Lean Wastes Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is a primary result of overproduction?

Increased quality control measures

Products being produced in excess of what’s required (correct)

Substantial cost reduction in manufacturing

Longer production cycles

Which of the following best describes overprocessing?

Producing more products than required

Simplifying processes to reduce complexity

Extra operations due to defects and excess inventory (correct)

Delaying production due to insufficient resources

Defects in a product refer to which of the following?

Inventories that exceed market demand

Services that conform to customer specifications

Products that do not meet specifications or expectations (correct)

Products that work exactly as intended

What is the effect of reprioritisation in project management?

Constantly changing priorities without proper resource allocation (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect describes the 'energy' waste?

Consumption of resources like electricity and gas (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does a negative culture in an organization typically lead to?

Diminished workforce morale and productivity (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why is excess bureaucracy considered wasteful?

It introduces unnecessary rules and regulations (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is an implication of unnecessary complexity in a process?

Greater difficulty for employees to execute tasks (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of misaligned incentives?

Decreased productivity due to conflicting objectives (C) Signup and view all the answers

How does inadequate communication affect service organizations?

Results in misunderstandings and decreased satisfaction (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a Lean Waste category as described in the text?

Digital Waste (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary cause of "Waiting" waste?

Upstream activities not delivering on time (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT an example of 'Motion' waste?

Waiting for products to be delivered (B) Signup and view all the answers

What type of waste is described by "Excess Customer Applications / Queries"?

Inventory (D) Signup and view all the answers

What action would BEST address 'Over Processing' waste?

Streamlining workflows to reduce unnecessary steps (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of 'Transport' waste?

Having to walk to another room to get supplies (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of 'Reprioritization' waste, as described in the text?

Lack of clear priorities and changing goals (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main takeaway regarding 'Energy' waste as discussed in the content provided?

It is a significant factor contributing to environmental impact (C) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Lean Wastes

Lean methodology identifies 10 types of waste: Transport, Inventory, Motion/Movement, Waiting, Overproduction, Overprocessing, Defects, Reprioritization, People Skills, Energy, and Digital Waste.
Non-value-added activities are a significant component of waste.

Defining Waste

Waste is categorized into specific types affecting all aspects of an operation, from physical materials to information flow.
Key types of lean waste include transport, inventory, motion/movement, waiting, overproduction, overprocessing, defects, reprioritization, people skills, and energy.

Transport Waste

Unnecessary movement of people, materials, documents, or information.
Examples include travel to meetings, moving materials, transferring information between systems, and transferring information by hand or post.

Inventory Waste (Excess)

Excess inventory that is not needed for current orders.
This can lead to excess physical stock, excess customer applications, multiple unlinked information repositories, and duplication of information.

Motion (Excess) Waste

Extra steps due to inefficient process layouts, defects, or overproduction.
Poor product design, office layout, and needing to revisit clients are examples.

Waiting Waste

Downstream process inactivity due to upstream delays.
Examples are waiting for products, services, information, decisions, or access to resources.

Overproduction Waste

Producing more than required or prematurely.
Examples include producing unnecessary products and continuing production when demand is low.

Overprocessing Waste

Extra operations like rework, reprocessing, or handling due to defects or excess inventory.
Examples include correcting defects in products, services, or documentation as well as reworking or handling.

Defects Waste

Products or aspects of service that don't meet specifications or customer expectations.
Incorrect orders/deliveries, flawed products, and incorrect information are examples.

Reprioritization Waste

Constant changing of priorities without proper allocation of resources.
This occurs in projects affected by poor planning or project remediation.

People Skills Waste

Not utilizing the full potential of employees.
Poor leadership, ineffective meetings, and restrictive job descriptions are examples.

Energy Waste

Waste that represents over 45% of process activities potentially consumes energy (light, heat, gas, oil, electricity, transport, brain power).
Ineffective meetings also contribute.

Waste in Service Organisations/Digital Environments

Excess bureaucracy, unnecessary complexity, misaligned incentives, excess information, inefficient use of technology, lack of standardization, unnecessary customization, and inadequate communication are wastes within service organizations and digital environments.

Wastes in the Digital Age

Materials of the digital age (hardware, metaverse, online storage, energy production) contribute to waste.
The internet itself is a vast accumulation of unoptimized, unstructured digital information.
Psychological factors (anxiety, worry), the perceived need for new things (circular economy), and the question of whether all new technology is truly needed are part of this modern waste concept.

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of lean waste as defined by lean methodology. It covers the ten types of waste including transport, inventory, and overproduction, and examines how non-value-added activities contribute to overall waste in operations. Test your knowledge on identifying and understanding these crucial concepts.