Gemba Walk

Waste Walk Demo Training

Welcome to Waste Walk Training

Duration: 30 minutes | Method: Hands-on observation and documentation

A Waste Walk is a systematic observation exercise designed to identify the 8 types of waste (TIMWOODS) in your workplace.

Learning Objectives:

Identify all 8 types of waste in your work environment
Use systematic observation techniques
Prioritize improvement opportunities
Develop quick-win elimination strategies

TIMWOODS - The 8 Types of Waste

🚚 Transportation

Unnecessary movement of materials, products, or information between processes.

Examples: Moving parts across factory, emailing back and forth

📦 Inventory

Excess raw materials, work-in-progress, or finished goods beyond immediate needs.

Examples: Overordering supplies, stockpiling products

🚶 Motion

Unnecessary movement of people during work processes.

Examples: Reaching for tools, walking to printer

⏰ Waiting

Idle time when resources are not being productively used.

Examples: Machine downtime, waiting for approvals

🏭 Overproduction

Producing more than what is needed or before it's needed.

Examples: Making ahead of schedule, printing extra copies

⚙️ Over-processing

Doing more work than what the customer requires or values.

Examples: Excessive documentation, unnecessary inspections

❌ Defects

Products or services that don't meet specifications requiring rework.

Examples: Quality issues, errors in documents

🧠 Skills

Underutilizing people's skills, knowledge, and capabilities.

Examples: Not involving employees in improvement

Phase 1: Preparation (5 minutes)

Pre-Walk Checklist:

Gather observation materials (notepad, phone/camera, pen)

Review the 8 types of waste (TIMWOODS)

Select your observation route/area

Set timer for 15 minutes of observation

Prepare data collection sheet

Pro Tip: Walk with fresh eyes - pretend you're seeing the workplace for the first time!

Phase 2: Observation Walk (15 minutes)

Waste Walk Timer

15:00

Live Observation Demo

Waste Type:

Location/Area:

Description:

Impact Level:

Phase 3: Prioritization (5 minutes)

Quick Wins
High Impact + Low Effort

Major Projects
High Impact + High Effort

Phase 4: Quick Wins (5 minutes)

Select Waste:

Proposed Solution:

Timeline:

Training Complete! 🎉

Your Results

Total Observations: 0

High Impact Wastes: 0

Action Plans: 0

Next Steps: Share findings with your team and implement quick wins!