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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

Welcome to the Rethink Productivity podcast . Really interesting episode for you . So we've been playing with notebook language model and when I hand over , everything you're going to hear is from some information we've fed it and then it's generated using AI bots that will talk . They're not particularly great with an intro and an exit , but without further ado , I will hand over this episode to AI .

Speaker 2 0:26

Ever feel like you're always running behind at work .

Speaker 3 0:28

Yeah .

Speaker 2 0:28

Like there just aren't enough hours to get everything done .

Speaker 3 0:30

It's a common feeling .

Speaker 2 0:32

And it's not just you , right , I mean . It's like every business owner is always trying to crack the code on productivity .

Speaker 3 0:37

Absolutely .

Speaker 2 0:38

So today we're really excited to do a deep dive on this topic . Work study .

Speaker 1 0:44

Yeah .

Speaker 2 0:44

With us we have the experts from Rethink Productivity . They're here to break down their unique approach to helping businesses like yours uncover these hidden productivity opportunities . That's right that . Let's face it are probably lurking in plain sight in your operation as we speak . Yeah , exactly , and we're not just talking about , like you know , those generic work , faster tips here .

Speaker 3 1:05

Yeah , no .

Speaker 2 1:06

This is about working smarter .

Speaker 3 1:08

This is about working smarter , and the team at Rethink Productivity . They've got the system . It's really cool Three levels of work , study , each one giving you a more you know , fine-tuned lens to zoom in on those inefficiencies that could be costing you well time and money .

Speaker 2 1:25

Exactly , and that's what we're going to unpack today . By the end of this deep dive , you'll know exactly which level , or maybe even a combination of levels , is the right fit for your business Exactly . So let's start with level one . I think they call this one the team efficiency study , right ?

Speaker 3 1:39

Yeah , team efficiency study .

Speaker 2 1:43

And basically this is where things get well real . We're hitting the pause button on your typical workday and we're getting this like bird's eye view of where everyone's time is actually going .

Speaker 3 1:51

It is . It's a snapshot in time of where we're spending our time .

Speaker 2 1:55

So think about it like this Are your teams ? Are they chained to their desks all day , or are they out on the floor engaging with customers or are they out on the ? Floor engaging with customers Right . How much time is actually spent on those mission-critical tasks versus things like administrative work or inventory management ? Level one it's going to uncover those answers .

Speaker 3 2:14

It does . And the thing about Rethink Productivity is they don't just look at your data . You know what you're doing internally . They take a look , they have this massive database of information from other businesses kind of like yours in your industry , and so they can give you that outside-in perspective .

Speaker 2 2:31

Oh , that's interesting . Through benchmarking , wow , yeah , so you can see how you stack up against the competition .

Speaker 3 2:35

That's right . So you're not just relying on your gut feeling , which a lot of us business owners do . You have hard data to see where you're excelling , where there is room for improvement . I love that . So you're going from , I think to .

Speaker 2 2:51

I know , basically , and imagine like being able to pinpoint okay , this is where we could be saving hours , you know , each week , just by making a tweak here , streamlining a process there .

Speaker 3 3:05

Absolutely , and what's fascinating is often at this level we discover what we call these quick wins . You know the things that you can do quickly , and they may seem small , but they can make a big difference . We see it all the time .

Speaker 2 3:12

It's like those hidden efficiencies no one knew were there until , you like , really you know .

Speaker 3 3:17

Yeah , like dust bunnies of productivity or something .

Speaker 2 3:20

Totally , totally , and that actually is a perfect segue , I think , into level two , right , yeah , totally . And that actually is a perfect segue , I think , into level two , right , yeah , absolutely , that's what they call this one task analysis . Yeah , it's task analysis . Okay , so if level one was kind of like we're up at 30,000 feet getting a broad view , what is this one ?

Speaker 3 3:39

So , level two we're going to grab our magnifying glass . Okay , we're going to zoom in on those individual tasks I like it . We're gonna break those down into those bite-sized pieces .

Speaker 2 3:45

Okay , so we're getting granular here .

Speaker 3 3:46

We are getting granular .

Speaker 2 3:47

We are really like dissecting these everyday tasks .

Speaker 3 3:50

Yeah , and that's where the magic happens , right , you take something , you look at . It seems simple on the surface , but when you really examine it in detail , that's when you start to see bottlenecks you never knew existed . Oh interesting you .

Speaker 2 4:08

And imagine having the data right , because it's not just like , oh , we feel like we're wasting time , it's like , no , here's the data that backs it up . This is where those inefficiencies lie .

Speaker 3 4:19

That's right . And the data is not just about , like , measuring time , it's about optimizing the entire process , right ? So , like rethink productivity in this material . They talk about this click and collect service . They analyzed this material . They talk about this click and collect service . They analyzed , and just by making one small change changing where they store those popular items , like moving them closer to the packing area they were able to significantly reduce the amount of time it took to fulfill those orders .

Speaker 2 4:46

It's amazing , right , Like when you think about it just changing that one thing . But if that task is repeated hundreds of times a day , let's say oh , absolutely . Those minutes , those seconds , they add up .

