Page 38 - FoodFocusThailand No.227 February 2025

SMART
SMART PRODUCTION PRODUCTION

Reducing the 8 Wastes in

Organizations to Enhance Value

with the ‘Lean Approach’

In an era of increasing competition and rapidly changing consumer demands, lean manufacturing plays
a vital role in supporting quality maintenance, cost reduction, and on-time product delivery by minimizing
waste and maximizing value in every process.

The 8 Types of Waste: 2. Overproduction: Producing goods that customers do
Reduce Them to Achieve Lean not need or in quantities exceeding customer demand can
Any activity that does not contribute to creating value for result in expired products and excessive inventory. Moreover,
the product is considered waste under the lean manufacturing overproduction may also lead to other types of waste,
concept. These wastes are categorized into 8 types, such as increased costs for storage and maintenance, including
summarized by the acronym ‘DOWNTIME’, which includes: materials, tools, equipment, and labor.
1. Defects: Errors or defects in production often lead to 3. Waiting: The issue of waiting arises from a lack of
rework or reprocessing, resulting in lower-grade products resources, poor communication, and problems arising from
(Grade B) or even complete disposal. This causes wasted time gaps in disconnected processes. It includes discrepancies in
and increased production costs. These issues commonly arise the production flow, with some steps being faster and others
in production processes or the final product, such as slower, leading to bottlenecks and unnecessary delays
inconsistent flavors or ingredients, contamination during between processes. This unnecessarily extends the total
production, or substandard packaging. Poor packaging can production lead time, even though the process could be
lead to deformation and spoilage. Defects are not limited to completed in a much shorter time if properly streamlined.
tangible products but also include errors or mistakes made Examples include waiting for raw materials, production orders,
from the outset, such as incomplete or inaccurate reports, machine maintenance, employee availability, or the completion
incorrect data collection, and miscommunication. of large batches or lots.

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