In 2022, a week-in-the-life study inside a UK medical-device manufacturer looked closely at the work of 126 people. Activity was translated into FTE equivalents so leadership could see scale rather than anecdotes.
Make invisible work visible
The analysis surfaced familiar forms of waste: motion, waiting, overprocessing, variation, rework and hand-offs. But one of the most important findings was skills mismatch — highly skilled people spending meaningful time on junior or administrative activity.
Every loss is a better question
If specialists are doing administration, which boundary in the process needs redesign? If people are waiting, who owns the release of work? If overprocessing is growing, what requirement is being met in the least efficient way?
The point of observation is not to blame people. It is to give teams a shared view of reality and a better starting point for structured problem solving.
From snapshot to learning loop
A study is still a snapshot. Modern data, AI and observation tools can shorten the feedback loop — but technology should strengthen problem validation, not replace it. See the work, understand the cause, improve the system, then use technology where it helps sustain the gain.