๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ โ๐๐น๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ (๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐)
Most inefficiency doesnโt come from big failures, it comes from work thatโs nearly done but keeps getting pulled back. This post looks at how โalmost thereโ work creates quiet rework, multiple handoffs, and lost time across teams. It shifts the focus from the task itself to what stops it being finished properly the first time. Thatโs where the real cost sits. Close those gaps earlier, and the work moves forward instead of bouncing back.
Dawn Thiart
4/24/20261 min read
Most inefficiency in the business isnโt big.
Itโs not broken systems.
Itโs not massive failures.
Itโs smaller than that.
๐๐โ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ โ๐ฎ๐น๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ
It sounds like:
โข โItโs 80% done, just needs a few tweaksโ
โข โWeโre just waiting on clarificationโ
โข โThere are a couple of small errors to fixโ
On their own, none of these feel like a problem, but they add up.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด
This is where time quietly disappears:
โข work gets passed forward, then pulled back
โข small gaps create rework downstream
โข people spend time fixing instead of progressing
โข outputs are close โ but not usable
Itโs not one big issue but rather constant interruption.
๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฒ๐
๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ
Take something simple like a status update or report.
It gets drafted.
Then sent for input.
Then comes back with comments.
Then gets reworked.
Then reviewed again.
By the time itโs finished:
โข 3โ4 people have touched it
โข multiple versions exist
โข time has been spent reinterpreting and fixing
The work wasnโt hard, it went through multiple hands... multiple times.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
โAlmost doneโ work doesnโt move things forward.
It slows everything down.
Because every time something isnโt quite right:
โข someone has to pick it up again
โข someone has to interpret it
โข someone has to fix it
Thatโs where the real cost sits.
Not in doing the work but in finishing it properly.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐
But by closing the gaps earlier:
โข ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด โ getting to a usable starting point faster
โข ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป โ catching issues before they move downstream
โข ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป โ filling in missing information upfront
Now the output isnโt โalmost thereโ.
Itโs nearly there. :-)
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐
Before:
โข work moves forward incomplete
โข rework happens later
โข effort is spread across multiple people
After:
โข outputs are more complete upfront
โข fewer handbacks
โข less time spent fixing
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐
Most inefficiency is in everything that stops the work from being finished properly.
๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐
If youโre looking for AI and automation opportunities, donโt just look at the big processes. Look at the gaps.
Look at the โalmost thereโ work.
Thatโs where time is lost.
And thatโs where AI can start to make a real difference.