In these days of ever tightening budgets, office efficiency has again become the concern of many managers. The recession has been a boom for companies that specialize in office efficiency studies.

"Many companies are back to the basics," says Martin Raiford a self-described 'efficiency guru.' "They really want to find the nickel and dime things that add up so quickly."

Office managers are again analyzing things such as efficient office layout, cost analysis on faster printers and copiers, wood versus electric heat.

"You know, all things companies used to think about back

Budget Busters, No White Mugs

when they were run by businessmen instead of 24-year-old engineers," notes Raiford.

Raiford's efficiency company, Budget Busters, also gives them more than the basics. "We have some tricks up our sleeves. Managers are always amazed not only at how much they can save, but that they didn't think of the cold-blooded tactics themselves."

One such "trick" he has used in the past cut smoke break time by 85 percent.

"I had the employer install a special 'humidor' case for the cigarette smokers to house their smokes in for free, to keep them fresh," tells Raiford.

What was really installed was a de-humidifier that dried out the cigarettes so they'd burn faster.

"We had five-minute cigarette breaks down to 90 seconds within one month. One cigarette that had been left in the case all weekend burned so fast the smoker lost her eyebrows," Raiford says with visible delight. "Now that's efficiency!"

Raiford's favorite "trick" was devised last year for a very dollar conscious client who wanted to eliminate the office coffee budget.

"I came up with a plan so simple that it saved the coffee for the workers," boasts Raiford. "It was a two pronged attack on the problem."

He first had the company start filling the Starbucks bag with Maxwell House brand coffee. "I couldn't believe they hadn't thought of this basic cost saving strategy," says Raiford.

The second prong was a one-time capital expenditure for black coffee mugs with the corporate logo for the entire office. Then, citing teamwork and cohesiveness, the manager issued strict orders forbidding the use of anything but the black coffee mugs.

"The secret to the second prong was to simultaneously remove the dish soap from the coffee area," says a proud Raiford. "This eliminates the constant, and costly, washing of the mugs. Employees do not notice the mugs are dirty because they are black and are never prompted to wash them by the site of the soap on the counter. It's psycho-logistical genius I tell you!"

When asked about the inevitable illness of employees and use of sick days, Raiford argues that these are just days that employees would have called in sick to go skiing anyway, so no real loss of days has occurred.

Touché.