While the more obvious forms of the 8 Wastes are more readily noted, the greatest opportunities can be found hiding in the 8 Subtle Wastes:
Pausing
Intermittent pauses prevent us from reaching an effective flow, either mentally or physically. Your system should allow you to keep a steady rhythm until it’s time for a proper break.
Tweaking
Adjustments are often necessary in existing processes, but the long term goal should be to get it right on every first attempt.
Transfer
Even if nothing has to travel a significant distance, transfers can easily lead to a similar problem, if not worse.
Buildup
Even if any buildup is always eliminated before it can become proper inventory, the mere existence of buildup causes problems.
Shifting
Much like tweaking, everything should flow and fit right the first time. It is distracting and draining to regularly monitor and shift to correct for poor fits.
Mistakes
It is human to make mistakes, but systems should compensate for and prevent our errors. Targeting mistakes offers far more opportunities than waiting to fix the resulting defects.
Batching
Given existing technologies and flows, batching is often necessary. This does not change the fact that batches impose many limitations on our ability to serve every individual’s needs.
Confusion
People cannot utilize or learn the necessary skills and abilities if they lack clarity, of vision or situation.