{"id":12159,"date":"2015-05-08T13:54:03","date_gmt":"2015-05-08T18:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/?p=12159"},"modified":"2020-02-20T13:56:37","modified_gmt":"2020-02-20T19:56:37","slug":"business-flow-watch-the-baton-not-the-runner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/business-flow-watch-the-baton-not-the-runner\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Flow: Watch the Baton, Not the Runner"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Imagine you\u2019re at the Olympic Games, watching the 4x400m relay race. While one runner carries the baton around the track, the other three runners\u00a0stand around waiting<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If we ran the relay race like most of us run our businesses, it would look very different.<\/p>\n

Each of the idle runners would be running three other races, ensuring that they always have something to do. But each of those races don\u2019t start at exactly the same time, and each of the legs aren\u2019t run with exactly the same speed. In this scenario, it\u2019s the baton that\u2019s waiting for the runners, who are busy (and probably exhausted) from running their other races. As a result, all four races get slower. Much, much slower.<\/p>\n

In business, the runners are your workforce, and the baton is the unique value you offer to your customers. Business flow describes how well the work \u2014 i.e., the baton \u2014 is moving through your business system. It\u2019s not about effective resource utilization (how busy people are); it\u2019s about how much value is actually being produced, and how often.<\/p>\n

As an executive, watching the baton is your top priority. This helps you stay focused on keeping the work moving, not on keeping the workers busy.<\/p>\n

Why Business Flow is Important<\/h3>\n

Business flow equips your business for agility, adaptability, and long-term success. It gives organizations numerous ways to grow and learn, particularly\u00a0through the following opportunities:<\/p>\n