Speaker 3 4:58

Compounding all about compounding .

Speaker 2 4:59

Yeah , exactly , and we're talking about now . You freed up your team to focus on the things that really matter , that move the needle for your business , and this is , I'm guessing , where Rethink Productivity . Their team , that's where they come in .

Speaker 3 5:12

This is where those guys they shine . You know those analysts . They live and breathe this stuff , and this isn't just number crunching . These are people who have deep experience across a variety of industries , so they've seen it all and they know what works .

Speaker 2 5:27

So they've seen all the best practices and they're bringing that to the table . Exactly All right . So we've zoomed out with level one . Right , we took a closer look with level two .

Speaker 3 5:35

Our granular , but now yeah .

Speaker 2 5:37

Level three . This is like we're going full on Sherlock Holmes here , yeah .

Speaker 3 5:42

Deep dive movement analysis .

Speaker 2 5:43

Deep dive movement analysis Okay . That's right , so this is like the high powered microscope of work study . Yes , we are focusing on those super repetitive short cycle tasks that happen every single day in businesses .

Speaker 3 5:57

I think every business listening to this is thinking about at least one of them right now . You know it's like you can picture your team wasting time on these small repetitive motions . You know it's like maybe they have to reach across their workstation a hundred times a day to grab a tool , or they're constantly swiveling back and forth between their computer screen and something else .

Speaker 2 6:15

Yeah , like a client facing screen .

Speaker 3 6:16

Exactly .

Speaker 2 6:17

Yeah .

Speaker 3 6:17

And it's those little things that drive you crazy , right . But the good news is , rethink has a method for this , and they use a really kind of cool method . It's called MTM methods time measurement .

Speaker 2 6:29

Okay , so they're like choreographing the workplace for peak performance . They are OK , so they're like choreographing the workplace for peak performance . They are , that's fascinating .

Speaker 3 6:34

That's right . It's about analyzing every single movement to find those hidden efficiencies , because they're there .

Speaker 2 6:49

So how does ?

Speaker 3 6:50

like , ok , we're shaving seconds off a task , right , but for businesses , listening , how does that translate into ? Like , real savings ? It's all about the compounding right . Like , let's say you're running a busy restaurant and you can shave just five seconds off , how long it takes your team to assemble a burger ? Sounds small , right , yeah . But if they're making hundreds of burgers a day , those seconds they turn into minutes , they turn into hours of saved labor over the course of a week , over the course of a month . Wow . Not to mention , you know , less wear and tear on your team too , less chance of those repetitive strain injuries . So happy your employees .

Speaker 2 7:21

It's a win-win .

Speaker 3 7:22

Exactly .

Speaker 2 7:22

So we've gone through these three levels and I want to bring it back to our listeners for a second . Sure , think about your own business , right , your own team . What's jumping out at you ? What ?

Speaker 3 7:37

Yeah , that's the million dollar question . Right , but it's not just about identifying the problem , is it ? It's about what do we do about it and , thankfully , Rethink Productivity . They don't just give you this report and then see you later . They actually work with you to figure out how do we put these things into practice . So it's like having a productivity coach in your corner .

Speaker 2 7:58

I love that Helping you implement these changes . And making it stick right ? That's right , Becauseping you implement these changes . And making it stick right , that's right Because that's the other thing .

Speaker 3 8:03

Yeah , and if you want to go even deeper , they have these really cool things . They call them role studies , so it's like imagine being able to zoom in on . You know , how are your key players actually spending their time ?

Speaker 2 8:16

And then you can use that information to optimize their roles Probiotically , so they're working smarter , not harder .

Speaker 3 8:21

Working smarter , not harder . That's right and we won't get into it too much in this deep dive . But they also offer workload modeling , which can be really helpful for making sure that you've got the right number of people with the right skills and the right roles at the right time .

Speaker 2 8:36

It's like having that perfectly balanced equation for your team .

Speaker 1 8:39

It is , it is .

Speaker 2 8:47

Well , unfortunately we are out of time for today's deep dive , but this has been absolutely fascinating .

Speaker 3 8:49

It really has Really insightful information from Rethink Productivity .

Speaker 2 8:50

So much to think about , isn't there ? So for our listeners , we want you to walk away with this . Think about one area in your business where even just a small improvement you know something small could have this ripple effect of positive change . Maybe it's how you're handling customer inquiries . Maybe it's managing inventory . Maybe it's onboarding new employees .

Speaker 3 9:09

Whatever it is .

Speaker 2 9:10

Challenge yourself Right . Take what we've talked about today and try to implement just one change .

Speaker 1 9:16

I love that .

Speaker 2 9:17

Because the results they might just astound you .

Speaker 3 9:19

They often do .

Speaker 2 9:20

Unlocking your business's productivity potential is an ongoing journey , but with the right tools , the right insights , a little bit of inspiration you got this . You can achieve amazing things . Don't forget to check out Rethink Productivity's website and be on the lookout for their upcoming book . Every Second Counts Until next time . We'll see you on our next deep dive .