Eliminating waste is central to the whole concept of Lean construction. If something is not needed, it shouldn’t be there. If an action is not needed, it shouldn’t be done. Unnecessary things and unnecessary actions – waste in other words – cause delay and consume resources without adding any value.
Similarly, things and actions which are necessary to add value should be there and should be done well. If they are not, the value they would have added or helped to add is going missing – in other words, more waste. Lean introduces the concept of 7 wastes within business which you can identify and then do something about. They are:
- Transport
- Inventory
- Movement
- Waiting
- Overproduction
- Over Processing
- Defects
Sometimes an 8th Waste is also included, ‘Skills’, which relates to not effectively using the skills and knowledge of employees available to do the work.
The different Wastes are often referred to by the acronym TIMWOOD(S).
Tools and Techniques of Lean Construction
This video explores the importance of the language used when supporting teams to embed the appropriate tools and techniques to drive continuous improvement and a collaborative culture.
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