| Case studies are a great way to teach individuals and | | | | the attorneys because the administrative staff would |
| businesses about innovation. Innovation case studies | | | | interrupt attorneys while looking for files. When |
| show a particular example of a business innovation, | | | | physical files could not be located, email messages |
| but can be generalized and applied to many | | | | and further disruptions resulted. |
| businesses in a variety of markets. The following | | | | A meeting to discuss how to minimize the disruption |
| case study describes an innovation that streamlines | | | | caused by the postcards produced a change to this |
| the operation of a business and reduces expenses. | | | | internal procedure. Since the postcards were rarely |
| A law firm regularly filed documents with a | | | | used after they were received by the law firm, there |
| government agency by first class mail. Each mailing | | | | was no reason to store them in the physical files. |
| would include a postcard that was stamped and | | | | Instead, a card box was used to store the postcards |
| addressed to the law firm on one side, and had an | | | | for future access, if needed. Thus, the received |
| itemized list of the documents in the mailing on the | | | | postcards were still maintained, but the costly and |
| opposite side of the postcard. When the documents | | | | disruptive process of filing the postcards in the |
| were received by the government agency, it would | | | | physical files was eliminated. This change saved many |
| date-stamp the postcard and mail it back to the law | | | | hours of employee time every day and significantly |
| firm. The postcard was a receipt that the documents | | | | reduced disruption of other employees. |
| were received by the agency. | | | | Many businesses have similar internal procedures that |
| The law firm had an internal procedure that required | | | | can be modified or eliminated to reduce costs and |
| each postcard to be stored in a physical file | | | | enhance productivity. This case study shows that |
| containing the documents mailed to the government | | | | even small changes to internal procedures can |
| agency. These physical files were also used regularly | | | | significantly reduce operating costs and simplify |
| by attorneys and support staff in the law firm. | | | | business procedures. Look at your own business and |
| Administrative employees spent a significant amount | | | | seek ways to innovate your internal procedures. |
| of time each week attempting to locate the physical | | | | Look at the overall goal of the procedures and |
| files to insert the returned postcards. This procedure | | | | determine whether all of the steps in that procedure |
| was not only time consuming, but very disruptive to | | | | are necessary to achieve the goal. |