2. Waste
Waste is the work element that adds no value to the product or service in the eyes of the customer. Waste only adds cost and time. Waste is classified into seven categories. The following are examples of waste in common Systems Engineering practice, in the order of decreasing occurrence in programs:
1. Waiting: Waiting for supply or processing of material or information:
> Late delivery of material or information
> Excessively serial tasking; not enough concurrency
> Waiting for approvals
2. Over-Processing: Processing more than necessary to produce the desired output:
> Too many hands on the “stuff”
> Excessive/custom formatting or reformatting
> Excessive refinement, beyond what is needed for Value
3. Transportation: Moving material or information:
> Unnecessary hand-offs between people
> Communication failures
4. Inventory: Maintaining more material or information than needed:
> Too much “stuff” stockpiled on desks or in storage
> Complicated retrieval of needed “stuff”
> Outdated, obsolete information
5. Defects: Errors, mistakes and lack of communication causing work to be redone to correct the problem:
> Item delivered different from the item needed
> Incorrect information
6. Over-Production: Creating too much material or information:
> Creating unnecessary data and information
> Information over-dissemination (e.g. emails)
7. Unnecessary Movement: People moving to access or process material or information:
> Lack of direct access
> Time spent finding what you need
> Manual intervention