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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:06

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 0:31

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

Speaker 3 0:33

Yeah.

Speaker 2 0:33

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

Speaker 3 0:35

It's a common feeling.

Speaker 2 0:37

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 0:42

Absolutely.

Speaker 2 0:43

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

Speaker 1 0:49

Yeah.

Speaker 2 0:49

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 1:10

Yeah, no.

Speaker 2 1:11

This is about working smarter.

Speaker 3 1:13

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 1:29

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 1:44

Yeah, team efficiency study.

Speaker 2 1:48

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 1:56

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

Speaker 2 2:00

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 2:19

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 2:36

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

Speaker 3 2:40

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 2:56

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 3:10

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 3:17

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

Speaker 3 3:22

Yeah, like dust bunnies of productivity or something.

Speaker 2 3:25

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 3:44

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 3:50

Okay, so we're getting granular here.

Speaker 3 3:51

We are getting granular.

Speaker 2 3:52

We are really like dissecting these everyday tasks.

Speaker 3 3:55

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 4:13

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 4:24

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 4:51

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 5:03

Compounding all about compounding.

Speaker 2 5:04

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 5:17

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 5:32

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 5:40

Our granular, but now yeah.

Speaker 2 5:42

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

Speaker 3 5:47

Deep dive movement analysis.

Speaker 2 5:48

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 6:02

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 6:20

Yeah, like a client facing screen.

Speaker 3 6:21

Exactly.

Speaker 2 6:22

Yeah.

Speaker 3 6:22

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 6:34

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 6:39

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

Speaker 2 6:54

So how does?

Speaker 3 6:55

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 7:26

It's a win-win.

Speaker 3 7:27

Exactly.

Speaker 2 7:27

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 7:42

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 8:03

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 8:08

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 8:21

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

Speaker 3 8:26

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 8:41

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

Speaker 1 8:44

It is, it is.

Speaker 2 8:52

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

Speaker 3 8:54

It really has Really insightful information from Rethink Productivity.

Speaker 2 8:55

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 9:14

Whatever it is.

Speaker 2 9:15

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

Speaker 1 9:21

I love that.

Speaker 2 9:22

Because the results they might just astound you.

Speaker 3 9:24

They often do.

Speaker 2 9:25

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.