Waiting waste
is defined as:
Idle
time created when waiting for something to happen.
No
manager, supervisor, or lead person likes to see an operator
standing around or just sitting there waiting. However,
there are usually valid reasons why the operator is waiting to
perform their task.
Have
you ever looked around the production operation and seen build-up
of product in one area and completely empty areas somewhere else
within the process? Your first thought might be that the empty
areas contain really good and efficient operators. This might
be the case, but now they are waiting for more work. A customer
doesn't want to pay for people to stand around and wait. You
don't want to explain why a product delivery is late when you
know that on any given day you have operators that are idle.
Waiting
waste is like excess inventory in that it is a symptom of process
inefficiencies. The root cause(s) of waiting waste must be found
and eliminated. Root causes can range from quality issues to
automation problems and everything in between. Remember, the
next time you see an operator that is idle, it is most likely
not their fault. Don't chastise the operator for something out
of their control. Instead, give them the power or authority to
find and address the root cause(s) in cooperation with their
co-workers.
CITEC
can help identify the causes and sources of waiting waste within
your operation and help your people create solutions.
Contact
CITEC's WasteBuster today: Eric
Myers.
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