Muda Walk for a Month – Week 4: 09/20 to 09/24

This week’s theme is Over Processing  

This is the 4th week of the Muda Walk for a Month and possibly the hardest waste to spot. Over processing exists in every company. it includes over-engineering; requiring additional signatures on a work order; multiple handling of forms; duplicate entry of data; and entering information that is not needed.  It can include doing reports that no one uses or making excess copies of reports, invoices or files.  It is often caused by not keeping processes current and poor communications when changes are made.  To see over processing one must look deep into how the processes are done. Try the following:

• Follow a company form from start to finish – forms such as expense reports, payroll changes, rental equipment orders, service orders, submittal changes, tools purchase request, change orders, or material requests (“Be” the form itself and walk to each work station it goes to and discuss how the form is processed. Look at what information is added, changed and/or used.) Look for non-valued added steps or requirements.
• Review the process of preparing monthly reports and/or closing the financial books. Examine (means watch and see) at each step and how it is actually processed.
• Look at the way estimates are prepared. Challenge the factors used – how do they compare to actual work?
• Review your preconstruction process – who does what and when? Are there duplication of efforts?
• Watch how detailed drawings are prepared and sent for fabrication.
• Review your customer invoicing process.
• Look at how materials are received, stored and used at job sites.
• Walk through your process of handling customer complaints, do you have a process?
• Study how jobs are closed out – what are the steps and who does what at each step?
• Pick your own process & study it.

 In all cases – look at how the work is really done, not how someone thinks it is done.  Follow the handoffs, often workarounds exist because of poor handoffs. Is the information, report, drawing or document done “right” when first handed-off?  Question everything. Looking for waste here is much harder than looking at treasure hunts, but hidden treasures also exist in many processes we use every day.


Record your observations and look at ways to improve. One more week to go after this week so keep up the good work.

dennis sowards
Quality Support Services, Inc.
Office: 480-835-1185
Cell: 602-740-7271