Learning To See Waste

In Lean, waste is anything that does not add value. The key to Lean is getting work flowing rapidly and this is done by identifying and eliminating sources of waste. Some sources of waste are obvious - tasks blocked through lack of feedback, rework due to misunderstood requirements and things like that. Some sources of waste though are not so obvious. Some are so insidious that we live with them all the time and assume they are an inevitable part of daily life.