A DILO study helps individuals identify value added and non-value added tasks that they are performing so they can improve to be more effective.

1. Day In The Life Of (DILO)
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2. Intent of Session
• This session will enable you to understand:
– Why do a DILO study?
– What is a DILO study?
– How to carry out a DILO study?

3. Why do a DILO study?
• It helps busy individuals identify value added (VA) and non-
value added (NVA) tasks that they are performing daily.
• By becoming aware of the amount of time spent on NVA
tasks, choices can be made on what to do differently.
• Get a full understanding of what someone really does; to
replicate very effective people or to review to improve
• Before a DILO VA activities are, on average, only 21%-40% of
a role.

4. What is a DILO study?
• It is a simple and direct contact approach that can help
segregate and highlight the tasks that are:
– VA and would be good to continue
– NVA – providing a choice to stop or reduce
• VA actions are defined as:
– Work for which the customer would pay
– a physical change to the product
• NVA actions are everything else, they can also be sub
divided into:
– NVAA – Non-value added avoidable (stop doing them now)
– NVAU – Non-value added unavoidable (still have to be done)

5. How to do it for someone else?
• Identify who would benefit from a DILO study and review their job objectives with
them
• Discuss the reasons and benefits to carry out this study and agree a time and
duration to complete the DILO with them (preferably a whole work period)
• Spend the entire period (as agreed) with the individual and record all the tasks
performed and the duration of each task within this time period on the DILO
record sheet
• Segregate between VA and NVA tasks and analyse the data with the involvement
of the individual (Stop doing NVAA tasks)
• Agree any actions required with timescales and accountability
Do not take part, help or interfere in the individual’s tasks during the study. Your role
is to observe, clarify and record

6. How to do it for yourself?
Ideally why should someone else perform the DILO on you?
• if you record your own work you are interfering with your
workflow
• You may also subconsciously make work for yourself
• You may not be objective about the work you are doing
• You may forget to note the duration of a task
• You may not record interruptions from phone calls, other
people, emails

7. How to do it for yourself?
• Fill in a DILO sheet with all the predicted tasks and duration for the next days
workload and put it aside
– Include arrival and leaving times, breaks, lunch, meetings, phone calls, admin,
appointments, scheduled work, projects, thinking time, reports, reading etc.
• Prepare blank DILO sheet for next day attach to clipboard with pen and
stopwatch. Store in Locker ready for next day
• Complete DILO sheet starting with arrival time in Locker room
• Record each task and use stopwatch to record their duration
– Record everything especially all interruptions to tasks by phone, email, visitors, etc.
• Segregate VA and NVA tasks for your job
– Try to be objective
– Ask someone else to do a sanity check on your decisions

8. How to do it for yourself?
• Analyse the data – compare it with the predicted DILO
– How accurate were your predictions?
– Is there a large difference between scheduled and actual times?
– Did you take all the time you allocated to breaks and lunch?
– Did you start and stop when you predicted?
• Further analyse NVA actions to NVAA & NVAU if required
– Stop doing NVAA actions as soon as possible
• Will it affect anyone or anything else?
• Do I have to inform anyone
– Investigate stopping or reducing NVAU actions
• Are there easier more effective ways to complete your tasks?
• Can you extrapolate that day’s findings to other days with different
work?

9. Time Activity (main) Activity Detail
Time
mins
Value Added
Yes No
0545 -0601
Shift handover Discussed last 12 hours problems with off going team leader;
 Is the plant currently operational
 What did the engineers complete last night and read the appropriate input logs
 Confirm upcoming production requirements
02 Yes
reMr Xs
This is critical to effective commencement of shift and the key issues expected from a handover have been identified here. I may consider a review of the handover sheet to
include more critical running information and less NVA in relation to guard checks and kronos
0602 – 0611 ‘Walk the talk’
with the team
Visit the team members on line to see if all is ok in relation to running, cleanliness
and updating of forthcoming schedule
10 Yes
reMr Xs
The team leader should show their face asap when the shift commences. This provides the psychological support and general information the staff need to show the relevant
morale and motivation
0612 – 0618
Alarm
sounding on
water
treatment
Mr X attended to investigate sounding alarm which was not specialist attended. He
phoned process co-ord to ask if any action was being taken
07 No
reMr Xs
The team leader should not have to attend this breakdown at this time – the process co-ord should have attended and passed any relevant production related e.g. stoppage
apparent as required
0619 – 0633
Process co-ord
arrived on
scene
He explained the there had been issues throughout the night and process manager
was informed 15 No
reMr Xs
The team leader should have had the advance information in relation to last nights problems; I would look at communication at shift handover in addition to process dept
communications
0633 – 0634 Walking back
to line
Returning from a non-value added activity
02 No
reMr Xs Without the NVA tasks earlier this movement would have been avoided
0635 Collect Andy
from reception
Collect The Consultant from reception after induction
01 No
reMr Xs Abnormal situation but completely NVA in relation to the team leader role
0636 – 0638 Walking to the
office
During walking Mr X phoned Trevor to ascertain line prioritisation due to water
treatment issues.
03 No
reMr Xs Abnormal situation but completely NVA in relation to the team leader role
0639 – 0645 Line
prioritisation
Mr X explained the current situation to Steve Brown and they developed a method
to minimise impact on production downtime
07 Yes
1723 - 1739
Free time /
catch-up
17 No
1740 – 1800 Handover Evening handover to the oncoming night shift 21 Yes (75%) No
reMr Xs
Good to see the team leader arriving with more than adequate time to complete an effective handover. The activity was effective but maybe could be more directed if the
above comments are used during the preparation phase
Total Times 720
209.5
VA
510.5
NVA
29.2% 70.8%

10. DILO: Benefits
• Fully understand how an individual operates
• Review a job role vs. what is actually happening
• Rationalise ways of working – reducing NVA time
• Increase effectiveness of working time