Build a useful investigation brief
Trace the work unit
Select recent cases and record trigger, actions, waiting, rework, handoff, recovery, and outcome. Define the measured interval from actual events or observation. Preserve a case that completes successfully with low cost for comparison.
Compare relevant cohorts
Review user experience, channel, task complexity, staffing, policy, and time period. Identify whether the burden belongs to users, operators, or both. Separate differences that explain cost from differences that merely correlate with it.
Test alternative explanations
Check whether measurement gaps, unusual demand, learning effects, or another bottleneck create the observed cost. Recalculate with a narrower or matched sample when possible. State which explanation the baseline supports and what remains unknown.
What to carry forward
The investigation brief should link cost units to task paths, cohorts, sources, confounds, and matched comparisons. End with a reproducible baseline or an evidence request. Do not describe a correlation as the root problem without tracing the underlying outcome.
Technical background: GOV.UK user research guidance.
Keep the decision with the work.
Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.
Create an account See the product workflow