BUSINESS CASE STUDY
Time Eaters. The first such calculator Text | Krzysztof Pimpicki and Michał Stangret
Even 1.3 million PLN per year can be gained by a small shared service thanks to elimination of the so-called time eaters. The first calculator on the market was designed to quickly calculate the benefits of eliminating them in Business Services and Back/Middle Office teams. Have you ever wondered what is the real
we don’t have enough time and energy
task statuses. Let's focus our attention
cost of your daily activities related to allo-
to complete tasks that provide real value
on the multiplicity of such activities per-
cating tasks to staff? How long does it
to the organization. Instead of building
formed by staff every day.
usually take for you to verify the work
teams, developing organizations, setting
Among them, we recognize 4 main
statuses of your team members? "Nego-
& reaching goals in line with the manage-
time eaters of line workers, resulting from:
tiations with staff" as to the allocation of
rial ambitions, we imperceptibly become
• Completing several tasks simultane-
unfinished tasks? Preparation of statis-
prisoners of simple, mundane activities.
ously, in a system environment that isn’t
tics, data extraction and consolidation
Imperceptibly, because this is how the time
from various systems?
eaters work.
These are only the examples of
the manager) about tasks to be perfor med on a given day and the status of
tine work. Work organization of teams
7 TIME EATERS OF EVERYDAY WORK FOR BUSINESS SERVICES & BACK OFFICE TEAMS
– especially in a remote or hybrid work
In case of a line workers, a key area of des
ding problems with the fulfilment of
model – became an ever greater chal-
tructive action of time eaters are activi-
lenge consuming more of your precious
ties that support current, everyday per-
• The need to independently arrange
time and energy.
tasks that make up your everyday rou-
20
conducive to focus. • Ineffective communication (with
the fulfilment of the other issues, inclu the tasks.
formance of the tasks. Specifically, those
staff’s own work, when deciding what is
Very often, on-going action take
related to organizing, planning, commu-
to be done in case of conflicting priori
over our schedules to such an extent that
nicating around organizing & monitoring
ties, management of urgent "drop-ins".
Focus on Business | January–February 2022
