Lean in cannabis · manufacturing · walk sheet
Extraction to filled product: the 8 wastes
paulducey.com/cannabis/manufacturing
DateBatch or production runWalked by
Follow one batch or one production run from the vault to filled product. For each waste, write what you saw, where, and how often. Required weigh-ins, sign-outs, cleaning and testing are not waste. No solutions yet. That comes after you've looked.
| Waste | What it looks like here | Where to look, what to ask | What I saw |
|---|---|---|---|
| DDefects | Gummies that "came back hot." "Leakers" and clogged carts. Loose or "canoeing" pre-rolls. A residual solvent fail. | Lab results, cart defect log, weight check.Which step made it, and what would catch it there? | |
| OOverproduction | A full batch of a slow flavor. Carts filled before the labels or hardware to finish them are in. | Finished goods, next to open orders.What did we make that has no order? | |
| WWaiting | Oil waiting on potency results. The kitchen waiting on oil. The cone machine down, waiting on cones. | Lab queue, kitchen schedule, cone machine.Where did this batch sit longest? | |
| NNon-utilized talent | Chemists hand-labeling. Line workers who know how to clear a jam, and the fix never gets written down. | The crew, end of shift.What jammed today, and how did you fix it? | |
| TTransportation | Oil walked back to the vault between every step. Pre-rolls carted to a separate weigh station. | Vault log, a floor plan.Which vault moves do the security rules require? | |
| IInventory | Crude and distillate parked between steps. Hardware and boxes for SKUs that changed. | Vault shelves, components cage.How old is the oldest container, and why? | |
| MMotion | Reaching across the bench to the knockbox. A vault trip for every sign-out. Walking for cones mid-run. | Pre-roll bench, filling line, kitchen.How many trips off the line per run? | |
| EExtra processing | Regrinding an inconsistent grind. Re-purging. Weighing every pre-roll on a stable line instead of checking by sample. | Grinder, vacuum ovens, weigh station.Is this step required, or just habit? |
Two numbers to write down: batch pass rate on first submission for recent batches, and the last changeover on the main line, in minutes.
Bring it back: who on the team should see this sheet before anyone proposes a fix?
Paul Ducey · Lean in cannabisFree to copy and use. paulducey.com/cannabis