I figured that since I’m always talking about how technology can enable a good (and lean) process, I’d also point out how it can highlight a bad process for improvement.
To find an example of this at this time of year you have to look no further than your post office for a lesson in inefficiency.
I had ordered my wife a birthday present recently (yes it coincides with the Christmas rush!) thinking that a week would be more than enough time to get a small package from outside of Philadelphia to Central New Jersey (only 64 miles).
While it still might get here within a week (but a day late for her birthday, which I’ll never hear the end of), thanks to modern technology, I was able to track the shipment…talk about “circuitous routing”. This package has as many stops as Santa Claus and still hasn’t reached its final destination….
Date & Time
Status of Item
Location
December 20, 2013 , 1:54 am
TRENTON, NJ 08650
December 19, 2013 , 10:34 am
Processed through USPS Sort Facility
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ 07716
December 19, 2013 , 8:47 am
Out for Delivery
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ 07716
December 19, 2013 , 8:37 am
Sorting Complete
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ 07716
December 19, 2013 , 8:23 am
Arrival at Post Office
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ 07716
December 19, 2013
Depart USPS Sort Facility
TRENTON, NJ 08650
December 19, 2013 , 4:45 am
Processed through USPS Sort Facility
TRENTON, NJ 08650
December 17, 2013
Depart USPS Sort Facility
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176
December 17, 2013 , 7:49 pm
Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176
December 17, 2013 , 6:34 pm
Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility
ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
December 13, 2013
Electronic Shipping Info Received
This demonstrates the fact that with the whole world now “wired” and connected via the internet, our inefficiencies are not only exposed to ourselves but potentially to our customers and partners.
While the US Post Office has long been a target of jokes (ex: “46 cents is a really good price to mail a letter; 6 cents for delivery and 40 cents for the storage”), this can be used to illustrate that technology can be useful to not only enable a good process, but to help improve a bad one.
Maybe we should think of computerized tracking as a kind of tool of root cause analysis (or use it to create a simple value stream map) that enables us to look at our distribution network for inefficiencies or non-value added activities such as excess storage, handling or movement.
So here’s to all of us getting our holiday presents on time (and in one piece) this year. Maybe Santa will start a tracking service next year which will lead to the elves and reindeers running a leaner operation!
On that note, I’d like to wish everyone Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year.
