From the field guide
The cost of making people work around your internal systems.
A workaround is often a sensible local fix. Enough of them turn into the way the business actually runs.
01
The hidden bill arrives in handoffs.
Copying information, checking separate records and asking one person how a case was handled may each take minutes. Across a team, they also add delay, error risk and dependence on memory that a dashboard does not show.
02
Map before you automate.
Do not automate the first visible step. Trace the outcome back through the exceptions, approvals and sources of truth. The point is to remove the friction, not turn an unclear process into faster unclear software.
Put it to work
If this is the decision in front of your business, explore digital products built around the work. For a concrete example, See the business system in practice.
Return to the Digital guide for the wider context.
Start with the problem