The Operations Manager’s Toolbox: Using the Best Project Management Techniques to Improve Processes and Maximize Efficiency

4. Waste Management

What Is Waste in an Organization?

Organizations spend hundreds of thousands of dollars needlessly each year on things that didn’t really need to be done, as a result of some anomaly falsely creating the need. So how do these “anomalies” occur and how can managers spot them and reduce or eliminate the problems? Anomalies, in this context, might be seen as things done out of the norm, workarounds, or mishaps, but what is not seen are the problems embedded in the system that go undetected. This is where anomalies turn into waste as they are designed into the system, go undetected, and fail to be identified, reduced, and eliminated. Managers should be continually looking for ways to improve processes to make their department more ...