Which waste could be corrected by pulling demand from the customer?

Which waste could be corrected by pulling demand from the customer?

• A. Motion
• B. Defects
• C. Process
• D. Inventory

Answer: (D)

Pulling demand from the customer focuses production only on what is actually needed, when it is needed. That directly targets inventory waste, which comes from producing more than is required or far in advance of demand. When you use a pull system (like Kanban signals or customer-triggered replenishment), you limit overproduction, reduce the amount of finished goods and raw materials sitting in storage, and cut costs tied to holding, obsolescence, and space. Other wastes like motion, defects, or process inefficiencies are important to improve, but they’re not addressed as directly by pulling demand. Pull helps uncover and reduce those issues indirectly by forcing smoother flow and smaller batch sizes, yet the most immediate and substantial impact is the reduction of inventory waste through producing only what the customer signals is needed.

Pulling demand from the customer focuses production only on what is actually needed, when it is needed. That directly targets inventory waste, which comes from producing more than is required or far in advance of demand. When you use a pull system (like Kanban signals or customer-triggered replenishment), you limit overproduction, reduce the amount of finished goods and raw materials sitting in storage, and cut costs tied to holding, obsolescence, and space.

Other wastes like motion, defects, or process inefficiencies are important to improve, but they’re not addressed as directly by pulling demand. Pull helps uncover and reduce those issues indirectly by forcing smoother flow and smaller batch sizes, yet the most immediate and substantial impact is the reduction of inventory waste through producing only what the customer signals is needed.