01

Purpose and Scope

This proposal formalizes a six‑month program to embed AI capabilities into existing Lean Support Office (LSO) practices. The program preserves current standards (Kaizen events, coaching kata, leader standard work) and adds AI instruments for skill diagnostics, deliverable support, and performance tracking. The scope covers the LSO and selected operational teams to be confirmed with Quest leadership.

Timeline

Six-month gated program

Scope

LSO + selected operational teams

Standards

Preserves current Lean practices

02

Objectives

Capability

Establish role‑level competency baselines and close skill gaps through AI‑assisted self‑assessment, coaching, and deliverable‑centered practice.

Method Adherence

Strengthen SDCA/PDCA rigor, improvement kata, and coaching routines with digital support (no changes to the underlying Lean logic).

Operational Impact

Quantify effects on lead time, quality, throughput, workload balance, and rework; publish monthly updates to an executive dashboard.

03

Approach — How AI Augments Current Lean Practices

a

Role & Deliverable Maps (HaradaFlow™)

Create/validate role‑specific deliverable matrices and KPI problem maps. Use these as the single source for: (1) skill‑gap identification, (2) individualized development plans, and (3) improvement targets by role.

b

Opportunity Finder (prioritized use‑cases)

Run focused assessments to identify repetitive tasks, knowledge bottlenecks, and candidate voice/digital agents. Output is a ranked, ROI‑tagged backlog for Kaizen events and quick wins.

c

Role‑based Immersion & Certification (learn‑by‑doing)

Deliver hands‑on modules aligned to each role's deliverables (e.g., drafting standard work, synthesizing incident reviews, summarizing lab data). Certifications are issued upon demonstrated performance on real work products.

d

Coaching Enablement (Kata/GROW with digital support)

Retain the existing coaching cadence and artifacts; add AI aids for observation capture, option generation, and target/actual comparisons during coaching routines.

e

Standard Work Execution & Visual Management

Continue to use Bowling & Gantt to show plan vs. actual and to connect development tasks with measurable objectives; generate and update visuals faster with AI assistance.

f

Voice and Digital Agents (on‑command assistance)

Deploy narrow, purpose‑built agents to answer SOP/policy/status questions; support role‑play/practice; automate routine document preparation. Agents draw only from governed knowledge bases and are logged for quality review.

g

Measurement & Adoption Tracking

Stand up usage dashboards, an "AI‑assisted wins" repository, and a real‑time ROI view so leaders can see breadth, depth, and value of adoption by role and team.

04

Six‑Month Work Plan (Gated)

1

Foundation

Month 1
  • Validate role deliverables and competencies (HaradaFlow).
  • Complete quick assessments for automation and agent candidates.
  • Run a demonstration Kaizen using these inputs.

Deliverables:

role matrices; prioritized opportunity list; baseline metrics.

2

Enablement

Month 2
  • Launch role‑based immersion (10 essential LLM use patterns; role projects tied to deliverables).
  • First certification wave at "AI‑Enabled Professional."

Deliverables:

completion roster; example before/after deliverables by role.

3

Application

Month 3
  • Execute 2–4 AI‑supported Kaizen events.
  • Deploy initial voice/digital agents (knowledge look‑ups, reporting assistants).
  • Activate dashboards and ROI tracker.

Deliverables:

Kaizen summaries; agent run‑books; live dashboard.

4

Expansion

Month 4
  • Extend to adjacent teams/sites.
  • Roll out AI‑assisted coaching kata across venues (gemba walks, huddles, one‑on‑ones).

Deliverables:

coaching standard work with AI prompts/templates.

5

Integration

Month 5
  • Embed Bowling & Gantt reviews in pilot areas.
  • Stabilize agent knowledge bases and update governance logs.
  • Publish monthly competency deltas by role.

Deliverables:

updated standard work; knowledge governance record; competency report.

6

Evaluation & Scale Blueprint

Month 6
  • Consolidate results and lessons.
  • Produce enterprise rollout plan (sites/roles, sequencing, budget).

Deliverables:

pilot close‑out report; rollout plan; updated metrics baseline.

05

Governance and Operating Model

Steering

LSO lead with Operations, IT, and HR; monthly review of metrics and decisions.

Standards

Preserve Lean artifacts (A3s, kata questions, coaching cycle); add digital templates aligned to the same standards.

Knowledge

Central, version‑controlled repositories for SOPs, policies, training; agents draw only from approved sources.

Data & Compliance

Usage telemetry limited to adoption and value tracking; dashboards show time saved, error reduction, throughput deltas by team/role; change logs maintained for all AI‑generated artifacts.

06

Metrics (Executive View; Monthly)

Category Key Metrics Measurement Frequency
Adoption Weekly/active users by role; depth (tasks and deliverables assisted). Weekly
Capability Certification counts by level; competency deltas from HaradaFlow self/manager assessments. Monthly
Operational Lead time, first‑pass yield/defect rate, rework, queue length; agent deflection where applicable. Daily/Weekly
Value Hours saved and cost avoidance from automated reporting/collateral and standardized outputs; quantified impacts from Kaizen events. Monthly
07

Deliverables by Month 6

Role Matrices & Development Plans

Validated role deliverables & competency matrices and a living development plan per role.

Certification Program

Certification roster with evidence artifacts (improved SOPs, A3s, VSMs, reports).

Executive Dashboards

Operational dashboards and ROI tracker with drill‑downs by unit.

AI Agents & Systems

Deployed voice/digital agents with run‑books for maintenance and knowledge updates.

Enhanced Standards

Updated coaching and review standards (Kata/GROW prompts; Bowling & Gantt cadence) with digital templates.

08

Risks and Controls

Content Drift

Control: Governed knowledge bases with version control and quarterly reviews.

Adoption Variability

Control: Dashboards flag low‑uptake teams; targeted coaching and enablement applied.

Method Integrity

Control: AI supplements analysis and documentation; decision rights remain with leaders and coaches.

09

Decision Requested

Program Approval

Approve the six‑month program and joint governance.

Team Confirmation

Confirm pilot teams/sites and required IT/knowledge‑base access.

KPI Alignment

Align on the reporting cadence and the specific KPIs to feature in the executive view.

10

References & Source Materials

Quest Diagnostics: Lean Support Office Development Concept Slides (Talcott Ridge Consulting, Aug 2025).
Quest Diagnostics AI Enablement & Culture Transformation Plan (internal concept/proposal).
Kaizen Event Fieldbook (Hamel et al.).
Lean Math: Figuring to Improve (Smalley & J-Flinch / LEI).
Mark & Kevin meeting transcripts and AI note‑taker report (Repeatable AI × Talcott Ridge).