Waste is the largest threat to business viability. It’s the use of resources beyond what customers need and are willing to pay for. Eliminating waste not only reduces dull and boring work, it also creates a safer and more resilient system of work.

Let’s break it down:

  1. Partially Done Work: Work in limbo isn’t delivering value and risks becoming obsolete.
  2. Extra Processes: Steps that add time but no real value.
  3. Extra Features: Unnecessary complexities from features the customer never asked for.
  4. Task Switching: The inefficiency of juggling multiple projects and their interdependencies.
  5. Waiting: Delays that freeze work, like waiting for access or approvals.
  6. Defects: Rework and fixes from errors or unclear requirements.
  7. Non-Utilized Talent: Not leveraging the full skills and knowledge of our team.
  8. Manual Work: Inefficiencies from ad-hoc, manual processes ripe for automation.
  9. Handoffs: Time and information lost in transitions between teams or process stages.
  10. Heroics: The need for extraordinary efforts signaling deeper process issues.

Reducing waste doesn’t just streamline our work, it elevates its quality. The first step? Make waste visible. Identify it, prioritize it according to its impact, and take action to minimize it.