Why Every Click Counts: The Business Value of a Time‑in‑Motion Study

Imagine shaving 5 000 staff hours from your support team each year – that’s the power of a well‑run time‑in‑motion (TiM) study. In our recent project we measured two key metrics across the ticket triage process:

• ⏱️ Elapsed time per ticket
• 🖱️ Number of clicks required to resolve or route a request

The experiment 📊

We tracked every support agent as they handled inbound tickets. The raw data revealed an average of 18 clicks per ticket, with many steps duplicated across tools (logging, searching knowledge‑base, assigning, updating status). The cumulative click count translated into cognitive load that slowed the team and increased error risk.

Automation wins: From manual triage to smart routing 🤖

After the TiM study we introduced an AI‑driven ticketing platform that:

• Automatically categorises tickets using natural‑language processing.
• Routes them to the right owner in a single click.
• Pre‑populates key fields (customer, asset, priority) from the request source.

The result? The average clicks per ticket dropped from 18 to just 2. Even though the elapsed time per ticket fell only modestly (cognitive load was reduced), the overall impact on the organisation was dramatic.

Quantified ROI 💰

Based on industry benchmarks (NinjaOne) a support team saves roughly 0.5 hour per ticket when click count is cut by 90 %. For a midsize operation handling 10 000 tickets annually, that equals:

• 5 000 staff‑hours saved each year
• ≈ $250 k in labour cost reduction (assuming $50/h wage)
• Higher SLA compliance and happier customers.

Beyond the numbers: Cognitive benefits 🧠

Every unnecessary click adds friction, increases fatigue and raises the chance of mistakes. By streamlining workflows we:

• Boost agent morale – less repetitive work.
• Reduce burnout – agents can focus on problem‑solving instead of data entry.
• Improve knowledge capture – AI‑augmented tickets automatically log context for future analysis.

How to run your own TiM study

1. Define the scope: Choose a high‑volume process (e.g., ticket triage).
2. Collect data: Use screen‑recording tools or built‑in analytics to capture clicks and timestamps.
3. Analyse patterns: Identify redundant steps, hand‑offs, and bottlenecks.
4. Implement automation: Deploy AI routing, macro actions, or UI simplifications.
5. Measure impact: Re‑run the study after changes to quantify saved clicks and time.

Takeaway for agile software consulting firms 📈

Time‑in‑motion studies aren’t just for IT ops – they’re a strategic tool for any agile team. By exposing hidden waste, you can:

• Accelerate sprint delivery (fewer blockers).
• Empower product owners with faster feedback loops.
• Show clients concrete ROI from process‑optimisation work.

Ready to turn clicks into value? Let’s talk about how a custom TiM analysis can unlock hidden productivity for your support or development teams.