Lean Six Sigma in Banking: Removing Friction from Customer Journeys
Annie Mamigonians explains how Lean Six Sigma, firsthand observation and employee empowerment can help banks remove waste while preserving the moments customers value.
The episode at a glance
- Identify the work that adds value to customers — and the waste that does not.
- Observe real customer and employee journeys rather than relying only on reports.
- Delighters become basic expectations over time, requiring continual improvement.
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Key insights from Annie Mamigonians
Lean thinking starts with customer value
Annie explores how organisations can distinguish steps that genuinely help customers from steps that exist because of historic processes. Removing duplication and delay should make the service easier rather than simply reducing internal effort.
Go and see the work
The conversation introduces Gemba — observing work where it happens — as a way to get close to both customers and employees. An exception that looks trivial in a process diagram may be a recurring frustration at a branch or contact centre.
The difference between hygiene factors and delighters
Annie discusses how a feature that once surprised customers can become something they simply expect. Extended service access is one example. Banks must protect basic reliability even while searching for memorable improvements.
Automation should free people to serve
Automating background tasks can reduce repetitive work, but only if it redirects colleagues towards work requiring empathy, judgement and expertise. Annie links this to the Lean concept of underused human talent, a form of organisational waste.
A practical takeaway
Run a one-week Gemba review of a frequent branch or contact-centre request. Record unnecessary hand-offs, repeated data entry and opportunities for staff judgement.
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