How can you eliminate 7 types of process waste?

Always consider Muda, Muri and Mura! Without improving the unevenness and managing the constraints of a system there is unlikely to be a true realisation of the benefits of removing NVA.

Waste (Muda) can be eliminated by utilizing tools like " Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, 5S, standardized work, pull systems, JIT (Just in time), monitoring with KPIs, and involving employees. This leads to increased efficiency, cost reduction, quality improvement, and customer satisfaction.

One of the approach of waste elimination can be evaluated through use of six Sigma tools e.g. value stream mapping is a good example.. clearly we can understand the process time and wait time for any activity.It gives visualisation of the end to end process mapping and help identify activities which are redundant or non-value added. Such activities can then be eliminated either through some automation or process improvements.

Overproduction is the "mother of all wastes" because it has a cascading effect on all other forms of waste. When you overproduce, you often end up with excess inventory that hide underlying problems such as defects, waiting times and inefficient processes. By reducing overproduction, these issues become more visible and can be addressed. Also, overproduction ties up resources like labor, capital and storage space that could be better utilised elsewhere to add value. By addressing overproduction first, you are essentially tackling the root cause of many other forms of waste. This allows your organisation to streamline processes, reduce costs and improve overall efficiency while creating a more responsive and customer-centric operation.

In my career journey of military aviation, manufacturing and hi-tech, I've come to deeply appreciate the principles of Lean encapsulated in the TIMWOOD acronym (transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, overprocessing, defects). These principles are not just about efficiency; they're about excellence in every aspect of life. Take "Transportation," for example. In my years of flying and repairing military avionics/communications systems, I've learned that unnecessary movement can be a costly affair. Just as in aviation, where efficient routes save fuel and time, the same applies to manufacturing. Unneeded material handling in factories can lead to wasted time and resources; a detour in the sky can consume precious fuel.

How to make those programs(eliminate waste) is not just to be a management objective is important. Some ways can be done: 1. Training/awareness training should be held regularly. The time should be provided, not just talking about the result. Making habits and culture needs time. 2. Based on data. Example: We can try to show the data for example the waste, not with quantity, but with the amount of money. Psychologically, employees further care more if they can see the loss of money and compare it with their salary/money expenses. I had already tried this method in my program to reduce scrap. Convert into money loss and my members realize how big amount of money we throw into the scrap every day.

A VSM is a fantastic tool for many reasons. A structured and regular gemba walk is another way to identify wastes in processes. It can be done easily and often, it includes all employees, supervisors, managers and leadership team. It helps us see what is going on for real, how people are working and how parts are moved. It can identify wastes but also safety risks. Then we can prioritize the wastes and risks based on their impact and potential benefits.

Identifying waste, however, may not be the most tricky part. Although it does require awareness. The tricky part is identifying the waste to focus on. VSM is in part a tool for doing just that, rather than “cherry picking” any possible improvement. Aligning clearly on Lean related objectives is necessary on top of this. The main goals needs to be clear for all and any related employee, so one can start focussing on eliminating the most crucial wastes as it relates to the company goals.

Gemba walk is the best method, and strictly follow the rule of "No Judgement / suggestions." while doing the Gemba walk. Purely observations and noting down the points, which should be used for discussion after the Gemba walk. You may find some "Pure Waste" and some "Necessary Waste" based on the process, the environment, etc.

To drive improvements and reduce waste, organizations must visualize the value stream with a visual representation of an organization’s processes, categorizing steps as value-added or non-value-added and pinpointing waste sources. The benefits of value stream mapping are significant: 1. Enhanced Understanding: Value stream maps make it easier for employees to comprehend their contributions to the value stream and expose process discrepancies. 2. Targeted Improvements: Organizations can prioritize improvement efforts, focusing on areas with the most significant impact. 3. Cost Savings: Identifying and eliminating waste reduces operational expenses while maintaining or improving quality.

I had once read about a very ingenious term called “Zero Base Technology” which states any motion or activity or an effort or utilization of energy and resources that doesn’t yield any tangible or non tangible benefits needs to be removed from the process This entails comprehensive data analysis and studies like Time and motion studies to identify and eliminate such waste. AI and machine learning will play a huge part in putting this idea into practice in the near future

Data Analysis Use data analysis to identify patterns and areas where waste is occurring. This can lead to data-driven decisions for waste elimination. Employee Involvement Encourage employees to actively participate in identifying and addressing waste. They often have valuable insights Cross-Training and Multi-Skilling Cross-train employees to perform multiple tasks. This increases flexibility and reduces waiting time and motion waste. Standardize Work Processes Establish standardized work processes that minimize variation and errors. This helps reduce defects and the need for rework. Kanban System Implement a Kanban system to manage inventory levels. This helps reduce excess inventory and minimizes waste.

