Conveyance or Transportation Waste is one of the eight wastes identified in Lean Six Sigma methodology, representing unnecessary movement of materials, products, or information between processes. This waste occurs when items are moved more than required to complete the value-adding activities in a …Conveyance or Transportation Waste is one of the eight wastes identified in Lean Six Sigma methodology, representing unnecessary movement of materials, products, or information between processes. This waste occurs when items are moved more than required to complete the value-adding activities in a process.
In the Define Phase of a Lean Six Sigma project, identifying transportation waste is crucial for establishing the scope and potential improvement areas. This waste adds cost, time, and risk to operations while providing zero value to the customer.
Common examples of transportation waste include: moving materials between distant workstations, shipping products to intermediate warehouses before final delivery, transferring documents between departments for multiple approvals, and relocating inventory multiple times before use in production.
The root causes of transportation waste typically stem from poor facility layout, batch processing mentalities, large lot sizes, multiple storage locations, and disconnected processes. Organizations often develop these inefficiencies over time as they expand operations or add new product lines.
The impacts of transportation waste extend beyond simple cost considerations. Excessive movement increases the likelihood of damage, delays, and quality issues. It also requires additional resources such as forklifts, trucks, conveyors, and personnel to manage the movement activities.
During the Define Phase, teams should document current state transportation activities using tools like value stream maps and spaghetti diagrams. These visual representations help stakeholders understand the extent of unnecessary movement occurring within processes.
To address transportation waste, organizations can implement solutions such as reorganizing facility layouts to create cellular manufacturing, co-locating related processes, reducing batch sizes to enable smoother flow, and utilizing technology for electronic document transfer. The goal is to minimize the distance and frequency of movement while maintaining process efficiency and quality standards. Successful reduction of transportation waste leads to shorter lead times, lower costs, and improved customer satisfaction.
Conveyance/Transportation Waste: A Complete Guide for Six Sigma Green Belt
What is Conveyance/Transportation Waste?
Conveyance or Transportation Waste is one of the eight wastes (or 'muda') identified in Lean Six Sigma methodology. It refers to the unnecessary movement of materials, products, information, or people that does not add value to the final product or service. This includes moving items between workstations, warehouses, or facilities when such movement could be eliminated or reduced through better process design.
Why is Transportation Waste Important?
Understanding and eliminating transportation waste is critical for several reasons:
• Cost Reduction: Moving materials requires fuel, equipment, labor, and time—all of which add costs • Risk of Damage: Each time a product is moved, there is potential for damage, loss, or quality degradation • Extended Lead Times: Unnecessary transportation increases the total time from order to delivery • Resource Consumption: Transportation requires vehicles, packaging materials, and handling equipment • Environmental Impact: Excess transportation contributes to carbon emissions and environmental concerns
How Transportation Waste Works in Practice
Transportation waste occurs when:
• Products are stored far from the next processing step • Poor facility layout requires multiple trips • Batch processing necessitates moving large quantities between departments • Suppliers are located far from manufacturing sites • Multiple storage locations exist for the same materials • Information must travel through unnecessary channels
Common Examples of Transportation Waste:
• Moving raw materials from a distant warehouse to the production floor • Shipping products to a separate facility for inspection • Routing paperwork through multiple departments for approval • Transferring data between incompatible systems requiring manual intervention • Storing work-in-progress inventory in a location away from the next workstation
Methods to Reduce Transportation Waste:
• Implement cellular manufacturing layouts • Use value stream mapping to identify unnecessary movement • Locate related processes near each other • Work with local suppliers when feasible • Create cross-functional teams to reduce information handoffs • Optimize delivery routes and schedules
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Conveyance/Transportation Waste
1. Know the Definition: Be prepared to define transportation waste as the unnecessary movement of materials, products, or information that does not add value.
2. Distinguish from Motion Waste: Remember that transportation refers to moving materials and products, while motion waste refers to unnecessary movement of people. This distinction is frequently tested.
3. Memorize Examples: Have at least three concrete examples ready, such as moving parts between buildings, shipping to external quality inspection sites, or routing documents through excessive approval chains.
4. Connect to Root Causes: Exam questions may ask about causes of transportation waste. Key answers include poor facility layout, lack of process flow design, distant supplier locations, and batch processing methods.
5. Know the Solutions: Be familiar with solutions like cellular manufacturing, value stream mapping, facility redesign, and supplier proximity optimization.
6. Understand the Broader Context: Transportation waste is part of the eight wastes (TIMWOODS or DOWNTIME acronyms). Know how it relates to other waste types.
7. Focus on Value-Add Concept: When evaluating scenarios, ask whether the transportation step transforms the product or adds value from the customer's perspective. If not, it is waste.
8. Watch for Scenario Questions: Read case studies carefully to identify hidden transportation waste, such as products traveling between floors or departments for processing steps that could be consolidated.