Productivity Pulse 6

Hear directly from our experts—Sue, Simon, & James —who share real-world trends, new data findings, and actionable productivity insights

We share the latest ReThink Academy training updates and why we built courses we wish we’d had when we first stepped into productivity and workload modelling roles. We also unpack how measuring work can remove customer friction, from mobile phone sales processing to the daily annoyances of hotel check-in, and why buy-in makes or breaks operational models

• ReThink Academy expansion and what’s new 
• Introduction To Productivity course for new starters and teams 
• Workload Modelling course and the wider ecosystem around it 
• Method study as a practical process improvement framework 
• Time and motion study, work measurement and MTM pathways 
• Why productivity data supports better customer experience 
• Mobile phone retail example where processing time dominates 
• Workload model trust, overstaffing vs understaffing and queue impact 
• Retail Technology Show and benchmarking report launch plans 

We will be at the Retail Technology Show (RTS) the 22nd and 23rd of April at the Excel in London Book a meeting at RTS

 #theproductivityexperts
Register for the 2026 Productivity Forum
Find us in the Top 50 Productivity Podcasts
Connect to Simon on LinkedIn
Follow ReThink on LinkedIn 

Transcript

Productivity Pulse Kick-Off

SPEAKER_02 0:05

Welcome to the Productivity Podcast. This is Productivity Pulse April 2026, and James and Sue return. Hi both.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Hello. Hi Simon.

SPEAKER_02 0:16

So we're going to kick off with some exciting news. The Rethink Academy has been expanded. We now have a number of new training courses and a couple that have been around for a couple of years. So we'll take you through them briefly. James, do you want to talk about one of the new ones, which is introduction to productivity?

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Yeah, I'd love to. It's a course that I wish had been available when I started my career in productivity, because yeah, we've we found in a lot of cases people are put into roles in productivity or operations teams and you know need a bit of a helping hand to get their heads around the jargon, the most important concepts, and you know, what productivity is and why it's important and how you can drive productivity. We've come up with a course that covers all of those topics, lots and lots of interactive exercises to help you get your head around it. And it's a lot of fun to deliver. The test has been going really well. If you are new into a role in productivity or are moving somebody into a role in your team and you want to give them a thorough grounding of what productivity means, it's a two-day course and it's it's excellent. So yeah, I'm really looking forward to getting involved in that one.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Good. I know lots of hard work have gone into creating it alongside the workload modeling course, something that's plagued you throughout your career through workload models, but now you're expertise in building and expert in writing the course as well.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Yeah, so the workload model one is in some ways is the system one to the introduction to productivity. So it can be a good course for people that are starting and are going to be actually working in the depths of workload models themselves. It's also really good for people that that perhaps make decisions as a result of workload model information, or for the people that are perhaps leading the teams that are doing workload modelling. So it's kind of anybody that's that's in that orbit. So we cover, you know, the things that what a workload model is and the basics of how you work. It also covers the white matters, how you can use them, how not to use them, the sort of governance that you need around them. And that's not heavy-handed governance, it's about how you make sure people are bought in. Because essentially, changes in workload models then need to a change management process because if it creates a difference, that has to be explained and brought into. So it's that whole ecosystem around if you're driving productivity and you're making changes, how do you work with workload modelling to make sure you're doing that in the best way that you can? And then bringing everybody with you.

Method Study And Work Measurement

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Perfect. I wish again, I wish I had had that when I started out my workload modeling career. Method study is another new addition to the Rethink Academy family. So Phil is our expert, brilliant tutor, really brings this to life. Um, method study is all around improving how tasks are carried out, learning a framework to critically analyse existing processes and rebuild them for kind of maximum output of better layouts and the core skills to kind of carry that through into your business. So that course is five days, sits really, really nicely with our time and motion work measurement training course. So that's been around for a couple of years now, and again, Phil Phil's our core tutor on that. So that's around being able to conduct your own time and motion measurements, rated activity sampling, production studies, role studies, we call them, accredited by the UK MTM Association alongside the method study one. And we shouldn't forget the UK MTM Association as well. So a range of training and advisory courses there through all the various building blocks of MTM from base through to MTM1, UAS, Sol Logistics, all of the different ones that apply to different parts and types of businesses. If you're not familiar with MTM, probably worth catching up on the three UK MTM podcast we did at the start of 2026 that explains it in more detail. But that's when we start to get really, really detailed into each human motion, each pick, putting get, and really, really brilliant for all those environments where you've got lots of repetitious activities and processes outside of anything to do with customers. So the the Academy's good, thriving, really, really good material, lots of it based around conversations as well in the room or online when we're performing the courses. Some of these are better face-to-face, the conversation is just better and flows, but some brilliant content and brilliant material that the team have put together. So look forward to seeing people inquiring and booking those. They're all available to have a look at on the website. Yeah, and look forward to getting some feedback.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

