Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
10 Steps to Breakthrough PI Results (Part 2)
Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.
We've already covered the first five steps to breakthrough process improvement results. Now it's time for the rest:
Step 6: Conduct Structured Facilitation Work Sessions to Map out Processes and Identify Improvement Opportunities in Context to Achieving the Strategy and Objectives
Step 6: Conduct Structured Facilitation Work Sessions to Map out Processes and Identify Improvement Opportunities in Context to Achieving the Strategy and Objectives
The real magic of Process Improvement efforts occurs in Structured Facilitation Work Sessions. Typically 3 to 5 work sessions lasting 2 to 3 hours each will yield dramatic results, ways to improve how work is performed and value delivered for any given core business process. During the course of these sessions the facilitator needs to work with the rest of the team to accomplish the following:
1. Identify current situations related to the process that would need to be changed in order to support the achievement of the enterprises business objectives. Each situation needs to be quantified in terms of cost, wasted effort, lost opportunities, poor service levels, etc.
2. For each situation identify what the improved environment would look like. Again each proposed improvement needs to be quantified just like the above situations.
3. For each proposed improvement the controllable and uncontrollable variables need to be identified and an assessment of achievability performed (i.e. a reality check)
4. Develop a workflow map (a model) of the processes when it works correctly. This requires a set of …
Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.
ADVERTISEMENTS
|
"I like Wagner's music better than anybody's; it is so loud, one can talk the whole time without other people hearing what you say." - Oscar Wilde |