The Seven Wastes and the Office

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Remembering that work that adds no value to the customer is how Waste is defined in Lean Thinking.  Given that, there’s a lot of Waste in the office.  Indeed, some estimate that a significant percentage of total administrative costs is Waste as it is defined in Lean Thinking.

Transportation

Movement of product that does not add value

• Transporting material or documents farther than necessary, or temporarily locating, filing, stocking, stacking, or moving materials, people, information, paper – wastes time and effort.

Inventory

More material information than the customer needs

• Excess stock – more than is needed or wanted.
• Unnecessary copies, extra supplies (more than is needed – beyond some safety buffer.

Motion

Bodily or mental motion that does not add value

• Unnecessary work movements or extra motion to complete a task is waste.

Waiting

Idle time when people, material, information, or equipment is not ready

• Waiting for anything – people, paper, machines, the FAX machine, copier, information.
• Anything that causes a workflow to stop.

Overprocessing

Effort that does not add value from the customer’s perspective

• Unnecessary processing of anything increases wastes, energy use, potential human bodily harm, and can impact morale
• Redundant steps – checking someone else’s work, obtaining multiple signatures, or excessive reviews
• The Annual Employee Review can be added to this; a more effective review is a weekly or daily – short feedback loops allows for learning and growth; annual employee reviews are largely unhelpful to the reviewer and the reviewee.

Overproduction

Producing more than the customer needs or wants

• Extra of anything takes up valuable office space and wastes raw materials – paper, attention, etc.

Defects

• Having to do anything over because it wasn’t done right the first time is waste

It’s Your Turn

What other examples do you have?  Do you agree or disagree?  What other example of the Seven Wastes do you see and experience in the office?

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