Efficient workflow leads to a successful performance and higher bottom line. It doesn’t matter your industry, organization, or team culture. And yet, research shows that only 60 percent (or less) of the average employee’s time is productive. Not to mention, employees face about 56 interruptions each day, which can take them as long as two hours to recover from. There is a lot of inconsistency that could drive to less-than-desired results.

Fortunately, it is possible to prevent these issues. There is a famous framework in Japan called Muda, Mura, Muri, especially developed to eliminate inconsistency. Many companies use it to identify areas of waste and remove them to create smoother, more consistent and reliable operations.

While this concept is frequently applied at the macro level for the overhaul of entire business models, it can also be adopted at a micro level to streamline workflows, alleviate stress, enhance time management, and elevate overall performance outcomes.

In this installment of The Productivity Box, let’s unpack how eliminating inconsistency will result in more work efficiency.

What is Muda, Mura, Muri?

Muda, Mura, Muri (also known as the Lean Production System) originated within the Toyota corporation. This methodology was built on a premise that you can create maximum value for the consumer, while using minimal time, space, resources, human effort, and equipment. But in order to achieve this, you’ll first need to eliminate the three main causes of inefficiency:

• Muda, which is waste
• Mura, the so-called imbalance
• Muri, the overburden

Each of these three principles, often referred to as the “Three Ms” represents an inconsistency in the business flow, which might negatively impact it.

A closer look at Muda

Muda refers to wasteful activities that consume resources without providing any real benefit. Neither to the customer, nor a positive contribution to the business. Not only is this waste unnecessary, but it also drains valuable time and energy.

New research in the Cureus Journal found that wasteful, inefficient processes will exacerbate your cognitive load. This in turn can:

• Raise stress levels
• Impair decision making
• Split attention
• Cause errors
• Increase distractions

In other words, inconsistency will drain your productivity as an individual and a team.

What about Mura?

Mura refers to inconsistent patterns in your overall job performance. That lack of balance can show up in many areas, like:

• Irregular schedule fluctuations
• Inventory or production bottlenecks
• Uneven workload strain

This will often lead to an erratic work pace that alternates between idly waiting to start and then hastily rushing to finish. Inconsistency puts undue pressure on you and your team, while disturbing the flow of operations and misusing labor or resources.

And finally, Muri

Muri refers to the overburdening of human workers and technical machinery due to unrealistic expectations, poor time management, or an unhealthy workplace culture. If you feel obligated to perform at a level that’s not sustainable (ex: constant overtime, rigid quotas etc.), this can lead to serious consequences.

According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, excessive work burdens result in chronic fatigue, low morale, emotional burnout, absenteeism, or increased errors, all of which impact productivity rates.

How to build a more efficient workflow

A recent survey found that 62 percent of organizations can identify at least three levels of inefficiency or bottlenecks in their current business operations. Fortunately, as we’ve learned, these issues are preventable when using the Muda, Mura, Muri framework.

To understand how you can put it into practice, here are a few actionable ways to eliminate inconsistency from your own workflow.

• Create a value stream map of your workflow. This is a flowchart of all the steps you follow to complete a deliverable. When you can visualize the entire process laid out in front of you, it’s easier to evaluate potential areas of waste. This will help you determine which steps can be streamlined or removed altogether. This can be done for you, as an individual, but also for your team if you’re a leader—or the organization as a whole.
• Share the workload with other team members. Connect with your co-workers to delegate tasks evenly and collaborate on projects. This will help combat overburden (Muri), while nurturing team camaraderie, learning from each other’s unique points of view, and combining skills to pursue a common goal. If there’s no one to whom you can delegate, it’s time for a conversation with your manager. Learn how you can find better balance and, as a result, produce better work more efficiently.
• Standardize all of your operating procedures. Clear SOPs (standard operating procedures) will ensure that each process, no matter the department, is consistent and repeatable. Make this as important as a company handbook. Note that it can be created collaboratively so everyone feels empowered to implement the SOPs once available.
• Align your task priorities and schedule capacity. It’s easy to overload your schedule each day thinking that getting more done means you’re being more productive. Realistically, doing less at a higher level will not only produce better results, but a clearly laid out calendar will also help you avoid time management obstacles with clients, customers or co-workers.
• Make focus the priority. Create an ergonomic, distraction-free workspace to minimize both physical and mental strain. Once you have the optimal environment, segment each project into a series of focused time blocks to guide your attention span and curb idleness or procrastination.

Eliminating inconsistency helps you become more productive, efficient, and successful on the job.

Harness Muda, Mura, Muri to transform your workflow

Implementing the Muda, Mura, Muri framework involves continuous improvement efforts, employee involvement, and a commitment to eliminating waste at every level of the organization. By applying these principles, businesses can create a culture of efficiency, reduce costs, and ultimately enhance overall productivity.

When used at a personal level, this framework is a highly efficient productivity hack anyone can implement. Because it’s not about working more or harder. It’s all about making sure time, resources, and effort are used wisely. Eliminate the inconsistency—waste, imbalance and overburdening—of your day to get ahead and do your best work.