People often ask why I am passionate about process improvement. The truth is, it has very little to do with workflows.
Workflows are just the mechanism.
What matters is reducing friction for the people on the other side: the caregiver waiting to be paid, the member waiting for a service, the employee working late to keep up with a backlog, or the leader staring at reports that do not seem to tell the same story.
Better processes create better experiences for real people.
A faster authorization. A cleaner claim. A reduced backlog. A less stressful day for an employee.
Most people will never see the work that goes into making those things happen. That is okay. The invisible work still matters.
What Process Friction Feels Like
- A provider calling repeatedly because the same issue is unresolved.
- A member waiting longer than necessary because ownership is unclear.
- An employee relying on memory because the process is undocumented.
- A leader reviewing reports that show activity but not the reason behind it.
- A team solving the same problem every week because the root cause remains hidden.
Questions That Bring the Human Impact Into View
- Who experiences the delay, confusion, or rework?
- Where does the process force people to compensate for system gaps?
- What work is happening outside the documented process?
- What would become easier for employees if the workflow were clearer?
- What would become better for members, providers, clients, or partners?
Practical check
Start with the friction people have learned to normalize.
The best improvement opportunities are often hiding in the workarounds people use every day.