About the session

Before You Automate: Use Lean Six Sigma to Find Where the Workflow Is Really Broken

Optimize before you automate. Use evidence from the workflow to uncover the real constraint, eliminate unnecessary complexity, and then apply technology where it will create measurable value, not simply make a broken process move faster.

When deadlines start slipping, backlogs grow, or teams find themselves working harder without seeing better results, the instinct is often to add technology, people, or automation before understanding what is actually causing the delay. Drawing on real process-improvement experiences, this session shows how Lean Six Sigma techniques can expose hidden handoffs, waiting, rework, approval bottlenecks, and non-value-added activity – providing evidence for where a workflow should be redesigned before it is digitized or automated.

What you will take away

• Use workflow evidence to identify the real constraint before adding technology.
• Recognize hidden handoffs, waiting, rework, approval bottlenecks, and non-value-added activity.
• Apply automation only after the process has been simplified enough to create measurable value.

About the speaker

About Abbigail

Abbigail Meah-Ali is a Senior Project and Quality Management Executive with extensive experience leading complex infrastructure and energy projects, process improvement initiatives, and operational transformation in diverse environments.

She is an American Society for Quality (ASQ) Certified Six Sigma Black Belt and ASQ ConnEx Expert who, in addition to her full-time role leading complex technical and infrastructure projects, delivers training and advisory support in process improvement, quality, risk, and operational excellence. Abbigail is passionate about helping organizations use data, structured problem-solving, and Lean Six Sigma principles to simplify workflows, reduce waste, strengthen decision-making, and create sustainable business value.