daniel chigunwe
Tariro Manamike
I once worked in an organisation where the secretary was obsessed with font choices. Sans Serif was the holy grail, and times new roman was forbidden.
Naturally, I found out the hard way after printing an entire batch of full-colour documents in the non-preferred font.
When I asked for a simple internal communication guide to avoid future mistakes, the response was both frustrating and amusing: “It’s institutional memory; that’s just how we do things here.”
Institutional memory? Really? I thought this was the kind of thing they were taught in typing school, not some secretarial folklore.
From a business perspective, it made no sense. With no clear outline on how things should be done, how many other mistakes were happening daily? How much bond paper was being shredded because someone used Arial instead of Calibri? It was almost like a confetti party celebrating inefficiency.
This font fiasco is just one example of the absurd amounts of unnecessary processes that plague many organisations. I have been in companies where the amount of paperwork could make you wonder if the goal was efficiency or just ticking boxes.
Now that we are heading into strategic planning season for the upcoming year, it is the perfect time to rethink this madness. Why not make cutting unnecessary meetings, redundant paperwork and outdated processes a priority for 2025?
Take, for instance, the duplicative approval systems that require three different managers to sign off on purchasing office supplies. It is a textbook example of bureaucratic bloat. Instead of empowering employees, these excessive layers of approval drag down productivity and inflate costs.
Then there’s the mountain of paperwork required for routine tasks like leave requests, expense reports and project updates. Much of this could be streamlined or digitised.
Studies show that organisations waste 20-30 percent of their time on redundant tasks tied to outdated processes. In this day and age, paperwork for the sake of documentation isn’t just frustrating—it’s costly.
Meetings are another productivity killer. Who has not sat through hour-long sessions that could have been resolved in a single email? Can we talk about biscuits and tea? That’s an article for another day.
Outdated reporting processes are also an issue. Businesses that still rely on manual data entry across multiple systems are essentially creating extra work for their employees. Automating or consolidating these processes could save both time and money while improving accuracy.
And do not even get me started on legacy tools and systems.
Companies that cling to outdated software are actively choosing inefficiency over progress.
Switching to modern tools like cloud-based software can slash wasted resources and help employees focus on tasks that drive real results.
The bottom line? Every one of these unnecessary steps is costing businesses money.
McKinsey reports that businesses with streamlined processes can increase productivity by up to 25 percent, leading directly to cost savings and higher revenues.
In short, simplifying processes is a surefire way to improve the company’s overall efficiency.
As we plan for 2025, the focus should be on adaptability.
Strategic plans should not be rigid; they should evolve as circumstances change. In fact, organisations that are adaptable fare better.
It is not about abandoning your strategic plan but being agile enough to make tweaks when needed. A good strategic plan should be a living document, not a rigid set of rules.
For example, if a certain process is hindering productivity, alter it to meet your goals more effectively.
When you eliminate unnecessary steps, you are not just cutting waste—you are freeing up valuable resources, improving employee morale, and ultimately boosting the bottom line.
By focusing on reducing unnecessary processes, companies can become more agile, cut operational costs, and improve decision-making speed.
This translates directly into a more efficient organisation that is better positioned to achieve its goals.
Unnecessary processes in organisations can often drain resources, waste time and directly impact the bottom line. These processes include excessive paperwork, duplicative approval systems, endless meetings with little outcome and outdated reporting mechanisms.
1. Duplicative Approval Systems: Many organisations require multiple layers of approval for minor tasks, such as purchasing office supplies or initiating small projects. This kind of bureaucracy delays decision-making and often results in missed opportunities or project delays.
For example, if a manager needs approval from three different departments just to purchase a basic tool or resource, the delays not only slow down productivity but also increase costs due to the time wasted in waiting.
2. Excessive paperwork: Think about how many documents and forms employees need to fill out for routine tasks—whether it’s for requesting leave, filing expense reports, or providing project updates. Most of this could easily be streamlined or digitised.
A study by Gartner found that organisations waste 20-30 percent of their time on redundant or unnecessary tasks, often tied to outdated administrative processes. Paperwork for the sake of documentation does not add value but contributes to inefficiencies that cost the company in terms of labour and paper costs.
3. Unnecessary meetings: Meetings can be one of the most notorious productivity killers in an organisation. A survey by Harvard Business Review found that 71 percent of senior managers felt that meetings were unproductive and inefficient.
Meetings that don’t have clear objectives, actionable takeaways, or the right attendees tend to waste time and stall progress. Over time, this compounds into hundreds of hours lost, reducing the overall productivity of a team and ultimately affecting the bottom line.
4. Outdated reporting processes: Many businesses still rely on manual reporting processes, requiring employees to input the same data in multiple systems.
This duplicity not only creates extra work but also increases the likelihood of errors. By automating or consolidating reporting systems, businesses can save on labor costs and improve data accuracy.
5. Legacy systems and tools: Businesses that cling to outdated software or processes (like filing expenses by hand when digital platforms exist) are wasting both time and money. Switching to more modern tools such as cloud-based software for real-time tracking can drastically cut down on wasted resources.
Impact on the bottom line
Each of these examples adds up, costing organisations significant amounts of money. A report by McKinsey found that businesses with streamlined processes can increase their productivity by as much as 25 percent, which translates directly into cost savings and increased revenue.
Streamlined processes reduce operational costs, improve employee morale, and ensure that more resources are directed toward innovation rather than bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Agility and removing unnecessary obstacles should be key focus areas as companies head into strategic planning for 2025.
By eliminating duplicative and outdated processes, businesses can save money, improve efficiency, and ultimately enhance their ability to adapt to changing market conditions.
Tariro Manamike is a seasoned media and public relations professional with over a decade of experience in broadcast journalism and strategic communication. She is passionate about human-centered design, business communication, and their impact on the bottom line. Tariro writes in her personal capacity and can be reached at [email protected].
Bongani Ndlovu