Motion Waste is one of the eight types of waste identified in Lean Six Sigma methodology, often remembered using the acronym TIMWOODS (Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overproduction, Overprocessing, Defects, and Skills underutilization). During the Define Phase, identifying Motion Waste…Motion Waste is one of the eight types of waste identified in Lean Six Sigma methodology, often remembered using the acronym TIMWOODS (Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overproduction, Overprocessing, Defects, and Skills underutilization). During the Define Phase, identifying Motion Waste is crucial for understanding process inefficiencies and establishing project scope.
Motion Waste refers to any unnecessary movement of people, equipment, or machinery that does not add value to the product or service. This includes activities such as excessive walking, reaching, bending, lifting, or searching for tools, materials, and information. Unlike Transportation Waste, which involves moving products or materials, Motion Waste specifically focuses on the physical movements of workers and resources within a workspace.
Common examples of Motion Waste include employees walking long distances between workstations, searching through disorganized files or storage areas, reaching for tools that are poorly positioned, excessive clicking through software systems, and moving back and forth between different areas to complete a single task. In office environments, this might manifest as walking to a distant printer multiple times per day or navigating through multiple screens to access needed information.
The impact of Motion Waste extends beyond simple time loss. It contributes to employee fatigue, increases the risk of injury, reduces productivity, and ultimately affects customer satisfaction through delayed deliveries or services. Ergonomic issues arising from repetitive motions can lead to long-term health problems and increased absenteeism.
During the Define Phase, teams use tools like process mapping, spaghetti diagrams, and workplace observation to identify Motion Waste. Once identified, countermeasures such as workspace reorganization, implementing 5S methodology, ergonomic improvements, and standardized work procedures can be developed. Addressing Motion Waste creates a more efficient, safer, and productive work environment while reducing operational costs and improving overall process flow.
Motion Waste in Six Sigma: A Complete Guide
What is Motion Waste?
Motion waste refers to any unnecessary movement of people, equipment, or machinery that does not add value to the product or service. In the Six Sigma DMAIC framework, understanding motion waste is a critical component of the Define phase, as it helps identify inefficiencies that impact process performance.
Examples of motion waste include: • Workers walking long distances to retrieve tools or materials • Excessive reaching, bending, or stretching during tasks • Searching for documents, files, or information • Poor workstation layout requiring extra movement • Moving between multiple software applications to complete a task
Why is Motion Waste Important?
Understanding and eliminating motion waste is essential because it:
• Reduces cycle time - Less movement means faster process completion • Lowers costs - Unnecessary motion consumes time, energy, and resources • Improves employee safety - Excessive movement increases injury risk and fatigue • Enhances productivity - Workers can focus on value-added activities • Increases customer satisfaction - Faster delivery and better quality
How Motion Waste Works in Practice
Motion waste is one of the eight wastes (TIMWOODS or DOWNTIME) identified in Lean Six Sigma. To identify motion waste, practitioners typically:
1. Observe the process - Watch workers perform their tasks and document all movements 2. Create a spaghetti diagram - Map the physical movement patterns to visualize inefficiencies 3. Measure distances and time - Quantify the impact of unnecessary motion 4. Analyze root causes - Determine why excess motion occurs 5. Implement countermeasures - Redesign layouts, reorganize workstations, or standardize procedures
Key Differences: Motion vs. Transportation Waste
A common point of confusion is distinguishing motion waste from transportation waste:
• Motion waste involves the movement of people • Transportation waste involves the movement of materials or products
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Motion Waste
1. Remember the definition - Motion waste specifically relates to unnecessary human movement that adds no value
2. Use the 5S connection - Questions may link motion waste to 5S methodology, as workplace organization reduces unnecessary movement
3. Identify scenarios correctly - When given examples, ask yourself: Is a person moving unnecessarily? If yes, it is motion waste
4. Know the tools - Spaghetti diagrams and time-motion studies are commonly associated with identifying motion waste
5. Connect to ergonomics - Motion waste often relates to workplace ergonomics and employee well-being
6. Look for keywords - Terms like walking, reaching, searching, bending, or looking for typically indicate motion waste
7. Consider the context - In office environments, motion waste might involve navigating between systems or searching for information
8. Practice elimination strategies - Know solutions such as workstation redesign, tool placement optimization, and process standardization
Common Exam Question Types
• Identifying motion waste from a list of scenarios • Distinguishing between motion and other types of waste • Selecting appropriate tools to measure or reduce motion waste • Calculating time or cost savings from motion reduction initiatives • Matching waste types to their correct definitions