Living Lean: David and the Case of the Hoarded House

Abstract

This case is part of the Living series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on the 5S method of organizing and sustaining an efficient process, a recently transplanted couple with a garage full of boxes decides to eliminate clutter in their home. Excerpt UVA-OM-1448 Rev. Nov. 4, 2013 living lean: DaVID AND the Case of the Hoarded House David and his wife, Heidi, had lived in their single-family home in a new development for about a year and a half. Both followed hectic schedules: David was a student in an MBA for Executives program and a full-time IT program manager, and Heidi was the executive director of a local performing arts center, which required her to work odd hours. As a result, the two of them had allowed their home to accumulate layer upon layer of stuff in almost every room, closet, and wardrobe of the house. One night in December, David drove home from an evening class as a wintry mix of snow and freezing rain began to accumulate on the street. Their house had an attached garage, but he and his wife typically parked on the street and used the front door, because the garage still held a large number of unpacked boxes from their recent move. The wind had picked up, and David was tired, hungry, and cold, so, feeling ambitious, he decided to test the garage entry to his home. He was not sure whether the batteries in the garage door opener were going to work, but when he pressed the button, the garage door began to lift. He slowly nosed his Accord into the garage, hoping for the best, but there were simply too many boxes. He moved the car to the curb, carefully navigated the sidewalk to the front door, sank into the living room couch, and called his wife at work. . . .