Large Company Rules

Discussion of the poor process choices large companies make
tags: business, process
created: Fri 21 August 2015; status: published;

Observed laws within large companies: this applies to all large well-established bureaucracies

  1. Over time, all processes are adjusted to create 100% predictable cash flow accounting
  2. A process and policy is created for every rule violation, increasing policy burden for all employees*
  3. Processes are never re-evaluated against the cost of not having a formal process
  • This dams the river of productivity, one stone at a time.

This was set off by asking if I can expense a $50 ergonomic keyboard for my desk. The answer was no, absolutely not. But I can request an ergonomic workspace study by a professional evaluator after which I might be approved for one.

Cost of keyboard: $50

Cost of deciding whether company could pay for it: $100+; and then another $50.