Crisp,short-Learn about the requirements of the customer, define all activities and segregate them to value added, necessary non value added, non value added what the customer asked and what you need to do additionally to complete the product or service. Monitor the process -this gives more clarity on what is important and what is additional. Improve one by one or eliminate waste one by one- doing everything together will be disaster. You will not understand if problem arises, because of which improvement the issue happened. Sustainability - sustaine process without any new changes In any condition do not do over production - it is father of all waste

Identify waste types (e.g., overproduction, waiting). Map your processes to find inefficiencies. Standardize and document procedures. Encourage continuous small improvements (Kaizen). Organize workspaces (5S). Implement Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory. Use error prevention (Poka-Yoke). Utilize Kanban systems. Focus on quality (TQM). Involve and train employees. Monitor progress with KPIs. Consider technology and automation.

Measure process cycle times and identify variation and outliers in the times. You could then have process owners pareto the outliers into buckets to identify specific solutions. Engaging process owners drives accountability and buy-in. Repeat the approach as needed.

Another good way to measure waste is Work in Progress (WIP) at each process step. This will help identify all types of waste. It is also a good measurement to see how well the improvements are done throughout the process. I usually challenge my clients and students to find WIP and encourage them to add it to the VSM or process maps just as they would cycle time, take time, and first pass yield.

- in my experience I think building appropriate models from data is the best way to ensure optimized solutions however the trick is to recognize that sometimes over optimization in one direction leads to an actual larger problem in another area of your organization. Example, over optimization of your process quickly can generate larger risk and cost due to supply chain single sourcing dynamics resulting from the implementation. Young people starting their journey in optimization often model too narrowly and thus easily miss critical interconnectivity dynamics. So don’t be afraid to put in the time to explore true secondary and tertiary impacts before pursuing a project

You must be having some KPI's which are measured, but for getting more information / Data about a particular waste, you may need to introduce a finer KPI or a new KPI. This will put a focus on the targeted Muda for revealing the insight for correction.

Finding the waste, putting the new process in place for elimination of this waste is only a tip of a iceberg. The main challenge comes when we want to put new process in practice. There may be hidden resistance which need to be overcome. There is always a comfort factor in the earlier process as it was in practice for a long period and hence, we should cut all ropes to going back to old method of working. Otherwise, we will fail miserably in our attempt to improve.

Involving all team members to recognize waste, to document it through the gemba walks and to work together to find solutions is the ideal way of creating an engaged and collaborative team. This will create a culture of continuous improvement.

“Sustaining” and “improving” are close to identical on this matter, as “standing still is falling behind” or maybe better expressed as “the natural order of things is chaos, if processes are left unattended they will wither and fall apart”. To sustain achievements one must necessarily continue to oversee and look for improvement possibilites at the process. Best way to do so is to have structures in place that makes sure frontline employees looks for improvement on a continuous basis. Preferably daily. During scheduled meetings or otherwise as a habitual practice.

Eliminating waste through Lean principles such as pull, just-in-time delivery, continuous flow, standardization and 5S not only improves efficiency but also increases product quality and customer satisfaction. However, it is worth emphasizing that sustainability is the key to long-term success in waste disposal. A lean culture, rooted in customer focus and respect for people, together with Gemba and PDCA principles, ensures that continuous improvement is deeply rooted in the organization's DNA. This approach, combined with effective communication and employee training, creates a dynamic environment in which teams collaborate to drive continuous process optimization.

In 1993, right after earning my MBA, I had a pivotal 20-minute phone conversation with Dr. W. Edwards Deming while working at Westinghouse Motor Company. Though I'd called him for technical advice, he steered me toward a broader perspective. He said the future would be marked by rapid, discontinuous change, not just incremental improvements. He suggested I read his book, "The New Economics," for a deeper understanding, focusing on Psychology of Change, one of the four components of his System of Profound Knowledge. I took his advice seriously by working at the intersection of Process, Technology and People. Now, 30 years later, I'm still engaged and shaping Lean Six Sigma's (LSS) future. How will ChatGPT and GenAI further impact LLS?

There is a clear distinction between eliminating waste using lean tools and using six sigma tools to reduce process variation. Both tools are great and with the same purpose. QVC Better Quality Better Output- Volume Better Cost I have worked under Toyota Japanese sensei and they are focused on 7 waste, they try to keep it very simple. Regards to all , great insights.