Even with our best intentions we may find that we are unable to complete a task in one go. If this is the case then the way that we leave the task can determine how much time is wasted getting up to speed when we are ready to complete the  task. If you get many interruptions in your day to day working then coming up with a way to close down / pause activities can save you a lot of time, especially if you need to delegate the task later. The simplest analogy is that of a book mark. If you spent your time trying to find where you are up to in your book each time you started you would waste time that could be spent reading. If you had a specific intention for reading the book then you could make a note of that on the bookmark, for example, so that you could get straight back into why you reading the book. The same is true in the workplace. Two ideas come to mind. First, make some protected time in your day and only start tasks that you know you will be able to finish. Seco

Have you ever noticed those small tasks that you just don’t get round to? Have you ever noticed what a big problem these small tasks cause if they haven’t been dealt with for some time? Improving the way that work flows through your department or   team can help with the overall efficiency of the business. Recognising the small tasks and coming up with a routine to make sure that they get done on a regular basis can mean that when you have to focus your energies onto some burning issue you can feel better that the tidal wave of problems that can come from not doing the little things won’t happen. If you find the habit of keeping the small things moving a struggle then why not consider using a ‘complete by date’. If the job hasn’t been done by a certain date then it becomes the number one priority regardless of whatever else is on the ‘urgent list’. Completing the action before the complete by date is the aim of the game. Small tasks are often over-estimated in terms of the

When we are nearing the end of a project we sometimes finish prematurely. By this I mean that the last step on a project often isn't the last step needed in order to be as effective as possible.  If you were installing some new pieces of equipment the final step might be implementation of a maintenance program. Usually the commissioning of a piece of equipment is seen as the last step, but the ongoing usefulness of the equipment needs to be considered. Leaving people with usable instructions should also be considered. Installing new software programs and then leaving the users to muddle through is not always the best plan. Clear concise instructions might be the final step. Once a change has been made hand holding people through a period of infancy might need to be considered. The handover, exchange of responsibility and ramping up of volumes handled through this recently changed aspect may need to be looked at again. If you're near the end of a project why not

Available to purchase here. Some tools are incredibly simple to use, and also deliver some amazing results. Kamishibai boards are a great example and are superb when you want some visual control over routine tasks. By the way Kamishibai is pronounced "come-e-she-bye" in case you were wondering! As simple as you could want it, a Kamishibai board is a T-card system that has red cards glued to green cards (so that each T-card has a red side and a green side). The red cards are for the incomplete tasks, where as the green cards symbolise that the work has been done. See the photo below of a board in use. On the red side of the card you write the name of the task that needs to be completed, and if appropriate you can include details of how the task is to be completed. This is not expected to replace standard operating procedures, but can be a good opportunity for an aide memoire. The boards can be organised for daily, weekly and even monthly cycles. They are g

One of the common questions we hear is 'how do we get started with improving our business, what are the tools to use?' The simple answer is that improvement is largely an attitude and a habit. The desire to find new and better ways of working is the most prominent factor, when you couple this with a habit then things get done regularly and continuously. Sporadic improvements don't always generate the gains that you would hope for. The tools that you can use to help facilitate change can make a real difference in specific situations, or if you need a framework to improve. If the desire and curiosity for change aren't present and aren't backed up with habitual actions then you will have an uphill struggle. You can use lean and six sigma tools (for example) to help encourage the starting of an improvement culture in your workplace, but this needs to be backed up with forming habits. Time table sessions and adhere to your own schedule if that helps. So

The end result of an improvement usually reflects the planning and decision making that takes place at the beginning, when the idea is being developed. If there is no planning and the improvement is a stab in the dark as to what needs to change then the final result may not be what was expected. The 'what are we doing this for?' question is a great place to start. Sometimes improvements are spotted mid thinking, so to speak, and if you work backwards just a little further you may uncover a more meaningful issue to resolve. This minor change can deliver a major difference in terms of business performance and is along the lines of root cause problem solving (solve the root cause and not a symptom). The fact that an opportunity is present does not always mean that it should be improved. With limited resources it may be prudent to widen the vistas and see what other opportunities are also available. Many continuous improvement approaches struggle due to an overload of less

When a problem arises in a business there is usually a fix put in place. This fix sometimes increases the complexity of the business by adding in additional rules at the operational end of the business. Sometimes it is worth stopping what you are doing and reviewing the basics of how your business operates. Sometimes the disciplines around the basics of operating a business have been forgotten. From a engineering perspective the challenges that we face are symptoms of a deeper system based problem. If you track back to the root of the problem you are usually faced with a basic issue that can be resolved easily (or at least in a straightforward manner) and will prevent a myriad of other symptoms appearing in due course. As people move around organisations there is the possibility that people move into roles and are trained in the current ways of working but aren't exposed to the fundamental principles of working that this particular job requires. Ensuring people understand