-
8/3/2019 9 Wastes
1/3
AnInfoGuide.The9Wastes.
ThetermLeanmanufacturingwaspopularisedbyWomackandJonesintheirbookTheMachine
thatchangedtheworld.Thisbookbenchmarkedmanufacturingcompaniesaroundtheworldand
found,atthattime,thatJapanesemanufacturingcompaniesweretypicallymuchmoreproductiveandefficientthantheirWesterncounterparts.
AfewyearsbeforetheThemachinethatchangedtheworldcameoutTaiichiOhnohadpublished
abookcalledToyotaProductionSysteminitheexplainedthemainfoundationsoflean
manufacturing.TheseprinciplesguidedtheJapanesecompaniesthatwerefoundtobeworldclass
byWomackandJones.TaiichiOhnodevised7categorieswhichcovervirtuallyallofthemeansby
whichmanufacturingorganisationswasteorlosemoney;thesehavebecomeknownasThe7
wastes.2morehavebeenaddedtotheclassictomakeour9wastes.
Wasteistheuseofresourcesoverandabovewhatisactuallyrequiredtoproducetheproductas
definedbythecustomer.Ifthecustomerdoesnotneeditorwillnotpayforitthenitiswaste,thisincludesmaterial,machinesandlabour.TheJapanesewordforwasteismudaandisoftenusedin
books,trainingcoursesandbyleanconsultantstomeanwaste.
The9wastesare:
1.
Overproductionandearlyproductionproducingovercustomerorders,producingunorderedmaterials/goods.
2.
MaterialTransportationhandlingmorethanonce,delaysinmovingmaterials,unnecessarymovingorhandling.
3. Inventory
unnecessaryrawmaterialsinstores,workinprocess(WIP),&finishedstocks.4.
Talentnotusingalltheskillsofyouremployees5. PeopleMotion
movementofequipmentorpeoplethataddnovaluetotheproduct.6.
ReworkorDefects.Producingorreworkingscrap.7. Inappropriateprocesses
unnecessaryprocessingorprocedures(workcarriedoutonthe
productwhichaddsnovalue).
8.
Delays.Waitinghangingaround,idletime(timewhennovalueisaddedtotheproduct).9.
Energy.
Othershaveincludedadditionalcategorieswhichinclude;
TalentandenergyaretheadditionstoOhnosoriginal7.
Whilethe9wastesisnotatoolinitselftotackletheproblemswithinacompanywhichare
causingthewasteinfirstplace,theydoplayavaluableroleintacklinginefficiencyandtherefore
cost.
Theideaof9wastesisusefulbecauseitallowsacompanytocategoriseproblemsandthenfocus
attentionintheappropriateareasoncetheyhavebeenidentified.Therearemanytoolsand
techniquesintheleantoolboxwhichcanbeappliedtomanyareasofproductioninordertotackle
anyoneofthesewastes.Afewexamplesarelaidoutbelow.
-
8/3/2019 9 Wastes
2/3
AnInfoGuide.The9Wastes.
1.
OverproductionOftencausedbyqualityproblems,acompanyknowthatitwillloseanumberofunitsalongthe
productionprocesssoproducesextratomakesurethatthecustomerorderissatisfied.Thesekind
ofissuecanbetackledusingmistakeproofingmethods(Pokayoke)andbyunderstandingthe
machineprocesscapabilitiesoftheproductionequipment.Statisticalprocesscontrol(SPC)willalso
helpmonitorproductionoutputsandgivewarningofproblemsbeforetheyoccur.
Ifthereasonacompanyisoverproducingisbecauseofsmallordersandeconomicbatchsizesthen
SetupreductiontechniquessuchasSMEDcanhelp.Ifacompanycanreduceitschangeovertime
thenitisthenabletoproducesmallerbatcheseconomically.
Overproductionhasbeensaidbysometobetheworstofthe7wastesasitencompassestherestof
thewastes,oftenthemaindrivingforceforJIT(Justintime)systems.
2.
MaterialTransportationFactorylayoutscanoftenbethefundamentalcauseofexcesstransportation.Whenappropriate,re
layingoutthemachineswithinafactoryfromafunctionaltoacellularlayouthasbeenfoundby
manycompaniestohelpnotjustreducetransportationwastebutalsoreduceWIPandwaiting.
Excessinventorylevelscanalsoleadtowastedhandling.
3.
Inventory
Manycompaniesorderoverandabovewhatisrequiredtofulfiltheorder,thismaybeduetoquality
problemsalongtheproductionprocessortheoftenmistakenbeliefthatissavesmoneybyordering
largerquantities.Thetruecostofexcessinventorylevelsshouldbecarefullyanalysedbefore
orderingexcessrawmaterialssimplybecausethepurchasepriceisless.
Tacklingtherootcauseofthequalityproblemsshouldalsobeapriority.
4. TalentThe
people
in
the
process
work
with
the
day
to
day
frustrations
and
issues.
Understanding
and
resolvingthesefrustrationscanhavesignificant&easyresults.Involveallyouroperatorsinthe
solutionsandtheresultsandbeimpressive.
5.
PeopleMovementSimpleGoodHousekeepingisaveryeffectivewayofreducingwastedmovementbymenand
materials.5Sisatechniqueusedbymanycompaniestofocuseffortonkeepingtheworkplacetidy
withunusedmaterialsandmachinesdisposedoffsoasnottocreateunnecessaryclutterand
thereforesearching.Relayingoutthefactorycanalsohelpreducemotionwaste.
-
8/3/2019 9 Wastes
3/3
AnInfoGuide.The9Wastes.
6.
Rework&DefectiveunitsIfyoudontdoitalreadyrecordandanalyseeverythingthatsNotRightFirstTime,foratleasta
month.AsimpleParetowillhelpyouprioritiesyourefforts.
7.
InappropriateProcessesReworkisatypicalexampleofoverprocessingasdiscussedearlierreducingtherootcauseofthe
qualityproblemissolutioneliminatingrework.Techniquessuchas5whys,SPCandmistakeproofing
(Pokayoke)areavailabletohelpidentifyandeliminatecausesofqualitydefects.
8.
Delays&WaitingProductswaitingaroundinfactorieseitherasfinishedgoodsorworkinprogress(WIP)another
majorcauseofwaste.WIPiscommonlycausedbyproducinglargebatchsizeswhereagainSMED
techniquescanhelp.Delaysarealsoprevalentininformationsystems,productionofschedules&
clarityofthenextpriority.
ConcentratingonkeepingbottleneckprocessesgoingarealsoagoodwayofreducingWIP,thebook
TheGoalbyEliyahuM.Goldratthasalottosayonthisandhasbeenfoundtobeveryusefulby
manymanufacturingmanagers.
9. EnergyPoor
use
of
all
types
of
energy
is
a
waste
&
can
be
expensive.
Compressed
air
or
water
leaks
often
getignoresbutareexpensive.Howlongisyourequipmentswitchedonfor?
OverviewIfyouweretorecordallofthenonvalueaddedactivitiescarriedoutinatypicalmanufacturing
companydonotbesurprisedtofindoutthat99%ofallyouractivitiescarriedoutarenonvalue
adding,eventhebestmanufacturersmanage95%.Theeliminationofwastenotjustreducingitisa
vitalcomponentofincreasingcompetitivenessofyourorganisation.
TheManufacturingAdvisoryServiceisavailabletohelpsmallandmediumsizedmanufacturing
tackleall
the
issues
causing
waste.
If
you
would
like
help,
advice
or
information
about
any
of
the
9
wastesorothertechniquesraisedinthisarticlethenpleasegetintouchwithourHelpdeskon(0845)
6083838.
