Every year Spotify presents me with the ‘Wrapped’ summary of my listening habits, and it never ceases to surprise me with some of the music that’s in there. I know what I like to listen to, and there’s some obvious favorites, but it’s a great reminder of some of the tracks that I might have let slip out of rotation. Songs that got me through presentation prep and airport waits, and classics that I may not have listened to lately but are worth revisiting.
It was this stroll back through what I’d been listening to this year that got me thinking about how I’ve embraced some great new ideas around process excellence, and how some of the ‘classic hits’ of this field will never go out of style!
What’s new in process excellence?
I began 2025 with very little real understanding of how artificial intelligence (AI) worked and where it fit into what we do. As the latest leap in technology, I made a point of investing some time in exploring what it’s capable of.
It’s quickly become clear that AI offers an amazing opportunity to accelerate what we do as process experts. As I’ve come to grips with large language models (LLMs) and their function, I’ve seen just how valuable they can be for synthesizing large quantities of data quickly and effectively.
Rather than hunting through a process map for the documents I need, an AI agent can pinpoint the steps and forms I require and support better process execution. Where I’m up to and what comes next are easier than ever to track thanks to AI support.
It’s also better at analyzing trends and patterns than I can be. When it comes to identifying breakdowns or inefficiencies, AI tools are superstar performers, pinpointing valuable process enhancement opportunities. What’s more, with the right training, they can help us take the next steps, utilizing templates and the enterprise information we provide to create fundamental process content – revising and rewriting procedures in a fraction of the time it would take me.
What’s still true in process excellence?
As a process professional, I’ve always believed in people being in the loop; people being part of the process excellence journey. So as much as AI introduces great new ways to work, it’s in partnership with process people who are passionate about employing it to make things better.
I can see the value in people and technology teams coming together through process practices, learning how to employ these tools to best build their organization. I’m constantly reminded of the importance of accountability and governance.
It’s a key element that I can see has undergirded everything I’ve learned this year; the basics we all know have to remain at the foundation of any digital transformation.
Clear, well-documented processes in a framework that makes them available and understandable for everyone. Great governance structures that ensure accountability and clear, effective risk management. People that are engaged and excited about better processes and outcomes for the business and those in it. That has to be at the heart, or any technology and toolset will fail to live up to its potential.
What’s next in process excellence?
If 2025 has taught me anything, it’s that I can’t predict where the next revolution will come from. What I can be sure of though is that these new tools, paired with a great grasp of the foundational elements of process excellence, will be essential to success in the future.
As process excellence professionals, we need to be exploring the new opportunities AI and emerging technology offer, but we can’t forget the basics we’ve spent our careers building. The new tools aren’t silver bullets or novelties – they’re additional elements we can use to make what we do even better.
As 2026 rolls around, I plan on diving deeper into the possibilities of AI and agentic business orchestration, but I’ll be doing it with a clear view of those fundamental process practices. Like a greatest hits playlist, I’ll be blending the new ideas with tried and true favorites to make the most of what’s available.
I’ve never seen process excellence be so critical, nor so exciting, as it is right now, and I’m looking forward to sharing the journey with you all!