ABSTRACT
Wastes in office processes make work difficult and challenging. Waste results in things that bug and cause to redo and rework the things have already done. Often experience the symptoms of waste without thinking about their causes. In the office, wastes are the symptoms of a broken value stream. Identifying and exposing the wastes comprise the first step to understanding what is wrong with office value streams. The symptoms (or wastes) point to the underlying root cause. Wastes can be thought of as drags on the system. Any ship or boat develops additional drag the longer it is in the water. Barnacles and algae grow below the waterline, and they rob efficiency by making the hull less smooth. The waste of waiting for information and decisions is prevalent throughout the office. This causes flow interrupters to the work. Work starts and stops many times before being completed. Every work stoppage puts a delay in the information value stream.