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To acquaint you with Lean Six Sigma, it is that management tool that<\/span> helps in improving operations of any industry by significantly reducing and limiting wastes in different areas of a business. It is a statistical way of representing steps in an operation or a process of a business that do not contribute to its success in any way and are rather a reason for its inefficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n 8 wastes is one Lean Six Sigma tool that helps in identifying check points in a process and eliminating them. This tool applies to a vast array of businesses, from manufacturing industries to service sectors; from small scale enterprises to big companies. This Lean Six Sigma tool<\/a> has its origin in Japan, when one Mr. Taiichi Ohno, Toyota’s Chief Engineer applied <\/span>muda <\/span><\/i>(A Japanese term for waste) to its operations. Result was development of this Lean Six Sigma tool which has now come to life across various sectors of businesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/br>\n\n\n\n<\/br>\n When we talk about wastes, we are talking about those areas in a business process which increase costs of a company, in terms of time and money, ultimately leading to escalated prices for the customers to pay. It helps you understand that a particular step in a process is not contributing to the credibility of a product or a service in the eyes of a consumer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/br>\n The 8 wastes are Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-Utilised Talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, and Extra-Processing. Although the concept was earlier developed as 7 wastes, the 8th waste, i.e., Extra-Processing is a very recent addition to the club. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/br>\n\n\n\n It is a common understanding that all these wastes exist in a business or at least have a potential to exist. If it is not already there, it is likely that it may crop up somehow, either due to change in process; introduction of a new product; or a prolonged use of a single technique to develop a product. Therefore, all enterprises need to keep these wastes in mind, and use this tool periodically to keep a check and eliminate them. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/br>\n\n\n\n Below is the list of 8 wastes and how to control them: Defects is one of the eight wastes of lean. One of the major reasons Six Sigma was developed was to reduce the number of defects in a product or a service. Defective product means either you cannot sell it to the customer, or if you do sell, you will expect a return request from them. You ultimately end up refurbishing that product or chucking it away into trash, leading to waste of hard labour, raw materials, and everything else that has gone into it. And when this cost does not materialise into profits, companies end up distributing that cost over other sale-able products. Hence, the increased price. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/br>\n In the present market scenario, we all know that a customer is king. A word of mouth can significantly impact your business<\/a>. Therefore, reducing the number of defects occurring in manufacturing products or delivery of services to avoid increased costs and customer dissatisfaction should be the cornerstone of any business. The best way to do so is to focus on quality rather than quantity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/br>\n\n\n\n You can avoid this waste by identifying those defects that are repeatedly occurring. Draw process maps to understand where and why these defects are happening. Once identified, use standardised work to maintain the flow by clearly laying down and documenting the parameters that were identified. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/br>\n\n\n\nThe 8 Wastes and the 8th Waste.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/br>\n\n\n\n 1. Defects<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Overproduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n