Unnecessary process is waste

Recently a regulation change forced my local school district to test all the water in their buildings for lead. Any water source that was found to have a concentration of lead over a certain level was required to either be fixed or labeled as not for drinking.

Regulations like this are done with the best of intentions. We don't want our children or even the teachers and staff to be drinking lead contaminated water. However, the way the regulations are written leads to the picture below. And that's the problem. It's waste.

Waste of time, waste of money.

Someone tested the water here. Seriously, someone tested the water in this toilet. I don't know how much that cost to do, but it was waste.

Someone printed this sign. Fair enough they probably needed the exact same sign else where. Not much waste, but still waste

Someone attached the sign here. More waste.

Here's my point, when we are developing software or any other activity that we do that does not directly contribute to putting working software, that solves a user need into that user's hands is waste.

Make sure all of your process is necessary. Typically, most of it isn't. What is needed is leaders who can articulate vision well, and developers who understand that vision and have a user mindset.

FYI: This wasn't even in a student accessible bathroom, it was in the staff only lounge.