ABSTRACT
Go see for yourself
If someone else does the same job you do, watch him or her. Take notes. Look for extra time spent “walking away” from the work area to get supplies, delays, or anything that slows them down.
Go see how your customer (internal or external) uses your stuff.
Find an opportunity to meet your customers and see how they use your products of services.
The project to make your work easier is likely right under your nose annoying you every day. You can put your energy into permanently fixing that annoying problem rather than being annoyed by it daily. Use “big eyes” and “big ears” to look for things to improve. For instance, look for
What slows you down?
What gets in your way?
When does something go wrong?
Where do you see flow bottlenecks?
Where do I get frustrated because I can’t get the work done?
Where are people waiting for parts, information, or tools?
What are our customers unhappy/complaining about?
What else are our customers asking for?
