Lean Into AI

Group engaging in a brainstorming session with post-it notes

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how organizations solve problems, make decisions, and deliver value. At the same time, lean and continuous improvement principles remain essential for building adaptable, high-performing systems. Lean Into AI brings together leaders and practitioners from across the operational excellence community to explore where these two powerful forces meet and how they can evolve together.

Future of People at Work Initiatives are volunteer-led work groups addressing specific challenges in the continuous improvement community. Each initiative brings together diverse perspectives from across the community to develop practical solutions and implement real changes across organizations. The Ohio State University Center for Operational Excellence is proud to serve as the sponsoring organization for Lean Into AI.

The cornerstone of the Lean Into AI work group is a six-part collaborative webinar series featuring conversations between AI experts and Lean practitioners. Each session pairs thought leaders from both fields to explore emerging technologies and real-world case studies. Guided by a skilled facilitator, the series bridges perspectives, translates complex concepts into actionable ideas, and helps lean professionals understand how to use AI tools responsibly and effectively in their improvement work.

Past Events

August 20, 2025 | Part One: Optimization Before Automation

To kick off the Lean Into AI series, Purdue Professor Ali Shakouri and Toyota Production System Support Center President Jamie Bonini presented a case study on challenges and opportunities when applying the latest advances in artificial intelligence in a manufacturing setting. They shared insights on the importance of eliminating waste and streamlining processes before applying AI technologies and automation.

October 22, 2025 | Part Two: Moving from AI Skeptic to Strategist

Encouraging Leaders CEO Marc D. Braun and LEI Senior Director Tyson Heaton joined Lean Into AI series facilitator Steve Pereira for a conversation on the AI implementation journey. They offered practical ideas for leaders looking to guide their teams through AI adoption with greater clarity and confidence.

February 11, 2026 | Part Three: Can AI Do That?

AI is everywhere, but for many operational excellence practitioners, the real question is simple: "Can AI actually help with the work I do every day?" In this highly interactive Lean Into AI session, Jim Perry led a live, crowd-sourced exploration of real operational use cases submitted by participants.

View recordings of past events

Upcoming Events

Lean Into AI | Designing Persona-Based AI Training

June 10 | 12 - 1 p.m. ET | Zoom Webinar

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in workflows, upskilling is no longer optional for organizations to prepare their workforce. To continue the series, Dr. Ada Safak will join Steve Pereira for a conversation on developing AI training that keeps workforce skills aligned with fast-changing technical capabilities and real work needs. Dr. Safak will share from Worthington Enterprises’ journey implementing a persona-based AI learning academy designed to overcome the challenges of generic training that leaves employees underprepared, slows adoption, increases risk, and delays measurable business value.

Webinar attendees will gain insights on:

Applying a Data + AI Literacy framework to structure AI upskilling
Tailoring AI training to different roles and proficiency levels
Identifying strategies to promote adoption of learning tracks and track progress over time

Dr. Ada Safak is an Advanced Analytics Analyst II at Worthington Enterprises, specializing in AI and Data Literacy. With a Ph.D. in STEM and over a decade of experience teaching mathematics, she bridges the gap between complex analytics and real-world impact. Previously, a software developer, Dr. Safak now empowers teams to leverage AI and data-driven decision-making. A passionate educator and speaker, she focuses on upskilling professionals with the conceptual understanding needed to navigate AI’s evolving role in business.

Steve Pereira, emcee, is obsessed with making tech human and leveraging it to deliver continuous value. Steve has spent over two decades improving the flow of work across organizations. He’s worked through tech support, IT management, build and release engineering, and as a founding CTO for enterprise SaaS.

He serves as lead consultant for Visible Value Stream Consulting, as a board advisor to the Value Stream Management Consortium, Chair of the OASIS Value Stream Management Interoperability technical committee, and co-founder of the Flow Collective to bring flow-focused professionals together. Since 2017, he has been developing and facilitating Flow Engineering to make flow improvement in large organizations accessible, collaborative, and actionable.