First of all, this blog is devoted to the promotion and development of scientific process management, more specifically: Lean and Six Sigma. Tim Wood happens to be one of the nuances of the concept that is used by many companies to remind their staff of ways to curtail waste. Of course, there is so much more to discuss, learn and develop both internally and externally. I've learned that once you've learned something in this field, and thought you almonst know it all, you've discovered how much you need to explore.
Lean processing requires several keys processes; one is to identify which steps add value and which do not. By classifying these process activities into several categories it is then possible to start actions for improvement. This tough definition is important to its effectiveness. Once the work of value adding has been separated from waste then waste can be subdivided into 'needs to be done but non-value adding' waste and pure waste. The clear identification of 'non-value adding work', as distinct from waste or work, is critical to identifying the assumptions and beliefs behind the current work process and to challenging them in due course.
The following "seven wastes" identify resources which are commonly wasted. They were originally founded by Toyota's Chief Engineer, Taiichi Ohno as part of the Toyota Production System.
Transportation - When a product is moved it stands the risk of being damaged, lost, delayed, etc. as well as being a cost for no added value. Transportation does not make any transformation to the product that the consumer is willing to pay for.
Inventory - Inventory, be it in the form of raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP), or finished goods, is a capital outlay that has not yet produced an income either by the producer or for the consumer. Any of these three items not being actively processed to add value is waste.
Motion - Motion refers to the damage that the production process inflicts on the entity that creates the product, either over time (wear and tear for equipment and repetitive stress injuries for workers) or during discrete events (accidents that damage equipment and/or injure workers). This definition is in contrast to transportation, which refers to damage to products and transaction costs associated with moving them.
Waiting - A large part of an individual product's life is spent waiting to be worked on. This is a cost that can be averted through proper planning.
Over-processing - An time more work is done on a piece than what is required by the customer, this is considered “overprocessing” that also includes using tools that are more precise, complex, or expensive than absolutely required.
Over-production - Overproduction, considered the worst muda because it hides and/or generates all the others, leads to excess inventory, which then requires the expenditure of resources on storage space and preservation, activities that do not benefit the customer and occurs when more product is produced than is required at that time by your customers. To avoid this waste, avoid the production of large batches, as often consumer needs change over the long times large batches require.
Defects - Defects occur as extra costs and incurred during reworking the part, rescheduling production, etc.
An easy way to remember the 7 wastes is TIMWOOD (Aha!!!).
T: Transportation
I: Inventory
M: Motion
W: Wait
O: Over-processing
O: Over-production
D: Defect
So the goal here is to remember Tim Wood, a fictional character who if repeated in your mind and consequently used at work, can lead to high dividends. Tim Wood...Tim Wood...Tim Wood....Find Tim Wood.
Obviously, Lean Six Sigma has more to offer in the area of process management. By opening up your mind to Tim Wood, the process and journey begins for a continuous improvement mind set needed to change a culture for excellence. Start now and small incremental changes will pay off greatly in the future. Be part of this movement.
The goal of this blog is to open up other Lean Six Sigma ideas and how they can be used in the workplace and in life in general. Hope you enjoy the ride!
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