How To Integrate Process Excellence Into Your GenAI Strategy - And Why You're Probably Failing

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We all know GenAI is everywhere right now. But let’s be honest - most companies are plugging AI into messy workflows and wondering why the magic isn’t happening. Spoiler alert: Generative AI doesn’t fix broken processes - it just automates your chaos faster. If you want GenAI to actually drive value, it needs a clean runway. Enter: Process Excellence.

1. Start with a Process Audit

If your current workflows look like spaghetti on a whiteboard, AI won’t help. Map your processes. Find the gaps. Streamline first, so you’re not asking your shiny new model to solve what’s really just bad design.

2. Define Outcomes and KPIs Early

“Let’s just try it and see what happens” is not a strategy. Be specific. Are you trying to save time? Improve accuracy? Reduce costs? GenAI needs guardrails. Process excellence gives you a target, and lets you know if you’re even hitting it.

3. Standardize Inputs for Better Prompts

GenAI thrives on clarity. If your team uses 12 versions of the same template or vague instructions like “make it pop,” your AI won’t know what to do. Standardize formats and data inputs so your model has a fighting chance.

4. Embed Governance and Human Oversight

“Let the AI handle it” is a phrase you’ll only say once - right before it emails your internal notes to a client. Build in human checkpoints. Process excellence makes sure your clever tools don’t become liabilities.

5. Make Continuous Improvement Non-Negotiable

GenAI is not set-it-and-forget-it. If you’re not refining prompts, retraining models, or tweaking workflows, you’re already falling behind. Think Lean - but smarter, faster, and with fewer spreadsheets.

Bottom Line: If your GenAI results are more “meh” than mind-blowing, the issue isn’t the tech - it’s the tangle you dropped it into. Clean it up, lock it down, and then let AI do its thing.

Have more than two minutes and want to see how the pros are getting this right? Check out McKinsey’s latest GenAI + ops report for a list of case studies that are laying the ground work for GenAI best practices.