Work In Process (a bpmd podcast)

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Work In Process is the podcast for leaders who are responsible for improving how their organisation actually works. If you lead process, transformation, IT, enterprise architecture, data or operations, and you are accountable for turning strategy into execution, this podcast is for you. Hosted by Liam O'Neill and Sam Lewis of bpmd, each episode cuts through the noise to focus on what it really takes to turn investment in tools, teams and programmes into bottom line results. We talk to practitioners, leaders and specialists who are doing this work for real. No theory for the sake of it. Just honest conversations about building structured, data led and outcome focused approaches to change. Follow the show so you do not miss a new episode.

  1. 2d ago

    “We’ve Tried That Before”: Earning Trust in Transformation with Bart Segers

    In this episode, Liam O’Neill speaks with Bart Segers, Head of Business Transformation at GEA Group, whose career has taken him from operating production lines at Petronas through production planning and Lean improvement to leading large-scale ERP transformation. Having worked on the shop floor himself, Bart understands how change looks to the people expected to carry it out. He shares how noticing patterns in equipment breakdowns first got him interested in improvement, and how leaders who gave him training and time helped turn those observations into better ways of working. The conversation explores what it takes to earn people’s trust, connect corporate plans with local needs and make improvements last after the programme team has moved on. They discuss: Why people need to understand what their own working day will look like after a change, and have a say in how it happensHow Bart used his production line experience to improve scheduling, and why employees need time to act on their ideasHow understanding a site’s culture and solving everyday frustrations builds support for bigger changesWhat sits behind “we’ve tried that before”, and why Lean programmes lose credibility when leadership attention moves elsewhereWhy GEA’s ERP pilot revealed the need for people who could connect corporate plans with local operations, supported by trusted key usersWhat continued use of old systems and disconnected spreadsheets tells you about whether a transformation has taken holdWhy better analysis and AI depend on consistent processes and properly maintained data, even after systems have been standardisedBart brings practical examples of how to involve people in change and recognise whether it is working. If you lead process, operations or an ERP transformation, this episode offers useful lessons on building support and helping new ways of working become part of everyday life. Host: Liam O’Neill, Managing Director at bpmd Guest: Bart Segers, Head of Business Transformation at GEA Group

    “We’ve Tried That Before”: Earning Trust in Transformation with Bart Segers

  2. Sep 22

    Transformation Is Not the Idea, It’s the Execution with Patrick Apostolo

    In this episode, Liam O’Neill speaks with Patrick Apostolo, Business Transformation Director at MSC Cruises, whose career has taken him from building e-commerce businesses in Italy to leading operational and digital transformation across hospitality and the cruise industry. Patrick started his career as an entrepreneur before moving into large corporate environments, including roles with Radisson Hotel Group and now MSC Cruises. That combination has shaped how he approaches transformation: stay close to the customer, understand how the operation really works and be prepared to test ideas rather than spending months debating them in a meeting room. This is a wide-ranging conversation about what happens when transformation meets the reality of complex operations, from changing the way hundreds of hotels work to managing the interdependencies of what is effectively a small city moving around the world. They discuss: What Patrick learned from entrepreneurship about the difference between having a good idea and actually being able to execute it, and why he has carried that mindset into corporate transformationWhy fear of failure creates slow decision-making in large organisations and the importance of giving transformation teams enough freedom to test, learn and challenge how things have always been doneWhy a transformation that looks good at head office has failed if the frontline cannot execute it, and what hospitality taught Patrick about designing around the people actually delivering the customer experienceHow small operational improvements can create significant value at scale, and why optimisation should be about cost effectiveness rather than simply cutting costsWhy technology is often the easier part of transformation and adoption is where the real work begins, particularly when established ways of working need to change alongside itWhat COVID taught Patrick about how quickly organisations are capable of changing when the usual barriers disappear, including closing and reopening around 200 hotels with completely new operating protocolsWhat moving from hotels into cruises taught him about complexity, interdependencies and the danger of improving one part of an operation without understanding the consequences elsewhereWhere AI can support transformation, from modelling scenarios in complex operations to amplifying people's work, and why organisations need to stop buying technology first and then trying to fit their operating model around itPatrick also makes a strong case for transformation becoming a continuous organisational capability rather than a series of individual projects. His advice for anyone working in the field is simple: get close to the operation, ask people to show you how things really work, understand the economics behind the business and never stop questioning why things are done the way they are. If you work in process, operations or transformation and are trying to make change work in a large, complex organisation, this episode offers plenty of lessons from someone who has had to do exactly that across very different environments. Host: Liam O’Neill, Managing Director at bpmd Guest: Patrick Apostolo, Business Transformation Director at MSC Cruises

