TIMWOODS in Lean Six Sigma - 8 Types of Waste

In the world of Lean Six Sigma, there are 8 types of waste. Remembering all 8 can be difficult, but there is a simple mnemonic - TIMWOODS.

But who or what is Tim Woods?

TIMWOODS is an acronym where each letter represents one of the wastes in Lean Six Sigma.

• Transport: Unnecessary movement (illogically arranged line where materials are needlessly transported)
• Inventory: Unnecessary inventory, work in progress (money and space are tied up)
• Movement: Unnecessary motion (operator bending or using multiple tools)
• Waiting: Downtime (waiting for raw materials, semi-finished products, lack of smooth processes)
• Overproduction: Excess production (producing for stock, making more than needed)
• Overprocessing: Unnecessary processing steps (performing tasks that nobody needs)
• Defects: Errors (not just faulty products, but poorly executed tasks)
• Skill: Waste of intellect (underutilizing human reasoning, initiative)

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