Active Handling Time and Elapsed Time

Active handling time measures time spent working on a case. Elapsed time measures the interval between defined start and finish events, including waiting. State the clock and boundaries, such as calendar time or business hours, before comparing measurements.

A faster task may leave the wait intact

In a hypothetical case, a clerk spends eight minutes checking an invoice but waits a day for receipt evidence. Saving two minutes of work does not remove the missing-record wait. The intervention and the claimed benefit concern different parts of the process.

Count effort and duration carefully

Two people can work concurrently on one case. Their combined effort is not necessarily the same as the case's elapsed duration. Define whose work is counted, include rework, and retain unresolved cases in the analysis. Compare the relevant measure instead of treating every hour in a queue as an hour of staff labor.

References

• GOV.UK: User Research in Discovery