team properly. Not performing well in this department brings about what is known as opportunity costs. An organization might choose to retain such talents over upgrading its infrastructure and being competitive in their field. The best way to deal with this is by making sure that every team member knows their jobs and has something they are working on which suits their talents.

5. Waste as a result of transportation

This is brought about by unnecessary placement and movement of materials or people from one place to another. One of the best ways of dealing with transport waste is removing any form of wasteful transportation. If a particular job can be done at home, for example, employees should be allowed to do it there. If a meeting can be held over Skype via video conferencing, let it be done.

6. Waste as a result of poor inventory management

Inventory waste is any materials that have no purpose or haven’t been used during the production process. An example of inventory waste can be ordering 70-floor tiles to upgrade a bathroom while only needing 35 tiles. Dealing with inventory waste is very simple, money should only be spent on things that their utility and purpose can be justified. Another way is by estimating the requirements and need accurately to avoid breaking the bank.

7. Waste as a result of motion

A bit similar to transport waste as it involves an unnecessary moment of equipment and people to various workflow processes. This causes things like a waste in resources, delays, and consumption of energy. The best way to bypass this problem is to have a plan in place, creating a checklist of all the tasks that need to be done does help in getting things done systematically.

8. Waste as a result of processing methods

This is where plenty of time, effort and money is spent on achieving something that brings very little result. An example of waste processing can be cleaning and washing a car for hours for no logical reason. An organization can prevent excess processing through a method called parametric estimation. Before any task is done, questions like how much effort is needed to get the job done need to be asked. If the effort needed is not clear, management can base it off tasks that are similar to it.

Conclusion

It is clear to see that the process of Lean Six Sigma helps an organization highlight the 8 main kinds of waste that delay or slow down the production process. When each of the 8 types of waste is dealt with the right way, an organization is able to streamline their methods of production and get the best results while saving plenty of time.

Like this topic? Learn more by downloading our free 7 Forms of Waste guide at:

You can also download some Powerpoint slides of the 8 forms of waste, based on the acronym TIM WOODS

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To create a seamless flow of value that goes all the way to the customer without interruption, waste needs to be reduced. This brings as to an enemy that causes waste in organizational processes, and it goes by the acronym TIMWOODS. Each letter in TIMWOODS represents a type of waste (they are also known as the eight wastes of Lean Six Sigma).

Keep on reading to find out what each of those letters means.

1. Transportation

When products, equipment, inventory, tools and people move further than they need to, you have Transportation waste. Defects and damage to products can happen when materials travel unnecessary distances. Furthermore, exhaustion, accelerated wear and tear and needless work can happen when equipment and people are moved unnecessarily. Transportation also requires packaging to protect items, and can require fuel to transport the items. The transportation time is not improving the value of the item, so it takes time which is a delay for the customer.

2. Inventory

Since value is being stored for a fee (probably in a warehouse), Inventory waste is common in manufacturing. Inventory is any value, whether materials or finished products, that either needs to be turned into something more valuable or sold to customers. And since overhead is being paid to store the products or materials, their value is reduced the longer they remain in there since their profit margin declines with each passing day. For office processes, inventory is a list of action items, your email inbox, and any work you have started but have not fully completed. In your personal life, it is the food in your refrigerator, clothes in your closet, and that book you started writing that you haven’t finished yet!

3. Motion

When machinery, equipment and people move unnecessarily, it leads to Motion waste. The movement can be anything, such as moving, stretching, bending, reaching, lifting and walking, that doesn’t bring any value. There is a need to redesign all work that leads to Motion waste while ensuring productivity and safety is maximized.

4. Waiting

When producing a product for consumers, any inaction that increases costs is known as Waiting. This is waste because while the product awaits its transformation, the organization is incurring overhead. Essentially, any potential profit the product would have made from being sold is continuously stripped as the organization continues to incur overhead from Waiting. Eventually, this contributes to Inventory waste as well, on top of destroying the flow of information and production materials. Waiting occurs in service processes as well, such as waiting for approvals, waiting for someone to return from vacation, and waiting due to confusion or indecision about what to do next in a process that is not well-defined.

5. Overprocessing

When there are more steps, components or there’s work being put into the production of a product that the customer doesn’t require, Overprocessing occurs. In the case of manufacturing, this includes adding in more functionality into the product than needed, making adjustments to already installed components, taking a solution and overengineering it, performing unnecessary analyses, pushing components beyond their limits and unnecessarily using high precision equipment. When packaging a product, can it be taped with one strip of tape or does it actually need 3 strips? In the office, does your manager want a 3-page project update or just one paragraph? Do your customers actually look at all the charts you create, or just one key chart, and ignore the rest?

