Waste in your business processes is one of the greatest drags on the profitability of your company. Your goal should be to constantly review your processes to eliminate waste and the excess expenses that go along with waste. The second type of waste is waiting. Waiting involves somebody waiting for something in the manufacturing service process. In the manufacturing realm, waiting generally involves time delays between steps in a process which reduces labor efficiencies. In the service realm, waiting generally involves time delays between individual involved in the service delivery process or waiting for information.

The following are specific types of waiting in the manufacturing and distribution realm.

1.      Waiting between processes. This results in an inefficient use of labor who are forced to wait for the next step in the process.

2.      Waiting for materials. This results in inefficient manufacturing processes because the next step must be delayed until the materials are received.

3.      Waiting for payment from customers. This results in additional costs to engage in collection efforts and drains on cash flow.

4.      Waiting for repairs to machinery. This results in delays to the manufacturing process between the identifying of the need for a repair and the completion of the repair.

5.      Customers waiting for goods. This results in a negative customer journey and a potential loss of future revenues.

The following are specific types of waiting in the service realm.

1.      Waiting between individuals involved in the service delivery process. This results in an inefficient use of otherwise valuable and productive resources.

2.      Waiting for staff to become available. This results in an increase in the time from the work becoming available until the work is paid for. This could also potentially result in unsatisfied clients that are less likely to purchase from you.

3.      Waiting for a client’s information to be complete. This results in an unproductive service delivery models due to the need to pick up and put down projects.

4.      Clients waiting for an answer. This can result in unsatisfied clients who are not happy with the service provider’s response time.

5.      Waiting for a management decision to complete a project. This also results in an unproductive service model due to the need to pick up and put down projects.

Waiting in your product or service delivery model has the potential to create reduced efficiencies and unhappy customers or clients. Consequently, you should constantly review your processes to decrease the amount of waiting between steps. If you need assistance removing waste from your processes, please contact Brian Kerrigan at 860-524-4443 or email at bkerrigan@wadvising.com.