Table of Contents
Although the nature of their waste may vary, their underlying principles are the same. We will be discussing five forms of waste prevalent in product development, and how they correspond to the seven wastes distinguished in Lean manufacturing.
Assumptions can be the root of significant waste in product development. Assumptions often lead to over-engineering and gold-plating, which increase development time, cost, and complexity without necessarily adding value. This can be related to Overproduction in Lean manufacturing, where resources are wasted in producing more than what’s needed.
Example: By assuming a customer will want feature A, B, and C, a team may spend time and effort adding them to the product when the customer only really needed feature A. Similarly, a manufacturing firm may produce 10,000 units based on historical demand, ignoring the downward trend in recent months.
Waiting in both product development and Lean manufacturing holds a parallel position. Any period during which progress on a work item comes to a standstill corresponds to wastage.
Example: Code that sits idle waiting for review in product development slows down product delivery, comparable to parts sitting idle waiting for assembly in a manufacturing process.
Multitasking can be seen as a form of waste in product development as it slows you down and reduces efficiency by splitting your focus. This is akin to the Transportation waste in Lean manufacturing, where unnecessary movements and transitions occur that do not add value to the product.
Example: A developer working on multiple features at the same time continually shifting focus. Comparatively, a nut is transported back and forth between two workshops when one location could have sufficed.
Rework entails revisiting and tweaking finished or nearly finished work in product development. It parallels Over-Processing in Lean manufacturing when more work is done on a piece than what is required by the customer.
Example: A requirement might be misinterpreted and coded differently, needing redoing once the error is noticed. Contrarily, in manufacturing, perhaps too much time is spent polishing a component to a smoothness level unnecessary for its function.
The unseen knowledge work equates to the time and effort wasted when knowledge isn’t shared across all necessary parties. This corresponds to Defects in Lean manufacturing, where non-conformance leads to wasting resources on repairs.
Example: If a team member discovers a quicker way of doing a task and doesn’t share it, others are wasting time doing it the old way. In manufacturing, if a batch of products is defective due to a non-conformance issue, repairing or reworking becomes a waste of resources.
Product Development Wastes | Lean Manufacturing Wastes |
---|---|
Assumptions | Overproduction |
Waiting | Waiting |
Multitasking | Transportation |
Rework | Over-Processing |
Unseen Knowledge Work | Defects |
Identifying these wastes helps practitioners take corrective measures in both fields and improve efficiency. Remember, Continuous Improvement isn’t just about problem-solving; it’s also about problem identification and prevention. With the knowledge of these wastes, Certified Scrum Professionals and Lean Managers can encourage using resources more effectively, fostering a culture of productive and efficient work.
Answer: True.
Explanation: Lean Manufacturing and other Lean methodologies map out inefficiencies in a process as “wastes.”
Answer: C. Miscommunication between teams.
Explanation: Clear and constant communication is crucial in any development process. Miscommunications often lead to unnecessary work or defects, and consequently, a waste of resources.
Answer: False.
Explanation: Overproduction is a waste in any context, including product development. Producing more than necessitated by customer demand is seen as wasteful in Lean practices.
Answer: D. All of the above.
Explanation: The wastes of Lean Manufacturing often referred to the original Toyota Production System’s seven wastes: overproduction, waiting, transportation, inappropriate processing, unnecessary inventory, unnecessary/excess motion, defects.
Answer: True.
Explanation: The terminology differs, but the fundamental concept of something being wrong or not meeting the end-user’s requirements and expectations is the same.
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: “Waiting” as a waste might signify waiting for materials, waiting for information, waiting for approvals, machine downtime, and so on.
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: The waste of “transportation” refers not only to the physical movement of items but also the transportation of information, both of which can create waste if not managed efficiently.
Answer: True.
Explanation: Multitasking often leads to inefficiency due to task-switching overhead, i.e., the time required to mentally switch from one task to another.
Answer: C. Both A and B.
Explanation: Over-processing and overproduction are wastes in any development or manufacturing process as they both entail doing more work than necessary.
Answer: C. It relates as over-processing.
Explanation: In both product development and Lean manufacturing, utilizing unnecessary resources can be seen as ‘over-processing,’ which is a form of waste.
Answer: True.
Explanation: Any form of pause or delay in a process, including waiting for feedback, could be seen as a waste in Lean methodologies, as it prevents the efficient flow of work.
Answer: A. Bugs and errors in developed software.
Explanation: Both ‘defects’ in manufacturing and ‘bugs and errors’ in software impede the delivery of quality products to customers. Thus, they are considered wastes.
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