UPS innovates by not turning left
Friday, June 20th, 2008I read an interesting post on the E-myth blog about UPS. They found that they could save time and fuel by instructing drivers not to turn left. It sounds crazy but by planning their routes to include only right turns they saved time spent waiting to turn left. 
‘In 2004, after evaluating their CO2 emissions, UPS announced that its drivers would avoid making left turns. They calculated that the amount of time spent idling waiting to make a left turn would save millions of dollars in fuel costs every year. For example, in 2006 UPS trucks drove 2.5 billion miles, and with their unique package flow technology combined with their right-turn routes, they estimate saving 28,541,472 million miles, and three million gallons of fuel. ’
How many things are you doing in your organisation that seem natural and inuitive but need to be challenged? What are the left turns you are taking that should be replaced? Time to start some counter-intuitive thinking.
Paul Sloane