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Eliminating Waste


The importance of eliminating waste in any activity can hardly ever be exaggerated. Even if we look at our lives we find that certain activities that we have performed could have been done in a more efficient way. In other words, there was some wastage involved- wastage in terms of time or material or money or all.

 

Once, the great Italian sculptor was asked what he was sculpting; he responded he was not sculpting but releasing the figure (value) inside by removing the unnecessary rocks (wastes). Thus we have to remove the waste and create value in whatever we do. A few days back I was reading the book title-‘The Toyota Way’

 

The author emphasized that the philosophy of the largest car manufacturing company in the world was to continuously remove waste. Only right process will produce the right results. Therefore it is necessary to create a continuous process flow to bring the problems to the surface. It is only when the problems are identified that these can be removed.



It is normal that when you do something first time a mistake can take place but the same if repeated in any measure is a waste for which we have to pay the price. Therefore it is best to stop and ask yourself; is it the right way that you are following? If there is any lapse, stop and fix it there and then. In a manufacturing organization the tasks must be standardized. Standardized tasks are the foundation for continuous improvement. This also empowers employees who churn out better productivity.

 

It is also true about our thoughts. We face challenges every day. Decisions have to be made. If we keep on brooding over the problems we waste time on one side and reduce our confidence to face the challenge on the other. So it’s a big waste and must be avoided. On any challenging task, one has to work out the possibilities. After examining the pros and cons of these possibilities one has to choose the best one. After the choice is made the decision should be put in to action with a determination. And remember, one should never be afraid if there is some risk. Avoiding all risks is the biggest risks of life.

Thanks for reading.
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