How a 3-Dimensional Approach Can Avoid Millions of Hidden Inefficiencies
Thu Jun 05 2025
Ever wondered what happens when you take the precision of civil engineering and apply it to workforce management? That’s exactly what Alex James has done, and I had the pleasure of diving into his approach on the latest weWFM podcast. Alex’s journey from building Sydney’s iconic tunnels to reinventing how we optimise human effort is a masterclass in cross-industry innovation.Key takeaways:Measuring only the gap between planned and actual staffing misses the bigger picture. True optimisation requires understanding ability, efficiency, and intensity... three ratios that, when multiplied, always equal one. This three-dimensional view brings clarity and focus to workforce effectiveness.Even mature industries like contact centres aren’t immune to hidden inefficiencies. Alex’s findings in aged care showed that up to 20 percent of workforce effectiveness can be lost, often due to overlooked allocation practices and a lack of holistic measurement.The right metrics can translate complex workforce data into a single, actionable number for leaders... making it easier to drive improvement and accountability.Additional ResourcesISO Survey: Survey Opportunity: “What is the role of HR in organizing work and workers?”: https://committee.iso.org/sites/tc260... Workforce Allocation Standard IS 30434: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:st... Workforce Planning Standard ISO 30409: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:i... Human Capital Reporting ISO 30414: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:i... ISO TC260 Human Resource Management Committee: https://committee.iso.org/home/tc260
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Ever wondered what happens when you take the precision of civil engineering and apply it to workforce management? That’s exactly what Alex James has done, and I had the pleasure of diving into his approach on the latest weWFM podcast. Alex’s journey from building Sydney’s iconic tunnels to reinventing how we optimise human effort is a masterclass in cross-industry innovation.Key takeaways:Measuring only the gap between planned and actual staffing misses the bigger picture. True optimisation requires understanding ability, efficiency, and intensity... three ratios that, when multiplied, always equal one. This three-dimensional view brings clarity and focus to workforce effectiveness.Even mature industries like contact centres aren’t immune to hidden inefficiencies. Alex’s findings in aged care showed that up to 20 percent of workforce effectiveness can be lost, often due to overlooked allocation practices and a lack of holistic measurement.The right metrics can translate complex workforce data into a single, actionable number for leaders... making it easier to drive improvement and accountability.Additional ResourcesISO Survey: Survey Opportunity: “What is the role of HR in organizing work and workers?”: https://committee.iso.org/sites/tc260... Workforce Allocation Standard IS 30434: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:st... Workforce Planning Standard ISO 30409: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:i... Human Capital Reporting ISO 30414: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:i... ISO TC260 Human Resource Management Committee: https://committee.iso.org/home/tc260