"Mottainai" in Operations

“Mottainai”

There was a discussion at a Japanese manufacturing company about how to translate this concept.

Some people may have heard this word from environmentalists. There was a movement in the 2000s. They used the word “Mottainai” to mean reduce, reuse, recycle, and respect. It was also translated as “wasteful.”

“Mottainai” is written as 【勿体無い】. 【勿】 represents prohibition. 【体】 means body and the true nature of things. The third symbol means none, which is used in Muda or Muri. Therefore, this word means not respecting the true nature or the meaning of things. (The word contains two cancellation words, but that is meant to reinforce the cancellations.) This “Mottainai” has an antonym, which is Shoutai 【正体】. Shoutai means true identity or character. “Mottainai” means to disrespect the true identity of things.

“Mottainai” appears to be connected to Shintoism. Shintoism is a polytheism in which many “gods” exist, and we need to respect them. Therefore, the subject of “Mottainai” goes beyond materials. One example is time. We would say that time is “Mottainai,” meaning we should have used the time more effectively. Another subject is people. “Mottainai” refers to someone who is underutilized or not given the right opportunity. The subject of “Mottainai” is vast, covering materials, time, and people.

This raises a question: What is the difference between “Mottainai” and “Muda”? (This was part of the discussion I remembered.)

“Muda” is defined in TPS as an activity that only adds cost. “Mottainai” means that the subject is not fully valued due to the existence of Muda.

A familiar scene for us is when a coach visits a genba and says, “Mottainai.” This shows there is a lot of Muda. We implement Kaizen. Then, one worker is freed. Now, what’s next? This is where “Mottainai” comes into play. Are we truly respecting the value of a worker? If we fire this freed worker, are we suggesting that a person's identity is solely based on their direct work experience? The challenge here is to find a more effective method, like Kaizen. Isn’t there a better role for the person? Of course, no one can do something new without proper training. Therefore, we need to develop a training program that encourages people to participate in new initiatives. Once we move in this direction, we’ve responded to the coach’s comment, “Mottainai.”

A risk of this “Mottainai” mindset is that everything could become valuable, and things might spiral out of control: a typical example is a grandmother. My grandmothers (including great-grandmother and my wife’s side) often said “Mottainai,” which meant they didn’t throw away many things. They kept multiple boxes of wrapping paper and newspapers, thinking they might become useful someday. They also stored mysterious plastic and glass containers. There were at least two rooms filled with items whose contents were unknown to everyone. But this becomes problematic when it comes to operations. Many inventories have been stored in the warehouse for an extended period. Typically, these materials display multiple years’ worth of inventory stickers, indicating they’ve been counted each year. Most likely, some will question what to do, but many “grandmas” involved in the operations have been reluctant to throw things away because they might need them someday. At the same time, these “Grandmothers” will be asking to build more warehouses. This is not how we should use the concept of “Mottainai.”

So, what should differentiate the Japanese Grandma's “Mottainai” from modern operational “Mottainai”? Standards. What is necessary and what is not should be judged against a standard. Note that these standards are not based on opinions but on rules. Many people decide on the “Standard in-process stock” based on their views. “We should have more because we have fluctuations.” This is NOT TPS. TPS states that a standard in-process is necessary only when we go in reverse or when we have an automated process. We don’t randomly add in-process stock. Fluctuation is the subject of Kaizen. “Mottainai” without a standard can’t exist in operations.

I've been thinking about this episode ever since I was discussing “Mottainai” with my kids. I used the “Mottainai Ghost” as if things wasted will come back and haunt you. I thought this was a traditional teaching, but it turned out that “Mottainai Ghost” was introduced in the eighties. However, the Japanese have long emphasized the importance of not wasting things through the concept of “Mottainai.” The true meaning involves respect for the authentic identity of things. If we are to incorporate such thinking into operations, we need to establish clear standards to guide people.