Optimisation is often misunderstood. Too frequently, it’s about keeping people and resources busy – a metric of effort, not impact. But clever optimisation flips this thinking. It prioritises flow efficiency over resource efficiency, recognising that the smooth movement of work through a system delivers far greater value than simply maximising individual utilisation.
Niklas Modig and Pär Åhlström, in This is Lean: Resolving the Efficiency Paradox, articulate this beautifully: resource efficiency – keeping every resource busy – often creates bottlenecks, delays, and complexity. Flow efficiency, on the other hand, focuses on how work progresses through the entire system, ensuring outcomes are achieved predictably and sustainably. This shift can unlock transformative results, allowing teams to deliver faster without sacrificing quality or morale.
Take, for example, the more traditional software delivery approach where testing is done as a separate, sequential step. This resource-efficient approach misleads us into thinking that testers will always be busy, processing as many completed features as possible. But if upstream delays cause a bottleneck, those testers might wait for work, or worse, rush to keep up when features are dumped on them at once. By optimising flow efficiency instead, testing is integrated earlier (“shifting left”), reducing bottlenecks, improving feedback loops, and enhancing quality from the outset.
Mary and Tom Poppendieck, pioneers of Lean Software Development, reinforce this concept. They warn against the dangers of a “utilisation mindset,” where the focus on ‘busyness’ can obscure inefficiencies and hinder overall progress. Instead, they advocate for aligning teams around value streams – end-to-end workflows that deliver meaningful outcomes. This holistic approach encourages collaboration, eliminates waste, and creates systems that scale naturally.
Johanna Rothman’s insights into system thinking also emphasise this point: understanding the entire workflow is critical to improving flow. Rothman observes that organisations focusing solely on resource efficiency may inadvertently increase lead times, as work queues and handoffs accumulate.
Shifting to a flow-based approach often involves small but impactful changes. Breaking work into “thin slices” of value – incremental deliverables that are meaningful and testable – enables teams to learn, adapt, and improve continuously. This approach mirrors the Lean principle of minimising work-in-progress to improve focus and reduce delays.
By prioritising flow efficiency, organisations can achieve faster, more predictable delivery without sacrificing quality. It’s not just about getting work done, it’s about getting the right work done, in the right way, at the right time. As Modig and Åhlström argue, flow efficiency transforms how teams think, work, and deliver.
So, what does clever optimisation look like in practice? It’s creating systems where teams collaborate freely, feedback loops are short, and value flows to the user without obstruction. It’s adopting technologies that enable adaptability and encourage responsiveness. Most importantly, it’s about rethinking the purpose of optimisation: not to keep everyone busy, but to make every effort meaningful.
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Introduction
By participating in the competition, you are agreeing to these competition terms and conditions.The competition is being run by T5 Digital.
Eligibility to Enter
The competition is open to entrants who are at least 18 years of age or older. T5 Digital employees and associates are excluded from the draw.
By entering the competition, you confirm that you are eligible to do so and that you are eligible to receive any prizes that may be awarded to you.
There is a limit of one entry per person and the competition is completely free to enter.
The Prize
The winning prize will be Bespoke Food and Drink Hamper.
The use of specific brands as prizes by T5 Digital does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement of such brands.
The prize is non-transferable and non-exchangeable, and no cash alternatives will be provided.
We reserve the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value if circumstances beyond our control require doing so.
T5 Digital’s decision on any aspect of the competition is final and binding, and no correspondence will be entered into about it.
Winner Announcement
The winner will be chosen at random and notified via the email address provided on 14th March 2025.
T5 Digital will make two attempts to contact the winner via email.
If the winner does not respond to the emails informing them of their win within 14 days of the second email, they forfeit their right to the prize, and T5 Digital reserves the right to select and notify a new winner.
Delivery of the Prize
The winner will allow 14 days for the prize to be delivered; otherwise, alternative collection or delivery arrangements can be made through mutual agreement.
Data Protection and Publicity
You agree that any personal information that you provide when entering the competition will be used by T5 Digital for the purposes of administering the competition and for other purposes as specified in our Privacy Policy.
All entrants may request information on the winning participant by emailing info@t5.digital.
If requested by T5 Digital, the winner agrees to release their first name and place of employment to other competition participants.
The winner’s first name and country of residence will be announced on T5 Digital’s website and social media channels.
Limitation of Liability
T5 Digital accepts no liability for any damage, loss, injury, or disappointment suffered by entrants as a result of participating in the competition or being selected for a prize.
General
T5 Digital reserves the right, at any time and without prior notice, to cancel the competition or amend these terms and conditions.
