Seven Deadly Wastes of Lean Manufacturing
Companies adopting a Lean philosophy strive to remove or shorten time spent on activities that the customer doesn’t value. For example, although steps like estimating and makeready are thought of as necessary in the business, they are branded as non-value-added for the customer and targeted for reduction. The basic concept of the Lean philosophy focuses on the removal of the seven deadly wastes in manufacturing and business processes in order to reduce overall waste in the company. What are these deadly wastes, and how do they affect the productivity of a plant? Find the answers below.
1. Defects
Often thought of as the most simple of the deadly wastes, defects can lead to many additional problems you didn’t know you had. When the quality of your work isn’t up to par with a customer’s expectations, it often leads to replacements or refunds. Because of this, defects lead to wasted manpower, resources, and costs.
2. Overproduction
Although being prepared for any circumstances is a good thing, producing too much of a product too soon leads to wasted manpower and resources. Most of the time, managers end up throwing away these products or giving them away for free. When you overproduce, you waste time, resources, and costs.
3. Transportation
Do you transport your resources from one location to another? This is another one of the deadly wastes where expenses could hide. It’s much better to have all of your materials at one location. When doing so, you don’t have to pay for extra manpower or equipment to move pieces. This process doesn’t add to the quality of your finished piece and extends lead time.
4. Waiting
When you send an email with a question, how long does it normally take for the other person to respond—hours, weeks? This time spent waiting for information is time that you or your employees could be spending on creating a product or improving the quality on a finished piece. Companies committed to Lean manufacturing believe that by addressing this deadly waste, you help create a better flowing plant.
