Workers should spend their time doing the work, not walking around looking for tools, materials, or information.
On a busy production floor, small amounts of unnecessary movement can quickly add up. Walking to collect a component, reaching across a workstation, searching for a tool, or travelling to another area for supplies may only take a few seconds each time. Repeated throughout a shift, however, these movements can create a significant amount of wasted time.
In Lean manufacturing, this is known as motion waste.
Reducing motion waste does not always require a major factory redesign. Often, simple changes to workplace layout, tool storage, material handling, and workstation organisation can make everyday work easier and more efficient.
What Is Motion Waste?
Motion waste is unnecessary movement performed by people while completing a task.
This can include walking to collect materials, reaching too far for tools, repeatedly turning around to access equipment, searching for items, or moving between different areas when the necessary resources could be positioned closer to the point of work.
Not every movement can or should be removed. Workers still need to move around a production environment. The goal is to identify movement that does not add value to the process and find practical ways to reduce it.
A useful question to ask is:
How much movement is actually necessary to complete this task?
Why Does Motion Waste Matter?
A few unnecessary steps may not seem important when viewed on their own. The problem becomes clearer when the same movement happens repeatedly.
Imagine a worker leaving a workstation several times during a shift to collect tools or materials. Each trip may only take a short amount of time, but the total can become a noticeable part of the working day.
Unnecessary movement can also make work more tiring and interrupt the natural flow of a process.
Reducing motion waste can help workplaces:
- Reduce unnecessary walking
- Reduce time spent searching for tools and materials
- Improve access to frequently used items
- Make workstations easier to use
- Improve material flow
- Reduce unnecessary interruptions
- Support a more organised workplace
How Do You Identify Motion Waste?
The first step is to observe the work as it actually happens.
Do not rely only on the planned process. Watch the operator complete the task and look at where their time and movement are going.
Look for things such as:
- Walking away from the workstation to collect materials
- Searching for tools
- Repeated reaching or stretching
- Turning frequently to access equipment
- Moving items from one location to another unnecessarily
- Waiting for materials to arrive at the workstation
- Travelling to another area to collect commonly used supplies
You can also measure the distance travelled during a task and compare it with how often that movement is repeated.
The Lean Company provides a Motion Waste Calculator as part of its Lean resources, which can be used as a starting point when looking at the impact of unnecessary movement.
Keep Materials Close to Where They Are Used
One of the most practical ways to reduce motion waste is to improve where materials are stored and delivered.
If an operator needs the same components throughout the day, storing those materials far away from the workstation creates unnecessary movement.
Point of use storage and material delivery can help bring frequently needed items closer to the process.
The "The Helper" Material Handling Trolley | Plastic-Coated Tube Frame | 100kg | Built to Order is designed for moving tools, components, bins, containers, and supplies across production floors, assembly areas, warehouses, and logistics environments.
A mobile trolley can help bring materials closer to where the work happens instead of requiring workers to repeatedly leave their workstation to collect them.
Organise Tools at the Point of Work
Searching for tools is another common source of unnecessary movement.
When frequently used tools are stored in different locations, workers may need to walk around the workplace or search through drawers and containers before starting or completing a task.
A visible tool storage system gives each tool a defined location and makes it easier to see whether something is missing.
The Blue Tool Board | 495 x 457mm | 5S Tool Control and Shadow Board System provides a structured way to keep workplace tools visible and organised.
Instead of searching for a tool every time it is needed, workers can see where it belongs and return it to the same location after use.
This supports both 5S organisation and the reduction of unnecessary movement.
Design the Workstation Around the Work
The position of the workstation itself can also influence how much movement is required.
If workers have to repeatedly reach outside their normal working area or move away from the workstation to access information and equipment, the layout may need to be reviewed.
The Gemba Workstation | Heavy Duty Electric Height Adjustable | Production Floor is designed for production floor environments where flexibility and access at the point of work are important.
A workstation should support the task being performed rather than make the worker adapt to an inefficient layout.
Review the position of tools, materials, documents, equipment, and other frequently used items around the workstation. The aim is to make necessary actions easier while reducing unnecessary movement.
Use Storage to Reduce Searching and Walking
Storage has an important role in motion waste reduction.
Items that are used regularly should be easy to identify and access. When storage is unclear, workers may spend time searching for materials or walking between different storage areas.
The right storage method depends on the workplace and the items being stored.
For example, open storage can make frequently used items easier to see, while defined locations can make it clear where items should be returned.
The important principle is simple:
Store commonly used items where they are needed, not simply where there happens to be space.
Look at the Full Movement, Not Just One Task
Motion waste is not always limited to one workstation.
A worker may have an efficient workstation but still spend a significant amount of time walking to another department to collect materials.
This is why it is useful to look at the complete process.
Follow the movement of people and materials from the beginning of the task to the end. Look at where materials come from, where tools are stored, where information is accessed, and where completed work goes next.
This wider view can reveal movement that is difficult to see when looking at one task in isolation.
Small Changes Can Make a Difference
Reducing motion waste does not mean moving everything around the factory.
Start with the movement that happens most often or causes the biggest disruption.
A few practical changes might include:
- Move frequently used tools closer to the workstation.
- Use a trolley to bring materials closer to the point of use.
- Create defined storage locations.
- Review the height and position of the workstation.
- Make commonly used items easier to identify.
- Measure movement before and after an improvement.
Once one problem has been improved, look for the next opportunity.
How Can Lean Tools Help Reduce Motion Waste?
Lean tools are most useful when they solve a specific workplace problem.
A trolley can reduce unnecessary material trips. A tool board can reduce searching. A well-positioned workstation can reduce unnecessary reaching and movement.
The purpose is not to add more equipment to the workplace. The purpose is to use the right equipment to make the process easier.
This is why it is important to identify the source of the motion waste before choosing a solution.
Frequently Asked Questions About Motion Waste
What is motion waste in Lean?
Motion waste is unnecessary movement made by people while completing a process. Examples include unnecessary walking, reaching, searching, turning, and moving between work areas.
How can I reduce motion waste on the shop floor?
Start by observing the work and identifying repeated movements that do not add value. Then consider changes such as point-of-use storage, better tool organisation, improved workstation layout, and more efficient material handling.
What is an example of motion waste?
A simple example is an operator repeatedly leaving a workstation to collect materials needed for the same task. Bringing those materials closer to the point of use can reduce the unnecessary movement.
Is walking always considered waste in Lean?
No. Movement that is necessary to complete the process is not automatically waste. The focus is on identifying unnecessary movement that does not contribute to the task.
How do I know if motion waste has been reduced?
Measure the movement before and after the improvement. You can track walking distance, number of trips, time spent searching, or the frequency of unnecessary movements during a task.
Final Thoughts
Motion waste is often hidden inside normal daily work.
A worker walking to collect a component may seem insignificant. Searching for a tool may only take a few seconds. Reaching across a workstation may not seem like a problem.
But when these movements happen repeatedly, they can add up.
The best place to start is to observe the work, identify unnecessary movement, and make one practical improvement at a time.
Better tool organisation, point-of-use material handling, and a workstation designed around the task can all help reduce unnecessary movement and make work easier to perform.
Lean is not about making people work harder. It is about removing the unnecessary work that gets in the way.