motion waste

**Motion waste** is the **unnecessary movement of people that does not add value to the product** - it is a major source of lost labor time, ergonomic risk, and process inconsistency. **What Is Motion waste?** - **Definition**: Extra walking, reaching, searching, bending, or repositioning during task execution. - **Typical Causes**: Poor workstation layout, disorganized tooling, and unclear point-of-use placement. - **Measurement**: Time-motion studies, travel distance, and operator cycle observations. - **Ergonomic Impact**: High motion burden increases fatigue and injury risk, reducing sustained performance. **Why Motion waste Matters** - **Labor Efficiency**: Reducing wasted movement shortens cycle time and increases productive touch time. - **Quality Stability**: Less operator strain improves consistency and lowers handling mistakes. - **Safety Improvement**: Ergonomic optimization reduces musculoskeletal risk and absenteeism. - **Training Simplicity**: Standardized low-motion workflows are easier to teach and audit. - **Scalable Productivity**: Small motion improvements multiplied across shifts create large annual gains. **How It Is Used in Practice** - **Workstation Redesign**: Place tools and materials in ergonomic zones aligned to task sequence. - **5S Discipline**: Sort, set, and sustain workplace organization to eliminate searching and reaching. - **Standard Work Updates**: Embed best-motion patterns into documented procedures and training. Motion waste is **lost human effort with no customer return** - ergonomic, organized work design converts movement into productive value.