To reduce the nonessential work processes draining time and resources, you should asses those processes and reduce any steps when possible. Not only will cutting down on those processes have cost-effective results, but it also makes tasks simpler!
Simplicity is the driving force of business productivity, and in our executive coaching, we use reengineering to streamline your business operations to be quick and more efficient.
The Law of Complexity
Complexity requires more effort with even the simplest of processes, increasing your use of material and financial resources and decreasing the efficiency of the entire process. Your business loses value when time, money, and resource management are not a priority.
The Law of Complexity is a formula FocalPoint Business and Executive Coach of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kerrie Hoffman, uses with her executive clients to determine how complex a task is: C =, where C = increased costs, delays, and possible mistakes and S = number of steps.
Single-action activities are not complex: =1! The activities requiring two steps () increase complexity by 4: this means that the likelihood of mistakes, costs, and delays increases by 400%!
You should streamline your tasks by reducing the number of steps in each process. Ideally, you will aim to eliminate 30% of any unnecessary steps. As you reduce the steps in your tasks, you will complete them quicker at the lowest cost and with a lower risk of making mistakes.
How to Streamline Your Tasks
Here are some critical questions to ask to start reducing the steps in your processes:
- Why are these steps chosen?
- What is the purpose of each step of the process?
- Why are they being performed in a particular way?
Reengineer Your Business Process for Optimal Productivity
- Collapse the process by eliminating steps to reengineer your workflow. For example, the approval process of Northwest Mutual Life Insurance Company took six weeks. However, it took too much time, and they started to lose clients. Instead, they assessed their application approval process and discovered 24 steps in the process, even though it only took 17 minutes to complete.
The company reduced it to two steps, reducing the complexity from 576% ( to 4% (Afterward, the application process only took 24 hours, allowing Northwest Mutual Life Insurance Company to write millions of additional insurance each year!
- Consolidate the process by combining several steps into one job and reduce the number of people to complete it: pursue a reduction in processing time in every area of your business.
To receive customized executive coaching to help you fulfill your productive potential, contact Business and Executive Coach of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kerrie Hoffman! Reach her by calling 1-262-290-0650, emailing her at kh******@****************ng.com, or taking the Executive Leadership Score assessment!