    Transformation Is Not the Idea, It’s the Execution with Patrick Apostolo

  3. Aug 25

    Transformation Isn't Finished When You Deliver It with Joy Wong

    In this episode, Liam O’Neill speaks with Joy Wong, Head of Transformation Technology, Productivity and Value Capture at Standard Chartered, who has spent 20 years leading transformation across retail, investment and wealth management banking. Organisations invest huge amounts of time and money in transformation, but there is often far more focus on delivering the programme than understanding the value it created. Joy has spent much of her career looking at that gap, from putting meaningful numbers against process improvement to tracking whether the expected savings and benefits actually materialise. But for Joy, the numbers are only part of the picture. One of the most important lessons she learned early in her career was that sometimes you have to slow down to go faster. However good the technology, process or business case might be, change is unlikely to stick unless you bring people with you. This is a practical and wide-ranging conversation about making transformation deliver measurable value, learning from what happens after implementation and applying those same fundamentals as AI and automation become a bigger part of the transformation agenda. They discuss: Why transformation teams can become too focused on delivery and move onto the next programme without stopping to understand whether the promised value was actually realisedWhat value capture looks like in practice, from reducing process touchpoints and unnecessary checks to measuring people, technology and vendor costs, ROI and payback timeWhy process teams should not be afraid to put a number against improvement, and how setting an initial North Star can help you start without getting stuck in analysis paralysisHow quick wins build confidence in transformation and why understanding your biggest detractors can sometimes turn them into your strongest supportersWhy productivity and automation can create resistance, and the role communication, feedback and empathy play in bringing people through changeWhy AI does not change the fundamentals of transformation, from fixing poor processes before automating them to making sure the organisational knowledge feeding AI is actually fit for purposeJoy brings a practical perspective to transformation, grounded in the idea that delivering the programme is only part of the job. If you work in process, transformation, operational excellence or technology and want to get better at demonstrating the value your work creates, this episode is worth your time. Host: Liam O’Neill, Managing Director at bpmd Guest: Joy Wong, Head of Transformation Technology, Productivity and Value Capture at Standard Chartered

    Transformation Isn't Finished When You Deliver It with Joy Wong

  4. Aug 11

    Technology Is Not the Strategy: Digital Transformation in Aerospace Manufacturing with Chris Hinds

    In this episode, Liam O’Neill speaks with Chris Hinds, VP of Digital Strategy Design and Implementation at one of the UK’s leading aerospace and defence manufacturers. Chris has spent nearly two decades working across operations, manufacturing, engineering, IT and enterprise transformation in highly complex, heavily regulated environments. What makes this conversation particularly interesting is that Chris approaches digital transformation from an operational perspective first. Before moving into enterprise architecture and digital strategy, he spent years leading teams on the shop floor, solving production problems in real time and learning how large organisations actually function under pressure. This is a thoughtful and highly practical conversation about why transformation succeeds or fails in complex organisations, and why technology on its own is never the answer. They discuss: Why technology should be treated as an enabler rather than a silver bullet, and how Chris’s experience across operations, engineering and manufacturing shaped his approach to enterprise transformationThe tension between quality, cost and delivery in aerospace manufacturing, and how conflicting KPIs can unintentionally drive the wrong behavioursWhat leading operational teams taught Chris about leadership, trust and the importance of protecting teams from organisational noise while removing barriers to deliveryWhy manufacturing and assembly processes are often far more parallel than they appear on paper, and what organisations frequently miss when digitising themThe challenge of balancing global standardisation with local operational variation, and why enterprise software should be “as common as possible, as different as necessary”How digital twins and AI are being applied across aerospace engineering and operations, and why trusted data, governance and human oversight remain criticalWhy meaningful transformation takes years to realise, and why foundational operational systems knowledge may become one of the most valuable skills for the next generationChris brings a rare combination of operational leadership, engineering understanding and enterprise technology experience. If you work in process, manufacturing, digital transformation or enterprise architecture, this episode offers a grounded and refreshingly honest perspective on what it really takes to make change work in large organisations. Host: Liam O’Neill, Managing Director at bpmd Guest: Chris Hinds, VP of Digital Strategy Design and Implementation

