The Big 3 Knowledge Worker Wastes

This week we completed the Lean implementation of our purchasing process. It always amazes me that with every knowledge worker project we do, we find the same 3 causes of waste.

Missing Information, Interrupts, and a lack of Prioritization.

No matter which knowledge process I have tackled these findings are consistent.

Imagine looking for your tools in tool box with 85,751 drawers among 496,936 other tools. With out file management or controls on our data systems this is what many employees are subjected to every day. My example may seem extreme but it is representative of the current number of files and folders in our computer system. Most companies have some organization of there data systems. So the knowledge workers have learned how to find information they need with in these systems. They know which drawers to open and where to look to reduce there search time. This becomes tribal knowledge that is passed on across the organization and has become the way we do business.

Missing Information

When a knowledge working does not have the information to complete there work they go and search for it. When they are looking for stuff they get distracted, frustrated and disengaged. The frustration often results in partial completion and errors that continued through out the process.

In our purchasing process, we addressed Missing Information by setting a standard hand off into the process. A standardized set of input fields with set requirements for all required information. In our process the upstream employee already had the required information open on there screen when they were preparing their purchase requests.

Interrupts

According to Google, the time it takes to refocus following an interrupt is 25 Minutes. I cannot not confirm the accuracy of the statistic, but I can confirm that I have found interrupts as a key contributor to productivity of my knowledge workers. I asked our purchaser to record the number of interrupts in through the day. We found that averaged 2.6 interrupts per hour. Using the 25 Minute for refocus there was no time during the day where they had a chance to focus in on the work. The result was multiple errors and missed commitments.

In our process improvements we set a single point of entry into the purchasing process. This reduced the number of entry points into the process. Simplifying and clarifying, resulting in less follow up questions. In an effort to reducing the number of interrupts, we also addressed the planned interrupts by reducing the number of status meetings. The Missing Information in the paragraph above, compounded the errors further and contributed to the number of interrupts.

Lack of Prioritization

When a knowledge worker knows what to do and when to do it they generally get it done. But when it is unclear or they have an uncontrolled lists they spend more time trying to organize the work then working on it.

In our purchasing process there were many different entries into the process, Email, CRM tasks, drop bys, and water cooler discussions. The work was the same but they all started from a different sources and triggers. These different sources often clouded priorities. Confused by where they came from in the organization, or by the pitch of the requester. When we moved to a single point of entry we brought this under control. In our case we used CRM Tasks with the number of purchasing lines and due date coded in the name. The purchaser can now see how much processing and when it is due. They sort and rank the tasks in line with one agreed upon algorithm. This is beneficial to both the company and the employee. They are no longer the bad guy when they are setting thier purchasing priorities.

The pattern is consistent with our knowledge workers and is occurring with in your organization. Next time you are in a meeting or out in Gemba. Pay attention to what your team is saying they may be suffering from the Big 3.

Missing Information, Interrupts, and a Lack of Prioritization.

Michel Handfield, CET, CLSSBB