
Lean Production System ◾ 29
Muda
Muda is the one Japanese word you must know. It is just what it sounds
like. Heavy and foul, it sticks in your mouth. Muda means waste, or any
activity for which the customer is not willing to pay.
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Muda is the opposite of value, which is simply what a customer is willing
to pay for. Consider a filing cabinet manufacturer. The customer is willing to
pay for sheet metal to be cut, bent, welded, and painted. But the customer
is not willing to pay for wait time, rework, or excess inventory or any of the
other forms of muda.
Human motion can be divided into three categories (Figure2.6):
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◾ Actual work: Refers ...