Optimize a Repetitive Process
The exact kind of problem industrial engineers get paid to solve — but with paperclips instead of a factory floor.
Related field: Industrial Engineering
Mission Briefing
Objective
Time how long it takes to complete a repetitive task using your current method, then redesign the process — not the task — and see if you can do it faster.
Constraints
- The task itself must stay exactly the same (like folding 10 paper airplanes or making a chain of 20 paperclips) — only your process can change
- Each version must be timed with a stopwatch across the same number of repetitions
- You have to actually change something about your process for the second attempt, not just move faster
Concept You're Testing
Process improvement — finding and removing wasted time or motion in a repeated task, without changing what the task actually accomplishes. This is the core idea behind industrial engineering, whether it's a factory line or a hospital's patient intake process.
What You'll Need
- A repetitive task and its materials (paperclips, paper for folding, or similar)
- A stopwatch or phone timer
Instructions
- 1Pick a small repetitive task, like linking 20 paperclips into a chain or folding 10 paper airplanes.
- 2Do it once using whatever method feels natural, timing the whole thing.
- 3Watch yourself (or have someone watch you) and identify at least one step that wastes time or motion — reaching too far, doing steps out of order, re-checking work unnecessarily.
- 4Redesign your process to remove that waste — this might mean reorganizing your materials, changing your order of operations, or batching a step.
- 5Do the exact same task again, the same number of repetitions, timing it again with your new process.
- 6Compare the two times.
How to Measure Results
Compare total time for the same task and repetition count between your original method and your redesigned method — a real improvement should show up as a measurable time difference, not just a feeling that it was faster.
Skills You'll Practice
- Spotting wasted motion in a process you're already familiar with
- The difference between working harder and working with a better process
- Measuring a process change with real data instead of assuming it helped
- Why the same task can take very different amounts of time depending only on how it's organized
If It Doesn't Work the First Time
That's normal — this challenge follows the same design process real engineers use. A failed test just tells you where to go back and improve.
Figure out what problem you're actually solving, and what would even count as success. Skip this step and jump straight to building, and a lot of bad designs happen right here.