Value-Adding Exercise

Always lots of drama over VA/NVA discussions… (“What do you mean I don’t add value??!?!?”).

Never found a specific list of specific examples that specifically drive home the points (yes, I’m looking for specifics).

I put together a fun (!) list for groups to work on in a workshop… Classify each of these activites as VA, NVA, or Necessary NVA (or “Business Value Add”, depending on your vocabulary.)

Thoughts? More examples, please!

The List:

• Checking oil temperature on machine
• Attaching shipping labels to a pallet
• Putting customer’s special barcodes on a pallet
• Putting our inventory transfer labels on a pallet
• Assembling boxes
• Monitoring flow rate in system
• Packing drums with finished goods
• Reconciling invoices with packing slips
• Doing a DMAIC Problem-Solving project
• Feeding product back in to get the right pH
• Letting engineers apply their expertise to all process performance problems
• Wrapping Flour bags in shrink wrap
• Loading bags into Warehouse A while palletizer in Warehouse B finishes first job
• Testing for viscosity
• Striping the warehouse
• Producing extra finished goods in case we get orders
• Walking a job, and then going back to get exactly the right parts and tools for that work order
• Adjusting machine settings at the start of shift
• Adding reagent to the mix
• Bringing reagent over from the warehouse

I’m certainly open to getting more examples!!

Here’s what we listed as answers. Of course, anything that’s “NNVA” you could argue is “NVA” and vice versa.

VALUE ADD

• Adding reagent to the mix
• Monitoring flow rate in system
• Packing drums with finished goods
• Putting customer’s special barcodes on a pallet

NECESSARY NVA

• Assembling boxes
• Attaching shipping labels to a pallet
• Checking oil temperature on machine
• Doing a DMAIC Problem-Solving project
• Striping the warehouse

FLAT OUT WASTE

• Adjusting machine settings at the start of shift (Processing)
• Bringing reagent over from the warehouse (Motion)
• Feeding product back in to get the right pH (Defects)
• Letting engineers apply their expertise to all process performance problems (Intellectual)
• Loading bags into Warehouse A while palletizer in Warehouse B finishes first job (Transport)
• Producing extra finished goods in case we get orders (Overproduction)
• Putting our inventory transfer labels on a pallet (Motion or Processing)
• Reconciling invoices with packing slips (Processing)
• Testing for viscosity (Motion, Processing)
• Walking a job, and then going back to get exactly the right parts and tools for that work order (Motion, Waiting)
• Wrapping Flour bags in shrink wrap (Processing)