Describe any five of the wastes and their causes identified by the lean philosophy

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: According to the lean perspective, waste, or muda, is any activity that does not add value to the good or service in the eyes of the consumer. There are eight commonly recognized ones, so answers will vary depending on which five are selected.
overproduction – caused by inflexible or unreliable processes that cause organizations to produce goods before they are required.
waiting – caused by inefficient layouts or an inability to match demand with output levels.
unnecessary transportation – always increasing costs and the risk of damage without adding value.
inappropriate process – using overly complex processes when simpler, more efficient ones would do.
unnecessary inventory – caused by uncertainty with regard to quality levels, delivery lead times, etc.
unnecessary/excess motion – caused by poorly designed processes.
defects – creating uncertainty in the process and robbing production capacity by creating products or services that require rework or must be scrapped.
underutilization of employees – caused by not utilizing the skills and decision-making capabilities of their employees.