Efficiency Boost: Streamline One Form for Big Gains

In every organisation, forms and templates are the backbone of daily operations. They guide workflows, standardise communication, ensure the required information is collected and ensure consistency. But how often do we pause to assess their efficiency?

Over time, these tools can become outdated, overly complex, or redundant, costing your team precious time and energy.

Streamlining just one form or template can set off a ripple effect of improvement across your business.

Here’s how and why this small tweak can lead to significant gains.

Why Streamlining Matters

1. Reduces Waste: LEAN principles emphasise minimising wasted effort, time, and materials. Outdated forms often collect irrelevant information or require unnecessary steps, creating bottlenecks.

2. Improves Accuracy: Simplified forms with clear instructions reduce errors, which saves time on corrections and follow-ups.

3. Boosts Productivity: By cutting out unnecessary steps, employees can complete tasks faster, freeing up time for more valuable activities.

4. Enhances User Experience: A well-designed form is easier to understand, making it user-friendly for both staff and customers.

Steps to Streamline a Form or Template

1. Identify the Most Used Form
   Start with a form or template that your team or customers interact with frequently. For example, an expense report, customer feedback form, or sales proposal template.

2. Gather Feedback
   Ask users what they find confusing, time-consuming, or redundant. Their insights can reveal hidden inefficiencies.

3. Go to ‘GEMBA’

   Pull some completed forms and review what data is being captured. Watch some of the forms being completed in real time. Review whether the data inputted into the form makes it through to your data capture system.

4. Review the Purpose
   Clearly define what the form or template is meant to achieve. Eliminate fields or steps that don’t serve this purpose.

5. Simplify the Layout

   • Use logical groupings for fields.

   • Include only essential information.

   • Avoid technical jargon or unclear instructions.

6. Leverage Automation
   Incorporate automation tools like dropdown menus, autofill options, or pre-set templates in software like Google Forms, Microsoft Excel, Jotform or your CRM system. Automating processes can significantly reduce manual entry and errors. These forms can then feed this data into secondary systems for analysis or to action future steps.

7. Test and Iterate
   Before rolling out your updated form, test it with a small group. Adjust based on feedback, ensuring it meets user needs without compromising efficiency.

Practical Example: Expense Report Simplification

Imagine your team struggles with a cumbersome expense report process requiring multiple approvals and manual entry. By streamlining it:

• Consolidate approval steps into one automated process.

• Use an online tool to digitize receipts and automate calculations.

• Remove redundant fields (e.g., detailed descriptions for every coffee receipt).

The result? Faster submissions, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on strategic priorities.

The Bigger Picture

While streamlining one form or template may seem small, it embodies a broader commitment to continuous improvement. As you refine tools and processes, you create a culture of efficiency and innovation, aligning with LEAN methodologies. The cumulative effect of these small changes can revolutionise your operations.

Are you ready to tackle inefficiencies in your business? Start with one form, and watch the benefits unfold.

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