How many times have you had to fill out a government form, only to find yourself struggling to fit all the required information in impossibly small boxes? These processes illustrate a broken workflow, but not how you might think.

It’s incredibly easy to find a paper form that requires tiny, perfect handwriting. Here’s a closeup of just one example: a small section of State Form 52802 (R2 / 1-09) / CW 2182. (Try saying that three times fast!)

That’s a little over two inches to fit in a telephone number and not quite three inches to write an entire email address. Unless you are a human typewriter or happen to have something as concise as [email protected], it’s extremely difficult to fit precise information inside that space.

The temptation is to complain about the form, or begrudgingly accept these paper systems as the way things are. Yet, even without diving inside the state department that produces these, it’s easy to recognize what is likely happening:

• The person who manages the form has never tried to fill it out
• The people who conduct data entry never talk to the form’s maintainer
• Those who complete the form have no opportunity for feedback.

All three of these groups are important stakeholders in the process, and all three are connected by the workflow implied by the form. The recipe for fixing these issues is as straightforward as identifying them:

• If you make something others will use, at least try using it yourself!
• If you see problems in something made by others, reach out to them with feedback.
• System maintainers and system users should have a mechanism of direct communication.

Implementing these solutions however, is no easy task. Change requires real commitment from everyone involved.

If you see these problems in your organization, no matter where you are, ask for help. Contact a productivity services firm like Slaughter Development today!

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