Re: Can a Clear Desk Policy work?

["Christian, Cathy" <Cathy -dot- Christian -at- PSS -dot- BOEING -dot- COM>]

FWIW, Boeing has a policy for clean desks and areas- It's called 5S
(self discipline, sorting, sweeping, simplifying, standardizing), and is
divided into five levels of attainment. Boeing is a complex company, and
this is a complex project, but the motivation to attain a level three is
significant - if your group does not perform at least at this level
(which includes desk maps, and clean incoming boxes) then alternative
work schedules are not allowed. It works for us...

 Cathy
Cathy Christian
Technical Writer
425-237-6205      6C-FC
Seattle, WA
mailto:cathy -dot- christian -at- boeing -dot- com
You don't need to fear the darkness; all you do is light a candle.

> ----------
> From:         David Harrison[SMTP:david-x -dot- harrison -at- BAE -dot- CO -dot- UK]
> Reply To:     david-x -dot- harrison -at- BAE -dot- CO -dot- UK
> Sent:         Tuesday, July 14, 1998 7:42 AM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      Can a Clear Desk Policy work?
>
> Management are always generating new initiatives to help/improve Tech
> Dox
> departments, after all they must be concerned with "Continuous
> Improvement".
> The latest, which has landed in my lap, is the (not so new) idea of
> implementing a Clear Desk Policy.
> They are coming form the direction that improved paper handling, along
> with
> reductions in all the Reports, Memos and Forms which intrude into our
> daily
> lives, can consume up to 10% of our daily routine. In a department
> that has
> over 80 authors with 10 managers and sub-managers this can add up to
> considerable savings. Rough estimates that reduce waste time by a half
> calculate out to potential savings of almost L200,000 per annum - a
> worthwhile
> target.
> However, and there always is an however, I am concerned about the real
> potential and wonder what success other businesses may have gained (or
> failed
> to gain) from similar exercises. My worry is that most managers use
> paperwork
> as a tool. The reams of reports, memos and forms are all sources of
> information which they use/need almost hourly to help them make
> decisions about
> the business as a whole. But, for most authors, paperwork is a
> product.
> Is it really possible that, by focusing on the very same paper
> mountains,
> and by trying to reduce the load placed on authors in the way of
> excess memos,
>  reports etc., then similar savings can be expected? In our aerospace
> business many authors will often juggle bundles of A1 drawings and
> piles of
> references and tables just to extract the right information for their
> current
> document. Talk to them about a clean desk,  and they ask if they can
> have
> three more around them just to spread the information that they need
> for a
> single job. If mangers had similar quantities of paper on their desk
> it's more
> likely that they're trying to manipulate a number of different jobs at
> the same
> time. (Perhaps they need a more efficient technique for
> paper-handling. )
>
> So, have any others out there experienced either success, or failure,
> in
> this gallant effort of fighting the paper ogre? Am I looking at lost
> cause,
> or am I just being narrow-minded? Is it a waste of time, or a real
> opportunity? Does a new process need sustained effort, or does it
> become a
> good habit?
> Any tips or experiences that other authors and managers have
> experienced would
> be most welcome.
>
> Cheers
>
> David Harrison
>
> (david-x -dot- harrison -at- bae -dot- co -dot- uk)
>
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