Library/Leak 13
Rework
Work redone because of an error, unclear requirements, or a miscommunication the first time through.
VestStandardizeReworkB–C · weeks to a quarter
How you know you have it
“What gets sent back or redone most often? When something comes back for correction, why?”
What kind of leak it is
Both a time leak and a touch leak
How to measure it
time to redo × frequency of rework × 52, plus the elapsed-time cost of the correction cycle
Annualized the same way everywhere: duration × frequency × people × 52.
Typical range — illustrative
varies widely by process maturity; anchor on the specific instance
An order of magnitude to prime your eye, not a statistic and not a claim about anyone's result. The only number that matters is the one you measure.
The move — Standardize
Clearer specs and checklists at the point of handoff, before automating: automating a process that still produces errors just produces errors faster.
Where it lands in a Time P&L
Rework
How long a fix takes
B–C · weeks to a quarter
What to do about it