The document discusses the 8 forms of waste: overproduction, waiting, transporting, inappropriate processing, unnecessary inventory, unnecessary motion, defects, and unused skills/talents. It provides examples and explanations of each type of waste, noting that waste absorbs time and money, causing inefficiency. The goal is to identify and eliminate waste to increase efficiency and value for the customer.

1. The 8
Forms of
WASTE
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2. What is Waste?
• Muda (Japanese word for waste)
• More specifically, any object or activity that
adds NO value to the expected outcome
• Value is in the eyes of the CUSTOMER
• Waste absorbs both time and money,
causing inefficiency
• 7 forms of waste originally identified by
Taiichi Ohno (1912-1990)
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3. Muda, Mura & Muri
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4. The Value Stream
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5. Finding Innovation Through Teamwork

6. Over Production
• Making too much
• Producing too early
• Making it “just in case”
• Considered the most serious of the wastes
• Examples?
– Making too many copies
– Double entering/writing anything
– Making widgets early and having them sit on the
production floor.
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7. Finding Innovation Through Teamwork

8. Waiting
• When time is not used
effectively
• Anytime materials or
components are not
moving or adding value
• Examples:
– Waiting for people
– Documents that sit,
waiting for a signature
– WIP waiting for the next
step in a process
– Late deliveries (supplies)
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9. Finding Innovation Through Teamwork

10. Transporting
• Movement of materials within a factory
• The number of movements = the number of
opportunities to damage and/or deteriorate
• Automate transportation whenever possible
• In Japan… AGVs, material delivered to where it is
needed (vehicle dashboards)
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11. Finding Innovation Through Teamwork

12. Inappropriate (Over) Processing
• Machines and/or
processes that are
not capable of
quality output
• Using the wrong tool
for the job
– Cracking a nut with a
sledge hammer
– Cutting down trees
with a dull axe
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13. Finding Innovation Through Teamwork

14. Unnecessary Inventory
• The “enemy” of quality and productivity
• Inventory exceeding specified quantity limit
– Some degree of buffer inventory can be
acceptable when supplier lead times are long
and can not be changed.
– Kanban should be implemented, pull
• Negative impact on cash flow
• Think about your office supply room…
– Paper and toner
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15. Finding Innovation Through Teamwork

16. Unnecessary Motion
• Refers the ergonomics of the workplace
• Too much bending, turning, reaching, walking, or
moving to do the job (ie. wrench > air ratchet > quick connect)
• Everything you need to perform a task should be
within arms reach and in front of you
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17. Finding Innovation Through Teamwork

18. Defects
• Producing something that does not meet the
customer’s expectation(s).
• Internal and external failures
• Scrap, rework, less than perfect yield,
complaints, missing info, etc…
• Generally, the form of waste that gets the
most attention.
– Why?
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19. #8
Unused or Misused Skills / Talent
Not taking full advantage of peoples skills, knowledge and abilities…
Finding Innovation Through Teamwork way we’ve always done it…”
“But that’s the

20. Unused or Misused Skills/Talents
• Not going to the gemba
• Not involving the stakeholders in problem
solving and root cause analysis
• Preventing people from reaching their
potential by utilizing their abilities
• Product of micromanaging
• Your front-line staff are the ones charged
with creating the value for your customers.
Therefore, they need to be engaged.
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21. Waste Elimination Tool
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22. Finding Innovation Through Teamwork