The Magic of Checklists: Your Secret Weapon for Success

In my childhood, I remember my mother would get out my subject homework notebooks one by one. She would help me complete them in order. Today, she gives me a list of items to buy whenever she sees me without a laptop or any work. Activities have changed. Responsibilities have changed. Times have changed so much since then. A small piece of art persisted, taking the form of a list.  

It would be a version in mind or a physical copy. This enables accurate completion of the task. It was never a professional item to practice. But it has always been in our lives in many forms because it helps so much. More examples could help you understand the importance of a checklist. Let’s catch up and give some quick ones: 

a. Hudson miracle: 

A US Air Flight was required to make emergency landing due to failure of both engines and captain along with first officer made it successful landing. One of the critical factors was adhering to procedure and checklist. 

b. In a well-known book “The Checklist Manifesto” Atul Gawande have mentioned how WHO made a simple surgical safety checklist and which significantly reduced mortality rate worldwide

          Figure: WHO surgical safety checklist 

Study Data: 

• Study Period: October 2007 to September 2008 

• Participants: 8 hospitals in 8 cities worldwide 

• Metrics: Rates of death and complications 

Findings: 

• The rate of inpatient complications decreased from 11.0% to 7.0%. 

• The rate of inpatient mortality decreased from 1.5% to 0.8%. 

1. NASA’s Space Shuttle Program and the Challenger Disaster: A space shuttle in 1986 exploded 73 seconds after liftoff. It killed all seven crew members. This occurred due to a faulty O-ring seal exacerbated by cold weather. Had there been a checklist to ensure the evaluation of components, this disaster could have been avoided. 

Study Data: 

• Focus: Analysis of accidents and incidents where checklists played a role 

• Metrics: Error rates before and after checklist improvements 

Findings: 

• A reduction in checklist-related errors from 43% to 29% following improvements and standardization of checklists. 

Usage as required… 

A checklist need not be a sequential list. It can take various forms, like “Sign In”, “Time Out”, and “Sign Out” by W.H.O. I used a matrix of Urgent-vs-Important to plot my tasks. I put them in the right quadrant and started to tick them off one by one. This aligned the mess I had before. My chaotic mind was full of unnecessary tasks. They stopped me from completing even a single task. It added much value. Most of you must have known its importance. But, in our rush of achievements, we might have lost its value. 

There are various checklist types which can used in different situations and for different purpose: 

https://www.template.net/documents/check-lists/ 

(Use the Orbrick Payroll Implementation Checklist & Runbook for a smooth Payroll processing journey)

What business I have writing this instead of consulting for Oracle HCM Cloud? 

Well, Oracle HCM Cloud does have its own feature as a checklist, and I regret not being able to appreciate and suggest this simple and wonderful feature in my earlier implementations. In fact, instead of creating lengthy and heavy screenshot manuals for Payroll processes, using a checklist to follow for the payroll cycle would have worked, giving the client an overall image of the processes not being too complex. I grasped the feature’s significance and its convenience for customers. Combining it with Journeys has opened a completely new way to use it (Oracle Journeys Capabilities). 

We are coming with innovative ways to use and solution packages ready to deploy, but until then here’s a quick generalized checklist template for Oracle Payroll Managers who can use it periodically to keep a track of  

Having a checklist in place for Payroll Managers who can periodically follow it and- 

1. assure minimal to minimal variance pay 
2. minimal re-work/re-processing 
3. minimal off-cycle runs 
4. peace of mind with every period payment 
5. timely cycle completion 
6. timely reporting