The Evolution of “Waste” in Lean Thinking and Its Application to the Service Sector

Authors

  • Ian M. Schaeffer

Abstract

This paper reviews the complexity of translating the seven wastes associated with lean practices from manufacturing settings to the service sector. I emphasize the view of waste from manufacturing, address the potential hesitation and resistance to the liberal adaptation of their meaning into service industries type-by-type, and point out how these forms of waste shape lean projects to create smoother more efficient business models.

Keywords: lean, muda, waste, service sector, kaizen, kaizen event, lean house, JIT, JIDOKA

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Published

2015-01-02

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Section

Articles