The Screwdriver Solution: Efficiency Hidden in the Everyday

During my MBA days, one business case stuck with me. One company kicked off a sweeping review of its end-to-end operations searching for inefficiencies. With countless interdependencies across departments, everyone expected to find the usual culprits — like inefficient workflows and redundant processes. Nah. The real revelation? It was the humble screwdriver.

That’s right. Turns out, just by rearranging tool placement — simple hand tools like screwdrivers and drill bits — and making them more accessible to employees on the shop floor, the company saved millions. MILLIONS! Not by automation, not by reorganizing the org chart, but by making sure people didn’t have to walk across the building for a wrench.

Let that settle in for a moment. The smallest adjustments yielded outsized impact.

The Public Sector Parallel

Now, let’s zoom out. We’re currently witnessing a fascinating macro-level parallel in the public sector. With initiatives like the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE — no meme intended) and the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery (SPEED) Act, the push for leaner, faster, more agile systems is unmistakable. The government is scrutinizing vast, complex bureaucracies, aiming to streamline operations and deliver greater value.

But as leaders, we don’t need legislative acts to examine our own efficiency ecosystems. Just identify those tiny inefficiencies we’re tolerating because we assume the problem is too big to fix, too embedded to unearth, or not even worth the effort. So here’s the question for you: What’s your screwdriver?

Five Micro-Moves for Macro Impact

If you’re managing a team, leading an organization, or steering a program, here are five “screwdriver-level” changes to spark momentum:

• Start with an “Efficiency Inventory.” Invite frontline employees to identify their top three daily frustrations. You’ll be amazed what you hear.
• Streamline the Decision Tree: How many approvals does it take to send a 30-day extension? If it’s more than two, it’s time to prune the branches.
• Reclaim a 10-Minute Margin: By simply reducing default meeting times from 60 to 50 minutes, you create breathing room between appointments, reduce cognitive switching costs, and potentially save thousands of hours organization-wide annually.
• Declutter the Workflow: What are those fundamental, often-repeated tasks that, if streamlined, could free up significant cognitive bandwidth for your team? It could be a standardized project kick-off process or even a deliberate effort to reduce email volume by leveraging collaborative platforms more effectively.
• Ask “Why?” Relentlessly: Encourage questioning of longstanding processes with the simple inquiry: “Why do we do it this way?” Often, the answer is simply “because we’ve always done it this way” — a red flag for inefficiency.

As government reforms continue to reshape acquisition and sustainment, let’s not overlook the power of quiet revolutions. The moment you notice someone hike across the building for a wrench, ask “Why?” Because sometimes the most transformative thing you can do… is move the screwdriver three feet to the left.

Adeline (Addy) Maissonet is a Procurement Analyst for the Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy (DPCAP) within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). She serves as a senior advisor on contracting policies and procedures and the agency’s representative on the Department’s views on proposed legislation to Congressional members, their staff, and committee staffers. Prior to her current role, Addy served as a Division Chief and Contracting Officer with unlimited warrant authority for the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, Virginia. Addy holds an MBA in Management and Contracting Level III Certification under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act. She is a graduate from Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Certificate Program. In her free time, Addy enjoys hiking and overlanding with her family and friends.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense.

Photo credit: Iurii Motov at iStock