6. Overproduction

If there’s one waste that can negatively impact the success of an organization as a whole, it is Overproduction. When more products or materials have been produced than customers are willing to buy, that is when overproduction happens. When your organization overproduces what it is offering, other wastes can occur as well. These include Motion, Waiting and Inventory. In the office, if you start working on a presentation for a meeting too early, there is a chance that the meeting gets delayed or cancelled, and you will have wasted that time, or have to go back and update your slides with the latest information. The goal is to do work “just in time” not too far in advance when things can change or get rescheduled.

7. Defects

Defects are the most recognizable forms of waste when it comes to Lean Six Sigma, especially when it comes to manufacturing. In manufacturing, instances of Defects include details missing in assemblies, end products that are in need of reworking and scrapped components and products. This waste is one of the biggest when it comes to manufacturing since it also leads to Overprocessing, Transportation and Overproduction waste. Defects also occur in the office and service processes, with incorrect invoice amounts, wrong customer ID numbers, emails sent to the wrong person, and spelling errors.

8. Skills

This waste has another name: Non-Utilized Talent. This particular waste can affect different types of organizations in various industries (so far, all the examples we have seen have to do with the manufacturing industry). This waste happens when management doesn’t use all of its workers to their fullest ability.

This type of waste also occurs when management decides to improve their processes while ignoring feedback from their employees, even when it comes to continuous improvement. If employees who directly deal with the processes are not allowed to voice their input when it comes to improving them, especially on an ongoing basis, this is considered non-utilized talent a waste.

Knowing these wastes is a step in the right direction towards eliminating them. You can’t even begin to improve a process unless you know what is causing a drop in performance in the first place. To that end, TIMWOODS is an important acronym to know.

Download a free TIM WOODS (8 wastes) Powerpoint slides >>>

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The concept of the seven deadly wastes’ is one of the cornerstones of the lean methodology, and forms a part of a vital toolkit which every professional should be familiar with. If you are able to identify the impact that the seven wastes have on your workplace, then you can start to take the initial steps toward working more efficiently and productively.

Unfortunately one of the hangovers from lean’s inception in the manufacturing industry is that a large number of lean tools are focused on wastes within factories, making it challenging to adapt to non-manufacturing settings. This article seeks to change this viewpoint, so that education professionals can take a fresh look at how the methodology applies to them and their institutions.

1. Defects / Rework

In the same way that there are defective products in manufacturing, defects in education can take the form of systems that fail to transmit information as required, resulting in loss of time, communication and human energy. Examples include inability of institutions to complete admissions due to missing or incorrect student information, or failure to inform staff of new or recently changed policies in good time, leading to non-compliance.

2. Overproduction

More often than not, this is an issue that tends to slip under the radar in service industries like education. However, overproduction is a unique category of waste in the sense that it inevitably gives rise to other forms of waste if it is not checked. Examples of overproduction include having all the students in an institution enrolling concurrently, resulting in long queues, delays and errors, or expecting all members of faculty to adhere to standard teaching, research and service workload expectations, whether the extra work is required from everyone or not.

3. Waiting

This is idle time within a process before moving to the next step, and is generally caused by shortages in inventory or poor balancing of work across shifts and among employees. Some examples of this type of waste are: waiting for students to submit assignments or attend lectures, awaiting approval for critical decisions or waiting for people so that a meeting can begin.

4. Overprocessing

This is the performance of activities which provide no value to the service from the point of view of the students. It is manipulation of the service offered by an educational institution and its staff to levels beyond what students expect and are willing to pay for. For instance, it makes little sense and adds no value for handouts or notes to be packaged in envelopes that students will immediately discard.

5. Transportation

This involves the unnecessary movement of people or materials from one point to another. While some types of movement may be necessary for the provision of a service, they may not necessarily be of concern to the customer. Examples include faculty having to carry coursework home to grade it, or students ferrying assignments home on removable media and then back to class again every day.

6. Inventory

Inventory waste occurs when more supplies are ordered than are actually necessary, resulting in a glut, or when improper tracking of inventory causes shortages of essential supplies. For instance, a school library that has a limited number of a highly in-demand book will mean that students will struggle to complete their assignments. Another form of inventory waste is printing of new prospectuses every year and discarding those from the previous year, despite both having similar information.

7. Underutilized Employees

Having staff with good ideas is an invaluable resource, so the worst thing that leaders in educational institutions can do is to ignore them completely. The people actually working with the customers and processes directly are in a good position to identify areas where things go wrong and can suggest solutions.

Conclusion

Many people still think of lean and business improvement as they relate to manufacturing, especially since the concepts were first introduced by companies like General Electric, Motorola and Toyota. However, businesses and organizations in the service sector, including in education, are starting to consider how process improvement can transform how much value they offer to the customer.

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