along with your Definition of Done.Waste #5: DelaysMeaning: Anything that causes more time to deliver a value-added activity, or delays the beginning of the value-added activity.Possible reasons:Lack of required team membersUnwanted processesToo many things in progressExternal dependenciesLack of "value" understandingAssumptions/clarifications and impedimentsHow can you eliminate it?Make sure you have all the required skill sets assigned to your project. If you start a sprint without having the required team members with the proper skill sets, this will lead to delays.Identify only mandatory processes at the beginning of the sprint. For example, if you do not need to get the code review for all of the code, then categorize the code into low complex, medium complex, and high complex, and send only medium and high complex code for review. This will reduce the cycle time and increase efficiency.Keep only what you can handle on your plate and leave the rest open. This will help other team members pick up the work that's based on their skill sets and bandwidth.Make sure to have all required external assistance available in time for your work. For example, if you need an external architect review, plan for it up front. Similarly, if you're working with multiple teams from different locations, then encourage stub-based development. I have personally observed that when we have videoconferencing calls with other teams working from different locations, usually the videos won't work, you have to waste time to fix the problem, if it isn't fixed in a certain amount of time you need to make alternate arrangements, etc. (One way to tackle the delays in such calls is for the ScrumMasters from both teams go on the call two minutes beforehand and ensure that everything is working properly. Also, always keep a conference bridge number as backup, and after a fixed amount of time -- say, five minutes -- spent trying to fix any problems, move to the conference bridge.)Always try to do value stream mapping and see what is value-added time and what is not. This will give you an idea of what your current process efficiency is. Based on the current state of the value stream map, and by applying Lean practices, you can improve the cycle time and thereby reduce delays. Also, automate the test cases wherever possible so that you can reduce a considerable amount of time when you have to run them recursively.Make sure you get clarity on your assumptions and inputs for your clarifications at the right time. Raise the red flag before you get into the danger zone, and get proper attention from respective stakeholders. Track your impediments effectively; the ScrumMaster is responsible for resolving the team's impediments.Waste #6: Task SwitchingMeaning: Team members moving from one task to another without completing the first task properly.Possible reasons:Interruptions in the ongoing tasksLack of ground-level analysis of the tasks required for the storiesA shared team working on more than one project at a timeLack of proper coordination between the product owner and development teamHow can you eliminate it?Interruptions can be due to many reasons, including lack of complete information about