online meeting: How AI Helps Improve Workflows

Topic: How AI Helps Improve Workflows
Cost: Free
When: 22 Jan 2026 (Thursday) 5:45pm to 7:30pm US-MT meeting
RSVP on Boulder Section’s meeting "Meetup Link"
RSVP note: Please provide your Name and Hometown. Same for any guests
5:45 pm Web Conference Start: Networking, Welcome and Section Business
6:00 pm Presentation

• Speaker: Randy Hale, Optimizing for Impact 
• Topic: How AI Helps Improve Workflows
• NOTE: Non-ASQ Members to get slides please contact Arnold Miller via amiller@memberleader.asq.org
• Presentation Slides and Video posted after meeting
• Abstract:

  •  Organizations are under pressure to deliver faster, with higher quality, and usually with the same number of people. Most workflows were built before today’s pace, and many teams feel the strain. The good news... AI is becoming a practical helper for improving everyday work rather than a futuristic science project.

  • This session shows how AI can streamline and strengthen workflows by handling repetitive steps, organizing messy information, and helping teams spot issues earlier. Think of AI as a partner that clears the manual clutter so people can focus on real problem solving.

  • Quality professionals already use structured approaches that rely on data and continuous improvement. AI simply strengthens those approaches by collecting data faster, analyzing more patterns, and keeping processes in control with less effort. Rather than replacing quality work, AI makes proven methods like DMAIC and continuous improvement cycles run more smoothly.

  • We will look at a few practical areas where organizations often see early wins:

    • Automating document heavy tasks

    • Extracting information from unstructured sources

    • Creating smart process maps

    • Preparing for audits

    • Flagging bottlenecks in real time

  • None of these require major transformation. Most start with a single workflow and one or two repetitive tasks. The goal is to build confidence step by step rather than trying to reinvent everything.

    • A simple roadmap will show how to begin:

    • Choose a workflow with repetitive steps

    • Identify a small automation opportunity

    • Measure cycle time and accuracy

    • Expand once results are visible

  • We will also touch on a common issue. Many companies start pilots that never turn into real improvements. The obstacle is rarely the technology. It is usually unclear ownership, scattered tools, or old operating assumptions.

  • Optimizing for Impact helps organizations bridge that gap by designing practical AI workflow improvements and helping leaders build capability over time.

    • Participants will leave with:

    • A clear picture of how AI fits quality work

    • Examples that apply to real workflows

    • A safe place to start

    • An understanding of how AI supports human judgment

  • By the end, everyone will see that AI and quality improvement share the same mission... doing work better, with less waste, and with people focused on the decisions that truly matter.

• Bio Randy Hale is an empathetic change leader who helps leaders gain clarity on challenges and embrace possibilities with enthusiasm.
  • Early in his career, Randy led initiatives in a software quality function, giving him hands-on experience improving processes, reducing variation, and strengthening product performance.
  • He is also a Six Sigma Green Belt, which continues to inform his approach to systematic improvement and organizational excellence.
  • He has deep, cross-industry expertise with:
    • Product Operating Model Transformation
    • Business and Product Strategy
    • Product Leadership
    • Organizational Transformation
    • Strategic Portfolio Transformation
    • Executive Coaching
  • As both an enterprise Product Leader and Startup Advisor, he’s faced the same challenges he now sees echoed in nearly every client he works with.
  • He has guided dozens of organizations... from startups to Fortune 100 companies to Department of Defense and Aerospace... in driving strategic change to enhance employee engagement, speed up time-to-market, boost customer satisfaction, and accelerate revenue growth.
• References:
  • Website Optimizing for Impact 

7:15 pm After Presentation Networking
7:30 pm Web Conference End: meeting over
Place: Web Conference Webex

• Meeting link: https://asq.webex.com/asq/j.php?MTID=m12d869147d0832c4553c7256da14932a
• Meeting number: 2556 781 5308
• Password: bdWqRkp9Q32

Meeting also posted on ASQ Boulder Meetup's 22 Jan 2026 meeting

#AI

#SixSigmaMethodologies
#qualitytools
#Kanban
#Workflow