If I could add, I think the method study ones, it's a good sister one to the time and motion study one, but I think it's a good bridge into other areas. So things like the MTM one and then the work measurement course are very technical, and it essentially you're an industrial engineer when you completed them. So it's that level of professional education. The work study one I think is a really good hybrid. Actually, if you're somebody that's looking after a particular process and you really want to understand what's the best way to do this to save time, to make it better, that's exactly what that method study course does. So if you're in a an operations team and you don't want to go to quite the level of people having like industrial engineers and kind of timing things, but actually can use some of those disciplines and techniques to rework the processes, then it's a it's a really good thing to do. And as you said, it's really participative. So it's it's a really nice bridge between the out and out technical bit of work measurement and the more generalist stuff that we'll cover as part of the introduction to productivity.

Modern Training Tools And AI

SPEAKER_02 6:03

And spoiler alert, all the videos are HD, none of them are black and white. I saw one a couple of weeks ago that was still being used, which predated my birth of somebody walking across a post office yard, and it was clearly filmed from a VHS or even Betamax for those that remember, the one that never took off video. So yeah, all the all the collaterals up to date, all the videos are nice and modern. There's even a bit of AI in there as well. So yeah, looking forward to seeing people take those, and it's always good to see people on LinkedIn sharing the certificates and the like. Right then, let's move into what we've been seeing in recent projects. James, I think you've got some interesting insight you wanted to share around kind of where productivity meets customer experience in a in an environment.

Productivity Meets Customer Experience

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Yeah, and this this links a little bit to the intro to productivity course as well. So sometimes when I meet new people and they ask me what I do, I talk about time and motion studies. Their reaction is, oh, right, so you know, you're you're trying to help companies cut costs or or cut jobs. And I'm like, well, you you might think that, but the whole ethos of rethink productivity is about collecting great data so that we can deliver insights so people can make positive changes to their business. And the whole essence of productivity, I think Sue talked about it on a previous podcast. It's not about it's not about spending less or committing less, it's about delivering more as well as that. And sometimes instead of that. We've seen an example. So working with a mobile phone brand recently, we uh we took the opportunity to go into our archive of UK mobile phone studies. And what do you think, Simon? If if you were walking into a mobile phone shop tomorrow, how long do you think you would spend? If you were going to buy a new handset from that from that brand, how long do you think it would take you to do that transaction on average? 23 minutes. 23, that's very precise. Well, you would be uh disappointed, which which I think most most UK consumers would be, because actually 23 minutes is the average amount of time it takes to process those transactions, not to choose the phone, not to get to know the the details of the offers. But the actual time, once you've chosen your phone, it takes on average around 23 minutes to buy that phone, go through all the credit checks and get signed up and leave, which is just over half of the average time to complete that sale. So in three mobile phone brands in the UK, we're looking at each of them less than half the time to buy the phone is the fun stuff, trying the phones and talking about the deals and choosing the phone. More than half the time is how long it takes to process. And you know, we're talking about averages here. So looking at three brands, our average is 35, 43, and 40 minutes to buy a new handset. This means that people are spending an hour, over an hour, buying these phones, and a huge proportion of that time is processing the sale. Sue has talked about this before. She always talks about customers sitting there looking at the top of a salesperson's head while they tap information into a tablet or a PC. And you know, people do as the best that they can in this situation. Most people working in a sales environment are fantastic at engaging customers and talking to them while they're doing the necessary stuff they need to do in order to process the sale, but they're not able to focus on the customer and make them feel really special. And you know, this is an example of we've measured a process here. The objective of a client in this scenario is not how do we how do we process this quicker because we want to make some people redundant? It's about how can we process this quicker so it's better for the customer? How can we make this experience less painful for for them? What checks do we need to do? What checks are nice to do? How do we talk about our loyalty program or our app or whatever it might be? How do we talk about the legal T's and C's that we need to deliver them? How can we make that full and meet all the legal requirements, but still make it an engaging and quick experience? Because with the best will in the world, once you've chosen your phone, you don't want to sit there for 23 minutes while uh somebody's tapping information into a PC to get it. And this was the reason that that this springs to mind really is because productivity is not just about reducing costs. There's a huge crossover with delivering great customer experiences, and we all know if you can do that, then you can make a huge difference to your business.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

