MUDA
Many restaurant industries promote Muda as if it’s okay, but they don’t recognize it until someone points it out. Some restaurant industries don’t even know what Muda is because it’s not being taught. Honestly, I didn’t even known what Muda was until it was presented to me in class and now reminiscing all the times that I may have done it or seen someone else who has done it. However, Muda is not what industries want to practice they want to eliminate it, by evaluating the seven wastes which are: Defect, Overproduction, Inventory, Over processing, Motion, Transportation and Waiting. Throughout this paper I will present to you the meaning of the 7 wastes and provide you with examples that I have seen or experienced in class and the workplace.
Defects are when products branch off from what the customer wants or expects. For example, when me and my stepfather went to McDonalds, we order two large French fries. My stepfather told the girl at the counter that he specifically wanted Fresh, Hot fries. When we received our fries, the fries were not what we expected. The fries were cold and didn’t taste fresh. So, from experiencing that I think that was a waste of money, time and French fries. When McDonalds promote their products people are expecting what they order to be exactly how you presented it to the world.
Overproduction “is making products into great of quantity or before it is actually needed leading to excessive inventory”(Lean Manufacturing Tools). Many Companies overproduce products and end up having to throw it away or give it away, because there is nothing that can be done with the leftover product. One day in class we were working with strudel dough. Chef Maas called each group one by one so he could show us what was expected of us. We had to stretch the dough out with the back of our hands until it was stretch out to the length of the table. Then we had to cut the excess dough off and I ask chef could we utilize the excess dough, he said no to throw it away, because it’s no use it won’t rise the same. To me that was a lot of dough being wasted, but it didn’t really matter because there was nothing we could make with it.
Inventory are materials need in order to produce your product. Inventory plays a big role because if you don’t have the materials you need you can’t do anything further until you receive those items. My cousins friends owns a cupcake business in Columbia SC, she opens from 7am to 6pm. So, one day me and my mother went to her bakery to order some cupcakes. When we got there she didn’t have any cupcakes out on the display. So, we ask the girl at the counter if they could make us 6 chocolate cupcakes and 6 vanilla cupcakes and the girl told us they ran shortage inventory on butter and unfortunately they could not make use any cupcakes. Therefore, she lost a sale because she didn’t make sure she had enough butter to make her products.
Over processing is adding more to the product then what the customer actually asked for. My godmother took her car to get her tires rotated and balance. She told the man that she didn’t need anything else done besides her tires. So, when she had got her tires done the man told her that she needed her filter change from under her hood and he stated that he went on ahead and changed that for her. She was mad because she told them specifically what she wanted done to her car and he did extra stuff. Doing all that extra stuff is pointless and you lose money because your not doing what was ask of you, and a lot of times customers act out because employees are overdoing.
Motion “is a process step that transforms the product in some manner that the customer explicitly wants is a value adding step, a moving product does not transform it in any way”(Lean Manufacturing Tools). When I was working at shoney’s we had to take silverware with us to the table, when we took the customers drink order. So, when I got the drink orders I would fix the drinks and I was suppose to then take straws with me to the table and napkins were suppose to be taken when the customers asked for it. However, a lot times I would forget to take straws and it caused me to take a whole lot of trips because I kept forgetting. After that happened I had to change it up for myself. So, before I go to the table I would have silverware and straws in my hand and take napkins out with the drinks, because to me it was to much movement and a waste of time on that one table.
Transportation “is the movement of products from one location to another”(lean Manufacturing Tools). In class we are to get our Mes En Place in order before we do any production. I have seen a lot of students look at all the ingredients and equipment we need and just bring one of the ingredients out of the refrigerator or one equipment off the shelf. It’s a lot of time being wasted if we just grab all ingredients and equipment at once instead of having to keep making trips.
Lastly, waiting is actively doing nothing while waiting for the next step. Sometimes in class each group as more than one task to do for production. I see a lot groups working on one task or watching one person in the group doing one task, when everybody in the group could be assigned to a different task. That way it makes it easier and faster to get things done and the groups will be on time with their products if they will put this into consideration.
All and all if restaurant industries would have more efficiency, consider the seven waste and put them into use. The more the seven waste are incorporated the more money and customers restaurant industries in others will receive. I feel like the 7 waste should be taught everywhere, because if it was taught then restaurant and other industries wouldn’t be wasting as much products.
Read it and Weep 