Speed counts

This is just a reminder that speed counts. We would like the average time for each soldier to be about 4.5 hours. That includes all searching and inputting, and is a tall order. We recognize that if the soldier has 10 kids, you're probably not going to get it done in that amount of time. That's why we look at averages over time.

Here is a trick you can use to estimate the maximum amount of time you should spend working on a soldier. When you begin work on a soldier, check how many children he has, either from the Mil info or from previous census work. Calculate one hour per child to get the maximum number of hours you should spend on that family. You do not have to spend all of that time. Getting the work done, while still doing good work, in less time is better.

If you're still on 100% checks, then you don't have to worry about tracking your time. Everyone else should do so and make an effort to speed up. If you'd like me to calculate your average time, I can do so. When I calculate it, I will use the number of hours you submit on your time sheet, and the number of soldiers you've completed during that time period (it's a rough number).You can also do it yourself using the information from your logs. That will give you a slightly different answer, but will help you know if you need to improve. I know your times will be slower if all the soldiers you've worked have many children.

Another thing to consider is whether what you're doing is adding value.  All the extra time you spend on one soldier is time that won't be spent on another. We still have about 11,000 soldiers to complete during the grant period. Is it worth the extra time to find documents to bring your quality code from 2 to 1? No. Is it worth spending an extra 10 minutes on a decade when you've exhausted all reasonable searches in five minutes? Probably not.

Please be aware of what you're doing and how long it is taking you to do it. If any of you have any time-saving tips, please share them in the comments.

We do appreciate all your hard work.