Simplifying Work Processes For Greater Efficiency

Before you automate anything... Before you implement any new system... Before you blame your team for inefficiency... Get the basics right first. I've seen this mistake everywhere: Companies investing millions in digital transformation while their physical workspace is complete chaos. Here's what actually happens: Bad Foundation: - $500K software implementation - Cluttered workstations - No standard procedures - Team frustrated with "another system" - Results: Expensive failure Strong Foundation: - $5K 5S implementation first - Clean, organized workspace - Clear standard procedures - Team bought into systematic thinking - Results: Every future improvement succeeds The 5S Foundation (that changes everything): SORT - Keep only what you need Reality check: 80% of what's on your desk hasn't been touched in 30 days Action: Remove everything that doesn't serve your current priorities SET IN ORDER - Everything has a place The 30-second rule: If you can't find something in 30 seconds, your system is broken Action: Create visual management so anyone can find anything SHINE - Clean and maintain regularly This isn't about looking pretty. Cleaning = inspection = early problem detection Action: Build cleaning into the daily routine, not as extra work STANDARDIZE - Make it the same everywhere If each person has their own "system," you have no system Action: Document the best way and make it the only way SUSTAIN - Build habits that stick 90% of improvement initiatives fail here. You need systems, not willpower Action: Create simple audits and make it part of how you operate The brutal truth: You can't digitize disorder. You can't automate dysfunction. You can't scale chaos. But when you master 5S first: → Every tool works better → Every process flows smoother → Every improvement sticks longer → Every team member thinks systematically The companies dominating their industries? They didn't skip the fundamentals. They mastered them first. What's one area in your workspace that needs the 5S treatment? *** Follow me Angad S. for more insights!

You have no doubt heard of DOGE by now - Dept of Govt Efficiency. Imagine this: DOPE - a new department in your company—The Department of People Efficiency. A team that’s all about making your workplace leaner, smarter, and more productive. (Yes, it’s a play on “dope”—because this idea is just that cool.) Efficiency isn’t about running faster on the hamster wheel. It’s about trimming the fat and letting your people focus on what really moves the needle. If the DOPE team walked into your office tomorrow, here’s what they’d cut first: 1️⃣ Useless Meetings. We all know them—meetings with no agenda, no purpose, and no outcomes. Atlassian reports employees waste 31 hours a month in unproductive meetings. Fix it: “No agenda, no meeting” rule. Replace status updates with a quick dashboard. Default to focused, 15-minute standups. 2️⃣ Communication Overload. Slack, email, Teams, DMs—too many tools lead to noise, not clarity. Streamline to a couple of platforms and set boundaries. Less pinging, more doing. 3️⃣ Busywork That Goes Nowhere. Reports no one reads. Processes no one understands. Tasks that feel important but achieve nothing. Automate it, delegate it, or delete it. 4️⃣ The “Always-On” Mentality. Productivity doesn’t come from burning the candle at both ends. It comes from focused work, intentional breaks, and clear priorities. Hustle culture without purpose is just burnout in disguise. 5️⃣ Legacy Processes. If you ever hear “We’ve always done it this way,” it’s time to audit. Outdated processes cost time, energy, and morale. Innovation starts by challenging the status quo. Here’s the truth: Time is the one resource we can’t get back. If your people’s time is wasted, so is their talent, creativity, and energy. The DOPE team wouldn’t let that happen. As businesses, we need to stop overcomplicating work and start respecting the value of time. That’s how you boost efficiency, build trust, and unlock results. So, if you had a DOPE Department at your company, what’s the first thing you’d cut? Drop your thoughts below. Bam!💥

Lean Mantra: Simplify before you computerize or automate. Automation is a great tool for becoming more efficient But it's often overused or used too early. The impact of improper automation can be deadly Here are some of the side effects: + Overly complex processes + Several System work arounds + Inflexibility to demand changes + Resistant to process changes and improvements Worse, automation makes things harder to stop, go back, and do things the right way. Here's what you can do instead: 1) Use Kanban 2) Consolidate suppliers 3) Map the value stream 4) Use visual management 5) Identify "product families" 6) Initiate a pull-based demand schedule 7) Apply Jidoka to foster in-process quality 8) Consolidate unique parts and raw materials Even before automating, these ideas and concepts will help you achieve greater efficiency. They'll continue to pay dividends even after you add automation to your operation. Don't skip the fundamentals for automation! *** Receive Data-Driven operations tips via email https://lnkd.in/gu6dA2Xe

Over the past 4 years working at ServiceNow, building out global enablement programs. I quickly realized the importance of optimizing processes... For the longest time, I DID EVERYTHING BACKWARDS that led to headaches and ultimately lost time... so here is my 5-step structured way to improve processes. . . Simplify: The first thing we should always start with is reducing the process to its simplest form. Start by reassessing and refining the initial requirements and outcomes and ensure they are logical and relevant. Far to often this is the last step and we end up missing the mark because we made things too complicated from the beginning . . Delete: Get rid of ALL unnecessary parts of the process. Remove ALL components of the process that do not contribute significantly to the overall goal. If you are not eliminating at least 10% of the process... then you probably are not deleting enough. . . Optimize: This step should only be taken AFTER unnecessary elements of the process have been eliminated. I saw after, because what's the point of optimizing an unnecessary element of the process :). If you do not follow this step then you end up over-correcting or again optimizing things that should not exist. . . Accelerate: Once the process has been streamlined and optimized, focus on increasing the speed of execution. BUT you should only move into this step when you have completed the first three steps of Simplify, Delete, and Optimize. . . Automate: The final step in the process, find ways to take the manual aspects of the process out and automate as much as you can. This will further enhance efficiency. . . Far too often in the past, I started with Automate and too many times this led to getting rid of the entire process altogether. I hope this helps someone reading. If you have any other strategies for optimizing your processes please share in the comments below!! . . #sales #processoptimization #enablement #programdevelopment