Lean Case Study - The Organised Office

SECTOR: Government

Three people worked on the same task at a cluster of desks sharing a printer. Every computer transaction generated a print and after about 10 transactions, one of them would stand up, go to the printer, sort out their own work from the printer output tray and return to their desk.

When the staff reviewed the layout, they recognised that time was spent walking to and from the printer and sorting through all the print-outs to find their own, so they came up with this revised layout.

Simply by turning the printer through 90 degrees means that one person can now sort through the printer output without moving from their chair. As that person sorts through the print-outs, they hand on the work belonging to their two colleagues. And the end result? No more walking to the printer at all, and only one person rather than three people sorting through the work.

This simple measure - moving a printer - created an increase in throughput of more than five per cent.