Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) Practice Exam

In the maintenance process, how can 'Transportation' waste be minimized?

1. By increasing the number of storerooms

2. By planning and providing materials to reduce trips

3. By reducing the number of tools available

4. By increasing manual labor

The correct answer is: By planning and providing materials to reduce trips

Minimizing 'Transportation' waste in the maintenance process focuses on optimizing the movement of materials and personnel to improve efficiency and reduce unnecessary travel. The correct approach involves planning and providing materials in a way that reduces the number of trips required to access them. This can be achieved through effective inventory management, ensuring that required materials are readily available at the point of use, or through strategic layout of work areas that minimizes the distance travelled for performing tasks. When materials are not efficiently organized or readily accessible, it can lead to wasting time in transport. By improving how materials are planned, stored, and delivered to maintenance locations, trips can be significantly reduced, thus lowering the time spent moving and increasing overall productivity. This concept aligns with lean manufacturing principles, which emphasize the reduction of waste in all forms, including unnecessary transport of personnel and equipment. The other strategies mentioned, such as increasing the number of storerooms or reducing tools, may not effectively address transportation waste and could potentially complicate logistics further. Additionally, increasing manual labor would not necessarily solve the issue of waste related to transportation; rather, it could result in inefficiency without strategically addressing the root cause.