The Stormholt instruments · 4-minute audit

DOWN TIME Waste Audit

Rate each of the 8 wastes on your process. You'll get a ranked attack order and a 90-day focus for the dominant waste — the one that is silently killing throughput, morale or margin.

Under 4 minutes · DOWN TIME (8 wastes) includes Non-utilised talent — the dominant waste in services/knowledge work
Waste · D
Defects
0
Barely present Dominant waste

Rework, scrap, returns, corrections, audit findings.

Waste · O
Overproduction
0
Barely present Dominant waste

Doing work not yet needed, padding reports, making ahead 'just in case'.

Waste · W
Waiting
0
Barely present Dominant waste

Approvals, handoffs, information, decisions, idle queues.

Waste · N
Non-utilised talent
0
Barely present Dominant waste

People with skills that the process does not use. Often the dominant waste in knowledge work.

Waste · T
Transportation
0
Barely present Dominant waste

Moving materials, files, documents, requests between locations without adding value.

Waste · I
Inventory
0
Barely present Dominant waste

WIP, stock, emails unread, tickets unworked, draft documents never finalised.

Waste · M
Motion
0
Barely present Dominant waste

Operator movement — physical or cognitive — that the process forces on them.

Waste · E
Extra processing
0
Barely present Dominant waste

Steps, signatures, checks, fields, meetings that add no value for the customer.