Waste is defined as anything within your business or processes that doesn’t add value to the customer or the long-term goals of the organization. Many businesses are more wasteful than they realize.

The waste of excess processing is more common than most business owners realize. It happens in every industry and can be a drain on labor, which increases costs while reducing overall quality and productivity.

Motion waste happens any time people or machinery are required to make movements that don’t add any value to the overall process. Each step of your processes should be completed with as little movement as possible.

Inventory waste occurs when the on-hand supply of any product or component is in excess of actual customer demand. This excess inventory mimics productivity, yet does not have the same positive result since it is really just taking up space.