Identifying Extra Steps

I have been working with some advisors on a project to map a process that we think could use some improving. An aspect of this is identifying waste.It is an interesting exercise to think about how you do something and identify where waste occurs.

Slawyers will appreciate the acronym DOWNTIME to think about waste in their organizations.

D defects (mistakes that mean something has to be done over)
O over-production (printing 30 handouts for 20 people)
W waiting (delays in the ability to move on to the next step)
N non-utilized talent (both over qualified and under utilized)
T transportation (how things move around your space)
I inventory (keeping things on hand just in case, or looking for items that are not in the right place at the right time)
M motion (how people move around your space – particularly in office layout or extra keystrokes)
E extra processing (too much research, triple checking, answering more than the question asked)

How much DOWNTIME do you have in a day?