What is Manufacturing Waste?

Waste is a big part of any discussion of lean manufacturing. Often waste will be referred to as the seven or eight manufacturing wastes.

Waste is any action or operation which fails to make the final product more valuable. Every process and operation should be examined in light of its contribution to the bigger picture. Wastes must be carefully identified, as they are often interrelated.

There are many websites which discuss manufacturing wastes in great detail. The underutilization of human resources is often considered the eighth waste, and is one of the most interesting forms of waste. Most people will agree that the most valuable asset of any corporation is its people. Your human resources are the ones who will attack a problem with thought and creativity. There is no way you could get the same level of innovation from a computer. It is also the people in your organization who are capable of capturing your customer’s emotions. Given that there are so many benefits that only your human resources can give you, it is amazing that they are so commonly underutilized in organizations.

You will find that humans both inside and outside your organizations are valuable resources that you can use. Of course, they will only be valuable when used correctly. The value of a human comes not just from those who are creative or flexible, but also from those who complain or are frustrated. People who are upset provide a great deal of information about your organization which you could not receive from any other source. Often the most frustrated people you will meet are also the most creative. Their frustration is often a result of the fact that they view things differently from others. Managers who are not looking to improve the organization will often desire to remove these frustrated people as quickly as possible since they so not want to listen to new ideas or be challenged to change.

People that are often perceived as troublemakers are instead a real asset to an organization; it is just a matter of how they are viewed. The definition of waste is a useful thing in the wrong place in the wrong form. When people are placed in the right job within an organization you will surprised at what a valuable asset they can be.