12 - Time & Motion When Was the Last Time You Actually Watched Your Workflow?

A series about business efficiency, finding profit and how to get there

Introduction

It’s easy to assume you know how your business runs. You built the systems. You trained the people. You see the outputs every day.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth assumptions age fast. What made sense six months ago may now be cluttered, inefficient, or unnecessary and yet, most SME owners rarely pause to watch what’s actually happening inside their own workflows.

The result? Layered inefficiency. Unnoticed delays. Workarounds that became permanent. Software no one uses properly. Smart people stuck doing dumb, manual tasks.

This article is about going back to basics - not through software upgrades or reorgs, but through one simple, powerful question

“How is the work really getting done?” It’s time for a walkabout.

Actions to Be Taken
Here’s how to uncover real inefficiency using a time-and-motion mindset - no fancy tools required.

Shadow Your Team
Spend an hour watching how a job gets done, from start to finish. Just observe. Take notes. Ask clarifying questions after the fact.

Key things to look for -

• Where people wait (for approvals, files, decisions)

• Where information is repeated or copied

• Manual steps that could be automated

• Confusion about “who does what” next

Map the Process Visually
Sketch it on a whiteboard or use a simple flowchart -

• Start point → End point

• Who touches the task at each step?

• What tools are used?

• How long does each stage take?

Seeing the flow and the friction laid out visually can reveal hidden inefficiencies instantly.

Calculate Hidden Time Costs
Estimate time spent on -

• Waiting for information

• Fixing avoidable mistakes

• Repeating unnecessary tasks
  

  Multiply by hourly wage and then by frequency. You’ll find profit in the waste.

Ask the Front Line What They’d Fix
Your staff already know what’s broken - they just haven’t been asked. Hold a 20-minute session -

“If you could eliminate or automate one thing you do every day, what would it be?” Capture insights. Action them quickly to build trust and momentum.

Implement One Small Fix Per Week
Don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Small, steady improvements create habit, not overwhelm. Focus on -

• Removing a step

• Combining steps

• Automating a manual process

• Delegating clearly

Psychological Perspective
Many SME owners avoid time-and-motion reviews because it can feel like micromanagement - or worse, an admission that something is broken. But this process isn’t about blame. It’s about curiosity.

When approached with the right mindset, observation is a sign of respect - “I care enough to understand what your day actually looks like.”

It also requires humility. Sometimes, the workflow you created is the bottleneck and that’s okay, because the most effective leaders are the most adaptable.

HR Best Practice
Workflows are often tangled up in people dynamics - not just process steps.

HR’s role in process efficiency includes -

• Clarifying responsibilities - so work doesn’t fall between people

• Facilitating change conversations - especially if new processes affect roles

• Supporting retraining when automation or simplification alters how work is done

• Tracking morale impact - especially if workflow reviews surface frustrations

 Also ensure staff feel safe to share inefficiencies. If they worry about being blamed or replaced, honesty disappears and so do your insights.

Red Flags to Watch For and Mitigate Against
Keep an eye out for these signs your processes are ready for a walkabout -

• Repeated handovers with no added value

• Multiple people doing parts of the same task

• Manual data entry from one system to another

• Common tasks being explained multiple times

• Customers or suppliers needing to “chase” you for information

 These aren’t just clunky processes - they’re signals of deeper system debt.

Narrative Story Meet Louise from Taupō
Louise runs a growing artisan food business in Taupō. Orders were up, but fulfilment was always behind. She assumed it was a staffing issue, until she spent a morning shadowing her dispatch team.

She discovered -

• Labels were printed from one system, then re-entered into another

• Inventory was tracked on paper, then typed manually at day’s end

• One staff member paused packing every 20 minutes to ask for order details

None of it was malicious - just inherited. Louise acted fast -

• Integrated her systems using a simple plug-in

• Moved to a live shared spreadsheet for stock

• Introduced order summaries that printed with packing slips

In 30 days, order turnaround improved by 40% and she avoided a costly hire.

Her reflection? - “I didn’t need more hands - I just needed fewer steps.”

Golden Nugget - If you want to find hidden profit, stop assuming and start observing.

If you’d like a confidential, free of charge, free of obligation conversation about your business, here’s how to get me.

 📞 Phone +64 275 665 682
✉️ Email john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz
🌐 Contact Form www.regenerationhq.co.nz/contact

If you’d like to read more RegenerationHQ thinking on SME business and other things, go here – www.regenerationhq.co.nz/articlesoverview

🔹 RegenerationHQ Ltd - Business Problems Solved Sensibly.
Supporting NZ SME Owners to Exit Well, Lead Better and Build Business Value.