8 WASTES IN

LEAN SIX SIGMA

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8 Wastes – What is it?
A method of categorising activities or Types of Work that
do not add value during the production process. These
activities are known as Waste.

Types of Work

Any process that changes the nature, shape or

Value Adding characteristics of the product, in line with customer
requirements

Non-Value Non-Value Adding, but unavoidable with current

Adding, but technology or methods.
unavoidable Any work carried out that does not increase product value.

All other meaningless, non-essential activities that do not

Waste
add value to the product you can eliminate immediately

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Why Use 8 Wastes?

Discuss the benefits of using 8 Wastes

Safety: Reduces risks through minimising inventory, human movement, transport and
product processing

Quality: Seeks to eliminate defects and associated scrap or rework

Delivery: Improves flow through the business and optimises inventory levels

Cost: Profitability improved through elimination of wasteful activities, cash released by

reducing lead times and stopping over productions

People: Seeks to eliminate the underutilisation of human potential

Discuss the reasons for applying 8 Wastes in your organisation

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8 Wastes –
Purpose & Focus
The purpose is to identify and eliminate waste – so that products flow through the business.

Traditional Lean Principles Focus

Improvement Focus
• Improve the Value Stream through eliminating Waste
• Work longer/harder/faster
• Add people or equipment

ValueAdd Waste

LEAD TIME

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8 Wastes - Categories

95%

There are 8 key Categories of waste:

• Transportation
• Inventory Over Production

• M otion

• People (Creativity / Intellect)

Defects / Rework
Over Processing

• Waiting
• Over Production
• Over Processing
• Defects / Rework

Typically, less than 5% of activity is value-adding.

< 5%

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8 Wastes - Transportation
Transportation of work-in-progress
or finished goods:

• Internal travel between work

stations
• Travel between business units
• Travel between sites.

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8 Wastes - Inventory
Inventory includes:

• Stock of raw material in stores

• Work-in-progress or semi
completed products
• Finished goods without a
customer order

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8 Wastes - Motion
Motion:

• Movement (people or
machinery) to pick, place, or
remove items affecting time
• Excessive or repetitive
movements may lead to a
safety issue

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8 Wastes - People
‘People’ Waste:

• Not tapping into, and following up

on the ideas and thoughts of the
employees
• Underutilisation of human
potential

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8 Wastes - Waiting
A process may have stopped and
be waiting for:

• Equipment or tools
• Material deliveries
• Support to resolve issues
• People to complete the task

Also, people waiting for a machine

to complete its cycle.

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8 Wastes – Over
Production
Over producing:

• Making anything more than the

customer requires

Over production is a multiplier of

the other 7 wastes

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8 Wastes – Over
Processing
Over processing:

• Anything more than is needed

to meet customer requirement
• Performing an activity that the
customer is not willing to pay
for

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8 Wastes – Defects
(Scrap / Rework)
Defective work or product leading to:

• Rework or repair
• Scrap and remake

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Who?
The team members involved include:

• Operations team members to be aware of and highlight wastes

• Operations leaders to identify and effectively manage the reduction

of wastes in their areas

• Manufacturing or production engineers to support identification of

wastes and facilitate improvements

• Quality to identify and lead problem solving of issues causing

defects, also to interpret the minimum standard required by the
customer

• Production planning to manage inventory and avoid

overproduction

• HR to minimise people waste through effective PDR processes and

deployment of skills matrices and training plans
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Summary
There are 3 types of work:
• Activities that add value
• Activities that are non-value adding, but necessary
• Waste

There are 8 categories of waste (TIM P WOOD)

• Transportation
• Inventory
• Motion

• People (Creativity / Intellect)

• Waiting
• Over Production
• Over Processing
• Defects / Rework

Eliminating waste improves safety, quality, delivery and

profitability whilst maximising the potential of personnel

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