Too many ideas, not enough results? Learn how to sort and prioritize with the Gains/Efforts Matrix.

Too many ideas, not enough time? This dilemma is known by all industrial SMEs. Between improvement projects, team suggestions, and daily operational urgencies, it quickly becomes difficult to know where to start. Result: some projects stall, others consume disproportionate resources, and visible results take too long to show up...

What if you had a simple, visual, and effective tool to gain clarity, make quick decisions... and achieve better results? Enter the Gains/Efforts Matrix – a practical ally to prioritize intelligently and act faster (and better).

Why prioritization is crucial in an industrial SME?

In an industrial SME, resources are limited. Time, workforce, budget - you can’t do everything at once. The real challenge is making the right choices.

Prioritizing does not mean saying no to certain ideas. It's about knowing where to invest your energy to generate maximum value. The Gains/Efforts Matrix brings that clarity. By quickly identifying high-impact, low-effort actions, it helps you stay focused and channel your resources where they matter most.

This is particularly useful in contexts such as:

• Continuous improvement committees that generate dozens of ideas per session

• Project launches where profitability is unclear

• Tense trade-offs between teams on the priorities to be implemented.

Understanding and using the Gains/Efforts Matrix

The Gains/Efforts Matrix is based on a simple principle: classify actions along two axes..

• Horizontal axis: the effort required (low to high)

• Vertical axis: the expected gains (low to high)

By crossing these two dimensions, ideas are distributed across 4 zones:

• Quick wins (High gains, Low efforts) ✅: The gems to implement first!

• Strategic projects (High gains, High efforts) 🏆: Require time and resources, but worth the investment.

• Nice-to-haves (Low gains, Low efforts) 🤷: Optional, to be planned without urgency.

• Time traps (Low gains, High efforts) ❌: Best avoided unless strongly justified.

Let's take two concrete examples in a workshop:

• Rearranging tools at a workstation to reduce unnecessary movement : quick gain with little effort → Quick win.

• Implementing a digital traceability system: high potential gain, but IT investment, training, and changing habits → Strategic project.

Practical tips for implementing your matrix

Here is a simple method, in 7 steps, to go from idea to action:

1. Form a representative team

Involve the right people (depending on the topics addressed): operators, maintenance, logistics managers… Their hands-on knowledge is essential for realistic assessments.

2. List potential actions

Ideally during a brainstorming session, an audit, a management review, or a monthly continuous improvement review.

3. Define gain and effort criteria

Examples of gains: cost savings, quality, productivity, safety.

Examples of efforts: man-hours, expertise, budget, disruption of functioning.

4. Score each action (scale of 1 to 5, for example)

Be as factual as possible. Rely on real data if possible (saved time, projected cost...).

5. Place actions in the matrix

You can use a simple flip chart to visualize or existing free tools such as Whimsical or Miro.

6. Analyze the 4 zones

Decide collectively: what to start now, what to plan, what to pause, and what to drop.

7. Take action

Assign responsibilities, deadlines, and follow-up indicators. Update the matrix as progress is made to keep it useful.

✅ Best practices to keep in mind

• Involve the right stakeholders: decisions should not rest solely with management.

• Update the matrix: what seemed complex can become simple with new tools or external support

• Stay factual: avoid biased intuitions, prioritize data and facts.

❌ And beware of pitfalls...

• Don’t let the matrix collect digital dust – without action, it’s just a pretty chart

• Watch out for internal lobbying – some ideas may be overhyped. That’s why cross-functional evaluation and objective indicators matter.

  
  

Conclusion: it's up to you to sort for better action

The Gains/Efforts Matrix is more than just a sorting tool. It’s a performance lever for any industrial company wanting to move forward without wasting resources. Simple, quick to deploy, and designed to foster team discussions, it boosts clarity and operational impact.

So, next time you’re buried in a mile-long idea list, grab your matrix. Start with what brings the most value for the least effort 🚀.

🎯 Less noise, more transformation.