Tim Woods: 40 and still sexy
Eight forms of waste that are still relevant
In an era where speed and flexibility are crucial, TIM WOODS helps organisations become more agile and competitive.
By consciously identifying eight common forms of waste, you can improve processes, reduce costs and create more value for customers and other stakeholders.
What does TIM WOODS mean?
TIM WOODS is an acronym for eight types of waste that commonly occur in work processes. The model originates in Lean, but today it is applicable far more broadly than manufacturing alone. In administrative processes, service delivery and digital transformations too, it helps identify activities that consume time, resources or attention without adding sufficient value.
Transport
Transport may seem less relevant in a digital work environment, but unnecessary movement still occurs.
Think of files being copied between systems, documents passing through different departments, or physical goods being moved unnecessarily. Every extra handover increases the risk of delay and error.
Inventory
Excess stock leads to higher costs, obsolescence and additional risk.
In a digital context, inventory can also refer to an excess of open tasks, unfinished files, unused data, or a backlog that grows faster than it can be processed.
Motion
Motion refers to unnecessary movement of people or machines.
In the office too, an inefficient workspace costs time. Think of employees repeatedly walking to a printer, having to search for information across different systems, or constantly switching between screens and applications.
Waiting
Waiting for approvals, deliveries, information or decisions is a major source of waste.
By streamlining processes, clarifying responsibilities and deploying technology purposefully, you can significantly reduce waiting times.
Overproduction
Producing more than needed leads to waste. This applies to physical products, but also to services and information.
Think of reports nobody reads, data recorded twice, or analyses produced without a clear request. Deliver what's needed — no more, no less.
Overprocessing
Overprocessing means doing more than necessary to deliver a product or service.
Examples include forms that go through multiple checks, the same information being entered into different systems, or reports that are worked out in unnecessary detail.
Defects
Errors lead to rework, delays, extra costs and frustration.
By safeguarding quality at the source, using clear standards and continuously improving, organisations can structurally reduce errors.
Skills
Many organisations fail to make sufficient use of employees' knowledge, skills and talents.
By involving people in process improvement, giving them responsibility and investing purposefully in training, better performance and more innovation emerge.
Waste isn't always visible
Many inefficiencies have become so ingrained that everyone considers them normal. TIM WOODS helps make them visible and open for discussion again.
Also applicable to digital processes
Is TIM WOODS still alive and kicking today? Absolutely. The model is particularly useful for digital transformations and process analyses. Digital waste arises, for example, when employees enter data twice, wait for system approvals, switch between too many applications, or produce reports that are barely used.
Applying TIM WOODS to digital processes reveals where technology genuinely adds value and where it merely accelerates existing inefficiencies.
Simplicity before digitalisation
Don't simply digitalise your existing way of working. First look for waste, then design a simpler process.
From waste to customer value
TIM WOODS isn't a theoretical checklist, but a practical tool for looking critically at processes together with employees. By eliminating waste, organisations create more room for speed, quality, innovation and customer focus.
In this way, the model helps organisations work more efficiently and strengthen their competitive position sustainably.