Sometimes, outdated systems need a smarter human intervention.

If your manager insisted that you follow inefficient processes, would you do it, or would you prove that there’s a better way?

This woman was working at a retail store that used an outdated inventory system, so she and her coworkers figured out ways to do the processes faster and more efficiently.

But a new manager insisted they follow every step in the manual.

Read the full story below to see what happened when she complied.

You want me to follow EVERY step of the manual? Okay then…

I used to work at a retail store that had a super outdated inventory system.

It was so slow and clunky.

Everyone had found smarter shortcuts to get things done faster.

Everyone, except our new manager.

This woman was confronted by her manager and assumed she was doing some shortcuts.

One day, she noticed I was getting through inventory checks too quickly and told me I “must” be skipping steps.

I explained that I wasn’t skipping anything, just doing it more efficiently.

She didn’t care. “Follow the manual to the letter,” she said. “No exceptions.”

So, she followed the manual to the letter, taking her 4 hours to complete everything.

The next day, I followed the manual exactly. Every. Single. Step, including waiting for old loading screens to refresh fully and printing out unnecessary paperwork as well as getting signatures from supervisors who had no clue why they were needed.

What normally took me an hour took four hours.

Other departments started asking why their reports were delayed.

I blocked the whole process. Everything slowed down.

Other departments started calling to ask why their reports weren’t ready.

My manager? She had to step in and finish the rest herself.

After that? She never mentioned the manual again.

The manager didn’t realize what she was asking!

Let’s find out what others have to say about this on Reddit.

This user makes a valid point.

This person shares a personal thought.

Here’s another insight that makes sense.

A manager speaks up.

Finally, another manager shares some career lessons.

Be open to faster processes because the old ways don’t always work.

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