?? Chasing Muda: The Elusive Waste in Service Processes ???♂?

Encountering waste in service processes ignites my imagination—just like the thrill of searching for the elusive Yeti excites explorers. ?????

Service processes often feel like electricity in a socket ?—we know they’re there, we experience them daily (sometimes even painfully!), yet they remain invisible and hard to grasp.

But what if we could capture this sneaky creature? What if we could name and eliminate it to streamline our operations? ??

Here is my proposal for defining and preventing Muda in the service environment. Enjoy!

It’s often said that overproduction is the mother of all wastes. And as we all know, the mother is the most important one...

1?. Overproduction

??? Definition: Overproduction occurs when work is done before it is needed. This includes producing reports, documents, or materials that have not been requested or needed at that moment.

In an internal business setting, this may mean generating more work than the next process step can handle or creating excess because someone ordered "just in case."

?? Example:

• Scheduling a formal meeting for every minor topic, with the director, manager, and all 12 team members invited.
• So many meetings in the calendar that real work can only be done after 3 PM.

??? Consequences:

• Wasted time in unnecessary meetings where most participants remain passive.
• Delayed execution of priorities or the need to work overtime.

?? Causes:

• Lack of meeting culture in the organization.
• No defined meeting standards.
• Failure to follow existing meeting guidelines.
• Ignoring meeting agendas.

?? Prevention:

• Establish clear communication standards (email, Teams, SharePoint, or meetings).
• Implement structured meeting practices, including a strict agenda and time limits.
• Promote best practices for effective meetings.
• Present a business case to management showing the cost of inefficient meetings (hourly rates x passive attendance time).

2?. Excess Inventory

??? Definition: Any type of surplus items, including:

• Digital clutter (massive PowerPoint files, outdated spreadsheets, email archives).
• Work in progress (unfinished tasks and incomplete orders).
• Physical clutter (piles of documents, excess office supplies, unused equipment).

?? Example:

• PowerPoint presentations with 53 slides and animations clogging up email storage.
• A backlog of unprocessed invoices waiting to be entered into the system.
• Data stored without a clear plan for analysis or use. The so called “just in case”.
• Duplicate storage of documents in both digital and paper formats.

??? Consequences:

• Inability to send emails due to storage limits.
• Need for additional disk space.
• Increased risk of sensitive data leaks.

?? Causes:

• No standards for document storage.
• Multitasking leading to unfinished work.

?? Prevention:

• Introduce "one-pager" presentation standards to simplify reports.
• Avoid large attachments and unnecessary animations.
• Implement Poka-Yoke solutions that limit attachment size.
• Lean approaches like SCRUM and one-piece flow instead of large batch processing.
• Work in iterations and sprints to finish tasks efficiently. Reduction of WIP.

3?. Unnecessary Movement & Transport

??? Definition: Any non-value-adding movement, whether physical or digital, such as:

• Searching for information, documents, or responsible contacts.
• Moving between office locations unnecessarily.

?? Example:

• Spending time looking for a report across multiple platforms (Teams, SharePoint, email).
• Navigating a complex organizational structure with unclear responsibilities. No process owners nominated.
• Searching for an available meeting room, program licence, system access.
• Holding meetings that could have been resolved with a quick email or call.

??? Consequences:

• Lost time, energy, and productivity.
• Employees creating personal document backups instead of using shared storage (risk of outdated data).
• Perception of "being busy" rather than being productive.

?? Causes:

• Lack of process documentation and transparency.
• Non-existent process architecture culture.
• A culture that values busyness over effectiveness.

?? Prevention:

• Clear organizational structure and AI-powered intranet.
• Lean approaches like SCRUM and one-piece flow instead of large batch processing.
• Standardized process mapping and continuous improvement.

4?. Defects & Errors

??? Definition: Any task, report, or product that contains errors, does not meet expectations, or is delivered late or incomplete.

?? Example:

• Financial reports with incorrect formulas.
• Credit applications missing required documents.
• Emails without attachments or with incorrect files.

??? Consequences:

• Lost work hours due to corrections.
• Increased costs from customer complaints and compensation.
• Dissatisfied customers and low NPS scores.
• Team conflicts due to miscommunication.

?? Causes:

• Multitasking leading to mistakes.
• No error-proofing (Poka-Yoke) systems in place.

?? Prevention:

• Poka-Yoke in forms (e.g., enforcing correct data formats).
• Implementing spell-checking tools.
• Proper testing before launching software or projects.
• Iterative SCRUM-based work cycles.

5?. Waiting

??? Definition: Any delay caused by waiting for approvals, feedback, reports, or system responses.

?? Example:

• Waiting for approval of expense requests.
• A system freezing at a critical moment.
• Frequent priority changes disrupting focus.

??? Consequences:

• Wasted time and resources.
• Declining productivity and motivation.

?? Causes:

• Poor communication culture.
• Outdated IT systems slowing down work.

?? Prevention:

• Measuring waiting times in key processes.
• Simplifying and automating workflows.
• Daily team stand-ups for faster issue resolution.
• Interrupt analysis—tracking distractions and their causes.

6?. Overprocessing & Perfectionism

??? Definition: Adding more complexity, details, or features than the customer needs. The work is never finished, never done enough.

?? Example:

• Developing extra software features no one requested.
• Using Six Sigma DMAIC for a problem that only requires an A3 report.
• Multiple approval steps for simple tasks.

??? Consequences:

• Wasted time, effort, and energy.
• Missed deadlines and overtime work.

?? Causes:

• Fear of failure or criticism.
• Lack of clear quality standards.

?? Prevention:

• Voice of the Customer (VoC) to understand true needs.
• Iterative project execution using SCRUM.
• Promoting a Kaizen mindset—simple solutions over complex ones.

7?. Underutilized Talent & Skills

??? Definition: Failing to recognize, develop, or utilize employees' unique strengths and capabilities.

?? Example:

• A financial controller with 15+ years of experience not mentoring junior colleagues.
• A Lean Six Sigma expert spending time on manual reporting instead of leading improvement projects.

??? Consequences:

• Demotivation and burnout.
• Lost opportunities for innovation and agility.

?? Causes:

• Lack of knowledge management systems.
• No structured mentoring or internal training programs.

?? Prevention:

• Knowledge-sharing programs & internal academies.
• Employee rotation programs to enhance skills.
• Assigning work based on individual strengths (e.g., FRIS thinking styles).

?? Final Thoughts

It all comes down to common sense. The first step is understanding the processes, interactions, and, most importantly, the voice of the customer. Knowing the different types of Muda and correctly categorizing them is useful—but it’s just a framework. Its true value lies in shaping a Muda-wise mindset and creating a shared language within the organization.

The real goal? Delivering value to the customer. That means shortening lead times, simplifying and streamlining processes, favoring iteration over batch work, reducing WIP, and ultimately automating—freeing up space for our true superpowers: innovation and agility.

Which of these types of waste do you see most often in your workplace? Let’s discuss in the comments! ????