Time & Motion

Time and motion studies focus on recording time against work activities with a view of the detection and improvement of inefficient processes. Organisational roles or tasks are broken down into motions, which are a sequence of activities or processes. Then the precise amount of time taken for the successful completion of each of these activities is measured.

The results are then analysed to ultimately assist in determining the most efficient method to carry out the roles, most efficiently utilizing available resources, and establishing time standards to inform strategic planning. Once opportunities have been identified and changes implemented, the study is repeated to confirm that expected results are produced.

Situation

Our client recognised that there was divergence within the processing efforts of teams related to differing interpretations of activities undertaken. These variations in work processes exposed our client to inefficient actions across the network of five teams, consisting of approximately 80 staff. Furthermore, the disparate processes provided a challenge in aligning a cost base with these activities throughout its processing network.

Solution

The Chartertech team began by establishing an Activity Dictionary for activities that became the key to achieving process alignment through a standardised process taxonomy. This enabled all stakeholders to agree on what was to be measured and why. This review assessed the business process controls and specifically focused on activities underpinning recovery operations. Specific areas of focus were on the time taken to perform similar activities and providing the client with a detailed understanding and assurance of the time taken in completing each task and category.

Outcome

Chartertech provided the client with a detailed report identifying processing gaps where incremental improvements could be made to business processes. This information builds towards an improved future operating model. The recommendations included a quantitative analysis of transaction processing times using statistical techniques which included outlier analysis, central tendency and skewed distribution to assess the variability of processing times.

The client accepted the review findings which provided an evidence base from which to undertake business process improvement. This enabled the client to work towards standard work effort timings to support process improvements to processing times, driving continuous improvement and informing an activity-based costing framework.