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W Terms
W. Edwards Deming
See: Deming, W. Edwards
Wait Time Extended Term
Waiting is one of the seven wastes first introduced by Taiichi Ohno, and still commonly used in modern Lean.
Walk Time
Walk time is an important factor in continuous improvement. Its main impact is on the seven wastes and on Standard Work.
Walter A. Shewhart
See: Shewhart, Walter A.
Warehouses
Warehouses are organized storage locations. They can store both finished goods or raw materials and components.
Waste
See: 7 Wastes
Waste of Overproduction
See: Overproduction
Waste of Transportation
Transportation waste is the unnecessary movement of parts, double handling of materials, or shuffling of inventory to get access to the right components.
Water Spider / Water Strider / Mizusumashi
A water spider or ”mizusumashi” in Japanese (see our listing of Japanese Lean terms), is a person who has a prescribed set of tasks to keep materials in stock at the point of use in production areas.
Weeds Affinity Disorder
There’s an old expression about ‘getting into the weeds.’
Welch, Jack
John Francis (Jack) Welch (November 19, 1935 – March 1, 2020) was a long-tenured CEO during the heyday of General Electric (GE) from 1981-2001.
Whitney, Eli
Eli Whitney (December 8, 1765 – January 8, 1825) is most widely known for his invention of the cotton gin.
Whys, 5
See: 5 Whys
WIFM?
“WIFM” is a near-acronym for “What’s in it for me?”
WIP / Work-in-Process
Work-in-process (sometimes written as work-in-process and sometimes called work in progress) is a product or service that is partially completed.
Womack, James P.
James Womack is one of the leading proponents of Lean in the US.
Work Cell
A work cell is an area in a Lean company organized around the production of a specific product or product group. A work cell should be designed to promote flow and reduce waste.
Work Instructions
Work instructions are the specific details on how to do a job. They go hand-in-hand with Standard Work.
Work Pace Disorder
Lean afflictions abound in the continuous improvement workplace. One such ailment is Work Pace Disorder. With this disease, people cannot keep a consistent pace to their work.
Work Sequence
The work sequence is, not surprisingly, the order in which tasks are completed. Work sequence is also commonly referred to as the sequence of operations.
Work Units
One of the basic goals of lean is to create flow. The rationale is that the more that material sits in one place, the more waste it creates.
Work, Standard
See: Standard Work
Work-in-Process
See: WIP
Workaround
A workaround is an unofficial or temporary fix for a problem. In effect, it is an admission that the issue cannot be immediately resolved, and a patchwork fix is put in place.
Workgroup
“Workgroup” is a generic term used to describe an organization within a company that reports to a single individual.
Workstation Design
One of the key elements of any process is the workstation. Simply put, a workstation is the area that contains the work surfaces, fixtures, tools, and materials needed to perform a job.
Workstations
Workstations are exactly what they sound like. They are the locations where work is completed.