Extra Processing

– Extra Processing: Extra processing occurs when unnecessary, non-value-adding work is performed. For years, as part of the property’s security protocol, a security guard used a metal-detecting wand to scan bags of trash coming out of the casino’s cash-counting room to ensure that coins were not being smuggled out. This practice continued after the casino eliminated all metal coins from operations. No one questioned the protocol to wand the trash because it was always done this way and was assumed to be a regulatory necessity.

D-O-W-N-T-I-M-E proved an effective analytical tool to help front-line personnel see the various types of waste in work processes. In addition, Day 1 training also introduced several LEAN tools. Participants learned about value stream mapping, spaghetti diagrams, 5S, Five Whys, one-piece flow processing, the pull discipline, and the basic problem-solving approach (i.e., define the problem, seek out root causes, identify potential solu- tions, test them, keep what works, repeat). With an understanding of these LEAN principles and tools, the teams were ready to improve their own processes. At the end of Day 1, each team agreed on the processes that would be the focus of the week’s kaizen improvement efforts. The selected processes presented the greatest opportunities to improve customer service and reduce waste.