EfficiencyandEffectiveness

Effectiveness- The ability to accomplish a specific task, or reach a specific goal.

Efficiency- Obtaining the highest return possible, by using the fewest possible resources.

Example:

An executive has two documents, and needs 100 copies of each. He gives one document to his assistant, Joe, and the other document to his other assistant, Jennifer. The executive then explains to his assistants that he needs 100 copies of each document on his desk first thing in the morning.

That evening after work, Joe heads directly home to start on his assignment. He sits at his typewriter and hand-types 100 exact copies of the document he was given. The task takes him most of the night to complete.

Jennifer, on the other hand, stops at a print shop on her way home. She uses the photocopier to run off 100 copies of her document. This takes Jennifer about three minutes.

The following morning, both assistants leave their stack of documents on their boss' desk. Mission accomplished.
 

In the above example, BOTH Joe and Jennifer's methods were effective (they both completed the task), but Jennifer's method was the most efficient.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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