These are several ways to go about making improvements to processes:​
 

• Map out the current process flow, identify the value add, non-value add (but required), and non-value add (not required) activities. Then remove the non-value add (not required - waste) activities and create a new more effective process

• Pay particular attention to activities with high work-in-progress (WIP). Seek to remove the bottlenecks and delays to that activity so that WIP can be reduced

• Identify quality issues since they add to re-work and increase the WIP. Strive to resolve the quality problem, as defect rates fall, the WIP will also fall

• Focus on the activities with the highest queue time first, this will reduce lead time and also WIP as the bottleneck is reduced or resolved

• Tackle batch-and-queue processes and change them to single-piece flow

• Attack high set-up time, and reduce interruptions to the activities so that processing can complete without such interruptions as much as possible.