Expertise 02

Process Excellence

Continuous improvement is not a destination. It’s a journey.

I built an enterprise Lean Process Excellence function from zero at a state-chartered credit union: one method in every department, measured, standardized and reported to the Board. It is the foundation every AI and automation initiative stands on.

Results

Process improvements more than doubled in one year

Departmental efficiency, 2023 compared with 2024. Capacity was reinvested in members and the team, not cut.

35 → 72

process improvements, +106%

175 → 581.5

process hours saved, 3.3×

89 → 190

process steps removed, 2.1×

79.9%

of measured process hours eliminated in 2024

$689K

operational cost savings, 2023 to 2025

$3.5M

vendor savings from renegotiated contracts and standard RFI, RFP and RFQ

0.98 → 0.75

efficiency ratio, 2022 to 2025 (lower is better)

$500M

bank-to-credit-union operations merger, 2025, run on the same method

Case Study

Reading the plans together: KPI alignment

A department plan can be complete and still not move an enterprise number. Fifteen department tactical plans were read side by side against the enterprise KPIs, and the review changed how the executive team meets.

department tactical plans read side by side against eight enterprise KPIs

39%

of 71 cross-team dependencies were confirmed by both teams

cross-functional plays, released in four waves by team capacity

growth pods formed around shared enterprise KPIs

KPI coverage map: 15 department plans by 8 enterprise KPIs — The KPI coverage map. A filled circle marks a plan with a target for that KPI; an open circle marks a department that could move it but sets no target.

Read the case study →

From Lean to AI

Each Lean tool has a direct role in the AI and automation lifecycle

01Lean FoundationStabilize the work
Lean toolsFive principles, the eight wastes, aligning people, process, data and technology
BecomesA shared language and a standard way of seeing work before any tool is chosen
02IntakeChoose what to work on
Lean toolsA3 and PDCA, PACE prioritization
BecomesThe AI use-case intake, ranked by value and effort
03CandidatesFix, then select
Lean toolsEight wastes, SIPOC, swim lanes, value stream and metrics-based process maps, Gemba
BecomesAutomation candidates: remove steps first, automate what remains
04DeliveryBuild in small batches
Lean toolsKanban with WIP limits, pull not push, Kaizen events
BecomesA pull-based backlog for AI and automation builds
05SustainMake the gain stick
Lean tools4P template, change curve, Change Agents, SOPs and control plans
BecomesChange Agents become AI champions; control plans lock in the improved process

Automating a flawed process produces faster flaws. Fix, simplify and standardize, then automate.

Teaching

Taught. Certified. Invited.

I wrote a 250-plus-page Lean Process Excellence course and have taught it to more than 400 professionals.

employees certified as Lean Practitioners, 13.5% of the organization, in two six-week classes

~300

credit union leaders taught at Western CUNA Management School, two classes

100

students taught Root Cause Analysis at the Qatar Leadership Conference, 2024

400+

professionals taught in total

The Certification

Six weekly two-hour sessions

Hands-on simulations, a required A3 project on a real process and a 12-question exam
Graduates become Lean Process Practitioners and Change Agents in every department: the Center of Excellence
Now extending to AI: Change Agents become the AI champions who drive adoption

The Curriculum

Lean Process Excellence to AI transformation

What you learn	What the credit union gains	The path to AI
Identify value Five Lean principles, voice of the member	Every project starts with what members actually value.	Defines the outcome an AI model is built to improve.
Map the process Gemba, SIPOC, swim lane, value stream, metrics-based process map	One measured picture of how work really flows. Silos become visible.	Process steps become the data a model learns from.
Eliminate waste The eight wastes (DOWNTIME)	Fewer steps, less rework and waiting, lower cost.	Waste patterns become automation candidates.
Solve root causes A3 and PDCA, 5 Whys, fishbone, Pareto	Fix the cause, not the symptom. Decisions rest on data.	The A3 becomes the model charter. Root causes become model drivers.
Create flow and pull Kanban with WIP limits, Kaizen events	Work finishes sooner. Fewer projects start and stall.	A pull-based backlog for automation and AI builds.
Standardize SOPs, 5S, the Fish Game simulation	A consistent member experience, and the gain holds.	Guardrails and approval points for human-in-the-loop AI.
Prioritize the work PACE matrix, 4P template	Scarce talent goes to the highest-value projects.	Ranks AI use cases by benefit and ease.
Lead the change 3A to 3D approach, change curve, Change Agents	Employees own the improvements. A Center of Excellence forms.	Change Agents become AI champions who drive adoption.
Pursue perfection PDCA, continuous improvement	A culture that keeps improving after the class ends.	The model lifecycle: monitor, adjust, retrain.

Writing