Definition
Eight common types of waste (Muda) — defects, overproduction, waiting, unused creativity, transportation, inventory, motion, and over-processing (the mnemonic is DOWNTIME); the source material calls this "also known as Muda," but this glossary does not adopt that phrasing, because waste is the umbrella concept in lean analysis and is not the same as this eight-item checklist (see the "Waste" entry).
In detail
The Eight Wastes is a classification framework for identifying non-value-added activities in lean production, including Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-utilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, and Excess processing (DOWNTIME). It helps teams systematically identify waste in processes and is the starting point for improvement activities. Compared to value stream mapping, the Eight Wastes focuses more on classification; compared to 5S, it focuses more on processes than the workplace. Typical outputs include waste lists and improvement opportunity lists.
Example in practice
In office process improvement, the team used the eight wastes checklist to review the reimbursement process, identifying wastes such as waiting for approval, duplicate entry, and file handling. By eliminating these wastes, the reimbursement cycle was reduced from two weeks to three days, improving employee satisfaction.