I am running a Day in a life of survey for the first time and wondered if you have any tips ?

Anonymous

2 Answers

"My two top tips are consult, plan and monitor. Consult is about ensuring everyone knows what is going to happen,why, and are bought into it. Plan is about understanding the main components of work to structure data capture appropriately. Monitor is to make sure people are capturing work on an on-going basis and accurately."

Debbie SImpson
ICiPS Expert
24 Apr 2017

"Running a Day In the Life Of (DILO) survey is a great way to understand how individuals operate within the selected process. It will give you a chance to compare the job role vs what actually happens as there is often some disparity between these and increase effectiveness by identifying then reducing Non Value Adding time/activity.

The following 6 steps outline what I think are the key elements for a successful DILO:

1. You need to identify the individual and review their job objectives. This is usual done with a team leader/ operational manager from the area.
2. Inform the individual, discussion why the DILO is being run and what the expected benefits will be.
3. Agree a date and time with the individual, ideally it will cover a full shift.
4. Prepare the documentation; at a minimum the documentation used should record the following:
• Name
• Date & Time
• Job Role
• Department/Area
• Time activity took place
• Activity Name
• Activity Detail
• Duration of Activity – Split between Value Adding and None Value Adding

Sometimes I have found it beneficial to also include an area to record interruptions, who made them and reason.
5. On the agreed date and time complete the documentation by recording the tasks performed, duration etc.
6. Review and analysis the data gathered and provide feedback. It is sometime useful to do this with the individual being followed in the DILO study. This may also include an action plan to change the process by reducing the identified None Value Adding activity.

Whilst all steps are necessary, steps 2 and 4 are key. With step 2 you must make sure that the individual is engaged with the DILO study and understands its importance and the benefits it can bring. It is not always a pleasant experience having someone watching your every move so the individual may need some reassurance. In step 4 the preparation of the document is vital to ensure you can record all the necessary information about the activities being performed and explore if there is any further data you may wish to capture, for example use a pedometer to capture the number of steps taken/ distance traveled.

Running a DILO is time consuming, however following any changes it is always worth running it again to ensure that any changes made are having the intended impact."

Richard Wylde
ICiPS Expert
26 Apr 2017