Somewhere in your company, someone is doing the same work for the second time.
Rework is work that has to be redone because it was not right the first time. It shows up as corrected reports, returned forms, repeat customer calls, and repeat visits to fix the same problem.
Why rework stays hidden
Most companies do not count it. People simply absorb it. A correction here, a re-check there. Each one looks small. Together, they use time that could go to new work, and customers wait longer.
Why it keeps coming back
Fixing the case in front of you is quick. Finding why it happened takes longer, so the same cause produces the same problem next week. The cause is often upstream:
- The request or instruction was unclear.
- Information was missing when work passed from one person to the next.
- There was no check at the point where the error could have been caught.
- Nobody looked at the pattern across many cases.
A routine managers can run
- Define rework in one sentence for your team. For example: “any task we have to redo or correct after it was marked done.”
- Log each case. Note what it was, which handoff it came from, and why, using a short list of reasons such as unclear instruction, missing information, error, or changed request.
- Hold a 20-minute weekly review. Look at the top one or two reasons. Pick one cause to fix. Give it an owner and a date.
- Check the next week whether that reason dropped. Track one number: the count of rework cases per week. Write down the starting number first.
An example
Here is an illustration. A branch keeps sending customer requests back because documents are missing. The weekly log shows missing documents is the top reason. The fix is a simple checklist at the point where requests are received. A few weeks later, the count of returned requests falls.
Nobody was blamed. The handoff was fixed.
Where managers need to change
The habit that matters is asking “why did this come back?” rather than “who did this?” When managers fix the handoff and not the person, people report problems earlier, and the data gets better.
Reducing rework and recurring operational problems is one of the business priorities we build a 90-day pilot around at POC Management Execution. A pilot is a small trial with one group of managers, run before a change goes company-wide.
Rework falls when managers fix the cause, not just the case.
What is the one piece of work that comes back to your team most often, and do you know why?
If you want to look at it together, message me and we can brainstorm it.
Further reading on jordanimutan.com:
• Would I Automate Meeting Minutes? Yes, After Fixing the Meeting: https://jordanimutan.com/2026/10/27/would-i-automate-meeting-minutes-yes-after-fixing-the-meeting/
• Turn Capability Into Consistent Execution: https://jordanimutan.com/turn-capability-into-consistent-execution/
#OperationalExcellence #ProcessImprovement #ManagerEffectiveness #HRLeadership #WorkplaceExecution
