Task Analysis – Finding the Bottleneck

Sometimes, the hardest task in solving process problems – is finding the bottleneck.
It may be in the way the tasks were planned, or the way the user does the task.
It may be in the time spent on the task, or the time spent redoing the task.
It may be in the instructions to the user, or the instructions to the next approver.
It may be in the employee’s workload, or the process workflow.

That’s where task analysis comes in to play. Analyzing employee’s tasks reveals process bottlenecks, task inefficiency, and under-performers.

Definition: Task analysis is a business methodology of analyzing employee tasks to improve the way core business processes are being run within a company, helping organizations to become more efficient.

Task analysis activities are grouped into five categories: time recording, prioritization, monitoring, analysis and optimization:

Time Recording is where the actual time for each of the activities is recorded.
Prioritization is where the strategic decisions are carried out.
Monitoring measures task-related performance using key performance indicators to monitor how the strategy is performing.
Analysis enables to detect discrepancies between the time plan execution and the a priori model, as well as to analyze bottlenecks.
Optimization is where strategic decisions and priorities are refined based on the the analysis.
Employee resource planning and task scheduling is revised and integrated across all employee activities.

Task analysis is a fundamental methodology in the assessment and reduction of human error.

Virgin Media – Process Fail #1

Like everyone, I’m forever having problems with my internet service.

You would think that in London, in the 21st century things would work properly. You would be wrong…
I’m sure the problems I am having would be the same if I would change my service provider.
That said, it still is frustrating…

Virgin Media has two customer support offices: One in Scotland (or North England), and one in India.
I’m not going to rant about the level of customer support, or make fun of the accents.

The issue is around the way they try to solve a problem. The process of dealing with an unsolvable bottleneck.
It seems that Virgin Media doesn’t have one approach to dealing with problems.

If you ring during the day, you get the Scottish team.
* If they can’t help you – the say so.

If you ring during the night, you get the Indian team.
* If they can’t help you – the will try to pass the blame on to someone else.

I know it is a cultural issue, and I know both teams are trying their best, but it seems that the Indian team are achieving opposite results.

I need to know if the problem cannot be solved. I’ll be angry, frustrated.. but at least I know there is nothing more that I can do.

Blatant truths solve process problems
The reason – It releases uncertainty, which is a major bottleneck in any process.
The solution – If you can’t solve the problem – state it out loud.

ProcessPolicy.com is an online business process solution for improving business performance and enforcing company policies.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are strictly my own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employers or anyone else.