Seven Wastes

Definition: the Seven Wastes is a key concept within the Toyota Production System and Lean Manufacturing and Total Quality Management philosophies.
The main objectives of TPS are to design out overburden (muri) and inconsistency (mura), and to eliminate the seven categories or types of waste (muda):
1. Transportation
2. Inventory
3. Motion
4. Waiting
5. Over-production
6. Over-processing
7. Defects.
Together these 7 form the acronym TIMWOOD.
An 8th source of waste is under-utilized Skills (TIMWOODS).

More on seven wastes. More on manufacturing: 5 Whys, Changeover, Contract Manufacturing, Cradle to Cradle, Experience Curve, more...