subject: Running An Organized Company Will Help In Reducing Waste [print this page] When it comes to getting more organized, it really begins with each individual. One of the major forms of waste in any business or home is the lack of space. This does not mean that there is insufficient space, this could mean that space is being misused and underutilized. Very often a messy and disorganized workspace will have the ability to hinder progress?
When time has to be taken from the job at hand to search for a tool or paperwork or anything that needs to be used during the process, then money is being wasted. If the area is being used to store unnecessary or excess inventory when it could be fitted with another machine and another worker to produce actual product, then it is being wasted. But waste can easily be identified by the person or persons working in the area and these are the easiest places to find quick and easy fixes.
Each workstation should be cleaned and organized during or after each shift. Each tool and device used in the production area or routine maintenance should have a designated place in the region. It should be marked and used only for this tool or appliance. All the tools or supplies that are not used or rarely used should be moved to a common area for access or eliminated.
What is the point of holding on to obsolete parts or tools because the need may arise for them one day. Maybe needing a tool is not an excuse worthy enough of letting it clutter up the work station for years on end. Every time an employee has to move that tool out of the way to get to something useful or needed is one more time it is handles and wastes time. It will end up costing much more to own that useless tool then the cost of disposing of it. Also, work stations should be set up to benefit the workers in the immediate area.
If the worker has to walk back several times to complete a process, then maybe the station is not implemented as effectively as it should be. Everything must be easily accessible and nothing should be moved to access another part or area. It should also be placed on how the region is accessible and used by outside vendors. If you have suppliers from outside the storage area, precautions must be taken so that all workers do not get in each other's way.
