When I was at Caterpillar, we selected the George Group to help deploy Lean Six Sigma methodologies by training thousands of employees, dealers, and suppliers. We achieved breakthroughs in cost reduction, quality and process improvements that helped create a more nimble company. We’ve use those same methods at U.S. Steel to support our business turnaround. Now, Mike George is applying Artificial Intelligence to Lean Six Sigma. I encourage executives and managers to read his book and learn more about the next generation of business process improvement.

Mike George once again leads the way on the journey of continuous improvement. How appropriate that the exciting new tools of AI should be added to Lean Six Sigma to support even greater levels of cycle time reduction. The book introduces Artificial Intelligence using a real application in a manufacturing company that everyone can understand because the improvements can be physically seen. The book includes applications of AI in product development and project management. Mike lays out a path to a defensible business model that should excite every leader who has to contend with a rapidly changing environment. I highly recommend this book!

The Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) were early adopters of Continuous Improvement (CPI), including Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Theory of Constraints (TOC) which became significant enablers of AIRSpeed and the NAE CPI tool kit. The initial deployment, using the George Group as facilitators and teachers, resulted in an estimated financial impact (cost savings and avoidance) exceeding $500 million. As our ability to progress greater volumes of data more quickly has evolved, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a more practical business tool to overcome intuition and to provide the accelerator for deeper cost reductions than were possible with traditional CPI methods alone. For those looking for the next revolution in process improvement, this book is a must read.

2018 National Defense Strategy

The drive to develop new technologies is relentless. New technologies including “big data” analytics and artificial intelligence … the very technologies that ensure we will be able to fight and win the wars of the future. New commercial technology will change society and, ultimately, the character of war.

“Lean Six Sigma in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” provides an excellent pedagogical example of the practical application of Neural Networks and Deep Learning in minimizing the cost and cycle time of Job Shoop Manufacturing. This exposition of Artificial Intelligence combines clarity and brevity and will be comprehensible to a wide audience of readers. Artificial Intelligence achieved remarkable increases in profit and on-time delivery in a case study application. The book builds on this foundation to employ Artificial Intelligence in several other applications. Given the resulting competitive advantage and productivity benefits, all companies must employ Artificial Intelligence wherever it is applicable.

CEO of Intel (Wall Street Journal, October 24, 2017):

“Almost every company you can think of, every application, is going to be affected by Artificial Intelligence. You are going to be using Artificial Intelligence, or you’re going to be outpaced by people who are… You’d be surprised at how many companies have access to the data but don’t put the investment in place (to use it). Companies must use AI or else”