Muda
Muda is the Japanese lean term for waste — any activity that consumes resources without adding value for the customer. Classic categories include overproduction, waiting, transport, over-processing, inventory, motion and defects.
Muda is one of the three lean enemies alongside mura (unevenness) and muri (overburden). Eliminating muda means systematically removing non-value-adding steps: parts waiting between operations, products made before they are needed, unnecessary movement of people or material, and rework of defects. Many programmes add an eighth waste, unused human talent. Identifying muda through value-stream mapping and the gemba is the starting point of most lean improvement.
Related terms
Mura · Muri · Value Stream Mapping (VSM)