We’ve discussed Lean Tools for process improvement before in our blogs, both here and here. Today we are going to talk about the 8 wastes of LEAN and how identifying them will help your business become more efficient.
What are the 8 Wastes identified through Lean?
- Over-Production – Doing more than is needed by the customer or doing it before it is needed
- Inventory – Excess inventory costs through financial costs, storage and movement costs, spoilage and wastage
- Transportation – Unnecessary movement of the product in the system
- Motion – Unnecessary movement by employees
- Waiting – Waiting for the next event to occur or the next work activity
- Defects – Time spent doing something incorrectly, inspecting errors, or fixing errors
- Excess Processing – Doing work that is not valued by the customer, or caused by definitions of quality not aligned with needs
- Human Potential – Waste and loss due to inappropriate utilization of resources, not engaging employees, listening to their needs, and supporting their careers
So how can you prevent these wastes? The first step is to identify them in your organization. Let us come in to evaluate your current processes, identify the wastes, and help you improve through the facilitation of a Kaizen event. Want to know more about a Kaizen event? Contact us today for more!