Pix shows the importance of reducing waiting times for a direct connection with customers

One of the most recurrent problems in any management process is wasted time, as in waiting, which can occur for several reasons.

An example of how eliminating some waiting can have enormous impacts on processes, on the connection with customers and on people's lives will soon be provided by PIX. It is a new means of instant electronic payments that is due to be officially launched on November 16 by the Central Bank.

In short, as practically all the business media has been explaining, it is a system that allows any payment to be completed in 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, at a much lower cost than today.

As a result, in a very simple and everyday example, a person who needs to pay an overdue electricity bill to have the power reconnected will no longer have to wait until the next day or several days until the service provider receives the money, confirms receipt and then reconnects the service.

Once the payment is made, the money will go immediately into the creditor's account, which will also be able to reconnect the power immediately. All this in seconds, with a minimum of “waiting”.

What can this reduction of hours or days change? A lot, especially in this increasingly connected and digital world.

More than profoundly affecting the, let's say, bureaucratic or operational forms of payment, Pix may become a model example for organizations of how important it is to reduce “waiting times”, that is, the moments when nothing happens.

In any process, whenever we eliminate this waiting we are able to reduce the so-called lead time, which is the total time spent to produce something from start to finish.

That way, we tend to serve customers more quickly, which is what they increasingly want and value. And we know that in companies there is always a lot of “waiting”, the result of information that sits “idle”.

In management, whenever this can be reduced, besides saving time, we create a more direct and faster connection with consumers, another fundamental element of lean management. And we tend to increase the simplicity of processes, another important goal in any improvement one tries to make.

As if that were not enough, experts say, Pix may make it easier for new players to enter the system, in addition to the banks, fintechs and operators

of existing payment methods. This will certainly generate greater competition and, as usually happens, improve and increase services, solutions and innovations, which tends to bring so many other benefits to customers.

Not to mention the reduction in costs, which can increase competitiveness. Today, for example, a DOC or TED transfer, as we know, costs from R$ 5 to R$ 15. With Pix, it will cost banks R$ 0,01 for every ten transactions and will be free for individuals.

Of course, a new system always requires adaptations and brings initial difficulties and even cultural resistance. However, it is probably a path of no return, and it will lead companies, whether they like it or not, to an evolution in their processes. It will certainly generate several other changes not yet even thought of or explored.

In any process of every organization, time is a fundamental element. The more we optimize it, the more value will be created.