Given the business environment facing the global economy, all organisations would face significant challenges in their ability to drive value. Part of the success equation would be in their ability to foster processes to promote continual improvement.

Much of this continuous improvement engagement process focuses on lean processes to drive enhanced customer experience, efficiency and cost reductions – all of which are critical to success. Firms know that rising to the challenge of adopting these lean principals requires talented people and developing a self-sustaining pool of lean experts to carry forward the transformation has to become the focus too.

Our keynote speaker on the day was Mr. Allan Lee, a Lean expert and practitioner and a dedicated evangelist on continuous improvement and business excellence matters. Allan is also Head of the BCM Faculty at the IERP®. Allan explained to the audience that the basis of business excellence was to adopt a strong and clear vision as well as a logical and applicable strategy comprehensible to everybody inside, and to all partners outside, the organization.

He stressed that this was not about writing down strategic goals – rather it was about measuring and monitoring the achievement of targets. Hence, one would have to define strategic outcomes and key performance indicators – complimentary to ERM practices and processes.

The session was a full house with participants from various GLCs, PLCs and MNCs. During the Q & A session, the participants also learned how to use Lean methodology to drive their Operational Risk initiatives and processes.