Is Your Organisation Efficient?

Are You Aware Of Your Wastage?

Case Study -Further Results

Background

Thrive Case Study...

Thrive At Work received a brief to investigate long standing grievances and poor performances within a particular professional group (made up of three sections) in a major organisation.

There was unacceptable wastage in terms of: time, work practises, absenteeism, poor delivery of service and the associated economic cost.

The negative impacts on other professions that worked within the same teams were significant and moral, respect and team co-operation was extremely low.

Senior management spent a great deal of time and frustration trying to sort out the situation and encourage the group to adequately perform their duties. This of course meant that managers time and expertise was misplaced and their workload and stress increased.

The Project

To gather an accurate picture of the workplace and service delivery plus learn how the different professions intersected in terms of: processes, tasks, systems, infrastructure and performance.
Clarify the realistic optimum performance outcomes and associated tasks that were required for the particular profession to ensure desired outcomes. Further to ensure that these tasks effectively dovetailed with the tasks and expectations of the other professions involved in providing the service.

Efficiency limitations found within organisation	Wastage per dollar spent

Level one – Plant, system, processes, tasks
A significant number of processes where not aligned to the overall organizational processes.	35%
A range of tasks were duplicated	35%
Inaccuracy within processes led to costly mistakes.	38%
Bottlenecks were limiting process capacity	42%
Resources wasted on redundant activities	27%
Unnecessary delays in the system	32%

Level two – People who do participate in the processes
Lack of capacity to carry out required functions	23%
Unresolved conflict and resentments	37%
Lack of buy-in to introduced changes	33%
Confusion amongst employees	32%
Misalignment of expectations	35%

Results relating to: tasks, performance and training

Two key results

1. Employees knowledge of the tasks in their JDs and how to perform them was startling low. This was also reflected in other professions knowledge.

Self knowledge of tasks + training shortfalls

Three sections of the profession	Number of tasks that participants were unaware of and did not know how to deliver	Number of tasks that participants required more training in
1.	44%	53%
2.	35%	42%
3.	35%	57%

Other professions knowledge of the tasks performed by the 3 sections of the professions

Three sections of the profession	Tasks known by all	Tasks unknown by 25% or more
1.	38%	38%
2.	5%	55%
3.	6%	69%

Overall knowledge of tasks prescribed in JD’s is:
45%

2. Quality of performance
65% below the required standard

Other results

At senior management level there was not commonly held agreement on the duties to be carried out.
The tasks in the JD’s were not well aligned to stated expectations of managers.
The training, which was delivered by a technical institute, fell well short of the organisation’s requirements and as a result employees were not “work ready” when they started the job.
Orientation to both the job and the organisation was erratic and rushed.
Ongoing supervision was spasmodic and not well organised.
Ongoing in-house training was excellent but often piecemeal and not sustained so that a high percentage of excellent training was wasted.
Performance management systems were not put in place.

Testimonials

“ Although the picture presented by Thrive was not what we expected, it is realistic and explains why we are experiencing poor client feedback and inefficiencies. I am aware that the Thrive diagnosis presents us with an opportunity to align our processes and training from the bottom up. I am sure then and only then will we provide the services we claim to and the background infrastructure to support that. I also believe that we will retain the best employees.”

“Over the years we have had our processes assessed and received recommendations. After engaging Thrive at Work I now realize past attempts have been

a) piecemeal and

b) have failed to be sufficiently robust."

“The depth and thorough nature of the Thrive diagnosis has brought us to a place of truth and provided us with a range of strategies ranging from structural change to sorting out our people needs. I now see the importance of identifying all facets of wastage. We have all the ducks lined up.”