Headline Results
The client
A leading construction, development and service group.
The challenge
The Financial and Operations directors felt that email was out of control within the organisation. Their own research convinced them there was an opportunity to improve productivity and communication. There was also anecdotal evidence of people spending all day on email, losing orders and missing important deadlines.
50Fold contribution
50Fold measured email volume and size of emails including attachments. They analysed circulation and distribution patterns and the clarity of the content against recognised international standards of clear English. The analysis also identified areas of potential risk including litigation and commercial damage. The 50Fold analysis was non-intrusive and at no stage did 50Fold see or record any email or attachment content or user details. 50Fold also carried out a climate survey to measure what the employee attitude about email use, and how it affected the way that they work.
Our recommendations
As the organisation had suspected, email was overused, chaotic and unstructured. Email was the dominant medium on which employees structured their day. Users were unaware of the scale of the impact email was having on their colleagues and the company. The organisation needed system and behavioural changes to improve productivity, cut costs and reduce waste. Any changes must be adoptable and non coercive. Working with a small project team, 50Fold recommended all users complete a tailored High Performance @ Email Programme, with 20% of employees attending 90-minute workshops, the rest completing the comprehensive e-learning program. The behaviour changes would be supported by an innovative software toolkit designed to sustain the improvements in email creation, management and awareness. The client would also adopt the High Performance @ Email productivity cues and re-enforce their commitment to clear English. After the programme, 50Fold would return, re-measure and compare the results.
Immediate benefits
The client saw dramatic gains in efficiency and productivity. More broadly, they have begun the journey to transform the way the organisation uses email, supported by the continued use of High Performance @ Email methodology, e-learning and management toolkit.
Headline productivity returns (KPI's)
- Sent email reduced by 40%
- Top 20 email accounts reduced in size by 25%
- Cc'ing reduced by 30%
- Average user will save over 30 minutes daily
- 80% use of productivity cues.
With an average salary of £25,000, returning 30 minutes of unproductive time each day represented a significant ROI for the client. The organisation employs 200 people and the programme released over £350,000 of unproductive time. This is the equivalent of adding 10.5 employees to the organisation at no extra cost.
Client View
"It's very unusual for a consultancy to provide a return on investment straight away.....normally you pay over two years and get a return in five years.
I am delighted with the results of the programme."
