01
Small tasks become large costs
A ten-minute task is not small when it happens 30 times a week across four people. Repeated copying, chasing, checking and rebuilding work can consume hundreds of paid hours each year while remaining almost invisible in the accounts.
02
Look for these warning signs
- The same information is copied between email, spreadsheets and another system.
- Staff repeatedly chase missing documents, approvals or updates.
- A customer response depends on somebody remembering to follow up.
- Reports are rebuilt manually from the same sources.
- Errors create correction, duplicate entry or customer callbacks.
- A process stops whenever one particular person is unavailable.
03
Calculate the visible annual cost
InputExampleHow to calculate
People involved3 peopleCount everyone who regularly touches the task
Hours per person each week4 hoursInclude checking, chasing and correcting
Hourly employment cost$45Use wage plus a practical allowance for employment overhead
Annual visible cost$25,9203 × 4 × $45 × 48 working weeks
Visible labour cost is only the starting point. Delayed sales, missed follow-up, slow onboarding, rework and owner bottlenecks can make the real cost higher.
04
Score each candidate process
- Frequency: does it happen daily or weekly?
- Pattern: are the inputs and outputs mostly consistent?
- Pain: does it create delay, error, rework or frustration?
- Value: would recovered time be used for customers, delivery or sales?
- Risk: can exceptions and approvals remain with a person?
05
Choose one
Do not audit the whole business at once. Pick the process with a clear trigger, repeated volume, measurable time cost and a recognisable standard path. That is usually the best first improvement target.