So you've set me off now because while you were speaking, this reminded you of one of my bugbears. And I will I will frame it with him about to go on holiday, and Sue will be stood next to me as I start to get really, really irate as I check into the hotel that I've given all my details to to know everything about me, when I'm coming, what car I'm driving, the date of birth, my inside leg measurement, everything else that they need to know, and then persist for five to ten minutes to tap away at a keyboard doing I have no idea what. Well, I do know because we've measured some of it, but and it and it's just a similar theme across every hotel I go into, in fairness, other than places like Premier In where they're pretty slick and and travel lodge with the self-checking. Drives me mad. Drives me mad. But that's my that's my rant on that. Sorry, we diversify. So get yourself stealed for those moments of my impatientness and vein sticking out the side of my head coming up.

SPEAKER_00 11:53

But um I thought you were going to talk about your impatience at humans trying to work out what they need to put on the on the conveyor belt to go through the scanner at the airport for the security check.

Workload Modelling And Staffing Reality

SPEAKER_02 12:03

No, that'll be first, that'll be before we check in at any hotel, the the intelligence test of take all your liquids out, and then it goes through and somebody's like, Well, water's a liquid, clearly. I could do a whole different podcast on that. But um we'll we'll we'll get back on track slightly and and good luck in the next couple of weeks with putting up with me. Um you wanted to just touch quickly on how some of that relates to workload modelling?

SPEAKER_00 12:25

Yes, again, there's a real connection between workload modelling and and customer experience. So there's been a number of businesses that we've seen over the last probably 12, 18 months where they've got a workload model, but it either isn't working particularly well for them or it works, but actually nobody operationally takes any notice of it. And when that happens, you get a real variation in the different stores of experience for both the colleagues and the customer. Because what you end up with is some stores that are have got more people in them than they need, so in effect they're overstaffed, and then you've got some that are really tight and understaffed, and we see more customer cues. So again, it's that connection between customer experience, productivity, workload modeling, you know, it really makes a massive difference to both customers and colleagues. Because if you're working in a shop when there's just not enough to do, that's really dull. If you're working in a shop where customers are getting a bit irritated because they're having to wait too long, that's really stressful and not pleasant either. So I think having a workload model that really works. And it's not it goes back a bit to that thing about the course, you know, it's not just about does the workload model work accurately, but actually does the work has the work being done so that people have bought into it and understand it and and comply with it. So it's interesting how the different threads always kind of come back together in that way.

Retail Tech Show And Report

SPEAKER_02 14:00

It is all roadly all roads lead to productivity. And it's been a busy time because the team have been working clearly out in the field studying, gathering some great data. James, your team's been working on insights. We've also been building the new courses. But April's a big month, so two key things in April. We've talked about it before, we're at the retail technology show in the XL, 22nd, 23rd of April on stand W45. Plenty of meetings already booked. We'll put the link in the show notes to book a meeting if you want to dedicate some time to come and see us, catch up, to talk about the re-budget online model, study work, productivity in general, just to say hi. That'd be cool. But also, we touched on it very, very briefly on the last productivity pulse around our benchmarking report. Again, launched the 22nd of April, so the first day of the retail tech show, be available to download at the show, be some physical copies and from the website. We're going to do a special edition of the productivity pulse that will launch on the 22nd of April as well, where we'll take you into the report a little bit further, share some of the insights and findings and some fascinating things in there. Got some great quotes from some brilliant retailers in there as well that we can share. So look out for that. We'll launch that while we're at the show, but feel free to come along to Stan W45 and say hi. We'll all have our nice rebudget t-shirts on, and it'd be great to see you. So we'll pause there. I will steal myself for airport security and hotel check-in and report back. Good luck, Sue. You're gonna need it. And thank you, James. We'll catch up on the next episode. Thank you very much. Bon voyage.