Six Steps for Improving Work Flow





The noted management consultant & management guru Peter Drucker once wrote ‘So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work.’ This is all the more true as organizations reorganize or downsize. With adequate people, the work gets done regardless of inefficiency. Now days, however, management levels / hierarchies are fast disappearing and staffs are growing leaner. Following are 6 steps which will help you to manage work smarter and improve upon your results.



STEP NO.1. Be sure everyone in the company knows what to do. Lean organizations cannot afford to wander around aimlessly. Focus all resources on critical issues. Spend even more time clarifying goals and priorities.



STEP NO.2. Examines all rules and regulations closely. Many rules grow from management paranoia & excessive ego. Some rules drawn by the company may often pose hindrance to the smooth functioning. In other words, examine all rules that hamper performance.



STEP NO.3. Analyze all procedures in detail & in depth. Almost any process can be improved. Cut out any unnecessary steps. Delegate authority to the lower levels to speed up decisions. Do away with redundant cross-checking and multiple authorizations. I read in a paper that one organization shortened a key process from 120 days to 4 simply by bypassing several layers of management.



STEP NO.4. Eliminate duplication. Analyze all forms and reports. Many reports are redundant and outdated. Half of the files most organizations keep are duplications. Different departments may be keeping similar records. Question whether or not you really need every piece of paper. Get away from this clutter. With the technology around important notes, documents can be saved, stored in the computer.



STEP NO.5. Simplify the work. Strive for fewer stages, tasks and rules. Work for less movement and faster responses. Identify bottlenecks and eliminate them. Ask the people doing the work for ideas on streamlining the process. There are different / novel / innovative ways of completing the tasks, works.



STEP NO.6. Improve supplier relationships. This applies to both internal and external suppliers. Conflicts between engineering and production are as harmful as receiving substandard materials from a supplier. Ensure coordination, harmony & peace amongst departments and people working within the organization. The phrase, “lean and mean” is bad advice. “Lean and friendly” will produce better results.



These changes have to be deliberately brought & thought out and all out efforts has to be taken to put these ideas into action by the top management. In other words, the management has to ensure that such instructions are not only percolated down the line to all levels but the same is understood by the people the way it has to be understood.