Using the lessons of Lean, to capture the new opportunities of AI
Achieving business results from technology is challenging because, without an impact mechanism - like Lean - technology alone does not inherently enhance processes or deliver value. In our new white paper, Lean meets Data & Generative AI, we explore how the integration of Lean thinking with data-driven insights and Generative AI enables organizations to navigate the technology landscape and achieve significant business impact.
Why Lean Thinking?
In the fast-moving tech landscape, organizations must adapt, innovate, and remain competitive. At Futurice, we have long believed in the power of Lean to provide a robust framework for navigating these challenges. We embraced Lean in 2008 during rapid growth, making it a cornerstone of our strategy; it helped us scale, design our organization, and manage expansion efficiently. We later developed Lean Service Creation, a customizable approach for multidisciplinary teams to create new services, based on our extensive software experience. This methodology has been shared globally at conferences, universities, and with leadership teams.
Today, we are witnessing a resurgence of Lean thinking, driven by the advent of generative AI and other transformative technologies. These innovations present vast opportunities for process innovation and necessitate rethinking operating models. Based on our experience, Lean principles focused on maximizing customer value, increasing speed, and minimizing waste, continue to be that guiding framework for helping us and our clients adapt, innovate, and challenge conventions. It provides us with an understandable, structured mechanism and a structured framework of what good looks like, ensuring technology is applied effectively to fulfill the ultimate goal of customer value and business benefit.
Generative AI & Data are unlocking new possibilities - but how do you choose where to bet?
The latest advances in Generative AI allow organizations to automate complex tasks, extract insights from unstructured data, and make decisions faster than ever before. These capabilities are already transforming the way businesses operate by:
- Accessing organization-wide information in seconds.
- Converting unstructured data into valuable insights for understanding customer needs and optimizing operations.
- Automating compliance and control processes, eliminating delays caused by manual approvals.
- Enabling mass customization to tailor offerings for individual customers—without increasing costs.
The possibilities are immense but navigating them to achieve real impact can be challenging. With Generative AI, businesses can address inefficiencies, streamline processes, and elevate the customer experience. Data is at the heart of this transformation. It not only powers AI but also enhances Lean by providing a clearer picture of customer needs and process inefficiencies. With the right data, organizations can identify waste, refine workflows, and ensure that every step in their operations aligns with delivering maximum customer value.
Lean offers the values and principles—the north star—of what an optimized process looks like. Generative AI and data now provide the tools to achieve that vision.
Join forces for impact
By blending the timeless principles of Lean with the transformative potential of AI, we aim to offer a roadmap for innovation and efficiency that organizations can apply to thrive in the digital age: empower organizations to radically redesign their processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and deliver exceptional results. Whether it’s accelerating workflows, enhancing customer satisfaction, or enabling employees to focus on higher-value tasks, this powerful combination drives measurable impact across industries.
In the spirit of redesigning processes, we decided to experiment with the use of AI in writing the white paper. We adopted a semi- automated approach with GenAI to create high-quality and efficient content. The goal was to learn how to gain efficiency from the LLMs’ language generation capabilities while relying on our unique expertise for all the substance. So we leveraged our domain knowledge to outline the content and key points, with LLMs used to spar and extend our thinking. We then recorded and transcribed expert discussions, and used GenAI to draft content for review. Want to see the results? Download the white paper and judge for yourself!
Heidi VossPrincipal Advisor
