Taichi Ohno, considered the godfather of the Toyota Production System, identified 10 precepts to Think, Act and Win. One of the key lessons is the importance of surfacing issues rather than allowing them to remain hidden. His 7th precept, “Waste is hidden. Do not hide it. Make problems visible,” encourages us to bring inefficiencies to light, creating opportunities for meaningful improvement.
Bringing waste to light is foundational to lean thinking and helps build a stronger, more resilient organization. Here’s why it matters:
- Drives Continuous Improvement – When we actively look for hidden inefficiencies, we’re more likely to find ways to enhance processes and reduce waste.
- Encourages Transparency – Making problems visible allows teams to collaborate in finding solutions, building trust and openness.
- Prevents Small Issues from Escalating – Problems that stay hidden can grow over time. Addressing them early prevents bigger disruptions and improves overall quality and efficiency.
How Can We Apply This in Our Work?
Implementing this precept starts with creating a culture that sees transparency as a strength, not a weakness. Here are a few tips to help make problems visible and encourage open problem-solving:
- Practice Visual Management – Use tools like dashboards, charts, or boards that reveal key performance indicators and highlight areas needing attention.
- Encourage Reporting of Issues – Create an environment where identifying problems is encouraged, without fear of blame.
- Review Processes Regularly – Schedule periodic process reviews to identify and address inefficiencies that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Let’s Shine a Light on Waste
By following Ohno’s advice to make waste visible, we can work together to eliminate inefficiencies and create a more agile, effective work environment. Let’s stay proactive in identifying areas for improvement and tackling challenges as a team.
How will you address making problems visible at your workplace? There are as many ways as there are problems. We'll share two examples:
Example 1: Using Conditional Formatting in an Excel spreadsheet to identify a number that is a potential issue. For instance, an inventory spreadsheet where the owner has set the cells to turn red when the inventory level of any item falls below 10. This makes it easy to see which items might be at risk of running out.
Example 2:
The problem is a tool is missing. The shadow-boxing (a commonly used tool in lean) makes it obvious that the missing tool is scissors.
Conclusion
Problems often fester in silence. By making them visible, we can catch issues before they escalate. This proactive approach saves time, resources, and often prevents more significant fallout down the line.
What hidden waste can you bring in to the light in your workplace or home? We'd love to see what you did to make it visible!
Send us a photo or shoot us an email at lean@trippnt.com.