Types of Waste
Several types of non-value added activity, or waste (muda in Japanese), are common in government administrative and service processes. Lean methods focus on identifying and eliminating these wastes. The list below identifies common administrative process wastes.
Administrative Process Wastes with Examples
Inventory = Backlog of Work, Excess Materials or Information
Defects = Data Errors, Missing Info
Overproduction = Unneeded Reports, Doing Work Not Requested
Complexity = Unnecessary Process Steps
Waiting = Unnecessary Approval Cycles
Excess Motion = Trips to Remote Printer or Files
Moving Items = Report Routing, File Storage
Wastes in administrative and service processes can relate to (1) collection, use, and management of information, (2) design and implementation of work processes, and (3) the efficiency and effectiveness with which individuals work.
Read more about this topic: Lean Government
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