    Technology Is Not the Strategy: Digital Transformation in Aerospace Manufacturing with Chris Hinds

  5. Jul 28

    The Best Process People Are Translators: Turning Complexity into Change with Mike Lucas

    In this episode, Liam O’Neill speaks with Mike Lucas, Business Process Excellence Manager at Alkermes, a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Dublin with significant operations in the United States. Mike has spent nearly 19 years at Alkermes, starting on the manufacturing floor before moving through supply chain, SAP, planning systems and transformation. That journey has given him a practical view of process management, shaped by working in highly regulated environments where getting a process right has consequences far beyond producing a good-looking process map. This is a grounded conversation about the gap between how a process is documented and how work actually happens, and why closing that gap requires process professionals to spend more time with the people doing the work. They discuss: How Mike’s early experience in aviation and pharmaceutical manufacturing taught him the importance of structure, discipline and processes that work in practice, not just on paperWhy Lean and Six Sigma are valuable as a common language for improvement, and how a Yellow Belt project helped Alkermes improve the efficiency of master data collection by around 80%How BPM can evolve from supporting business change to actively driving it, and why a beautiful process map that nobody uses is not a measure of successWhat Alkermes’ move from ECC6 to S/4HANA has revealed about its existing processes, and why the programme is being used to move away from heavy customisation towards greater standardisationHow SAP standard processes and Signavio can provide a useful starting point for transformation, reducing local reinvention and creating more consistent processes and documentationWhy process ownership and governance remain difficult to get right, particularly when accountability stretches across functions, systems and end-to-end processesWhy the best process professionals are translators, getting close to the work, listening to SMEs and turning complex business reality into something people can understand, adopt and improveMike brings a refreshingly practical perspective shaped by years spent close to operations as well as major transformation programmes. If you work in process, transformation, supply chain or enterprise systems and want process management to influence how the business actually works, this episode is worth your time. Host: Liam O’Neill, Managing Director at bpmd Guest: Michael Lucas, Business Process Excellence Manager at Alkermes

    The Best Process People Are Translators: Turning Complexity into Change with Mike Lucas

  6. Jul 14

    Process Starts with People: Building Better Systems Through Curiosity with Alex von Schledorn

    Description: In this episode, Liam O'Neill speaks with Alex von Schledorn, Head of Procurement Excellence at ETEX, whose career has taken him from manufacturing and flower exports in Ecuador to logistics, planning, procurement and operational excellence across Europe. Alex's route into process is anything but conventional. After working in his father's business from a young age, he built experience across multiple industries before having to rebuild his life from scratch after moving to Europe. Those experiences shaped the way he approaches operational excellence today, combining a deep respect for people with a relentless focus on improving the systems they work within. This is a practical and refreshingly human conversation about why process improvement is never really about technology. It is about understanding how organisations work, helping people solve problems and creating systems that make work easier rather than more complicated. They discuss: Why working across every function of his father's business taught him that you cannot improve what you do not truly understandHow experience across manufacturing, logistics, sales and planning helped him develop a systems mindset that transfers between industriesWhat rebuilding his career from scratch in Europe taught him about resilience, humility and leadershipWhy the best operational decisions come from trusted data rather than assumptions or instinctHow organisations can unlock significant value by using the capabilities they already have before investing in new technologyThe importance of helping people understand why systems like SAP work the way they do, rather than simply expecting adoptionHow a simple robotic process automation solution transformed document management, reduced manual effort and improved audit readiness across the businessWhy AI should enhance human decision making rather than replace accountability, and why organisations need the right foundations before introducing itHow building relationships, understanding different cultures and picking up the phone remain some of the most powerful tools for driving process ownershipWhy attitude is ultimately the biggest differentiator for anyone building a career in operational excellenceWhether discussing procurement, process management or digital transformation, Alex consistently returns to the same principle: technology matters, but people, curiosity and a willingness to solve problems are what create lasting improvement. Host: Liam O'Neill, Managing Director at bpmd Guest: Alex von Schledorn, Head of Procurement Excellence at ETEX

    Process Starts with People: Building Better Systems Through Curiosity with Alex von Schledorn

  7. Jun 16

    Good Process Design Is Not Enough: Process, Regulation and Ownership with Paavo Heikkinen

    Description: In this episode, Liam O’Neill speaks with Paavo Heikkinen, Head of BPM and Change Management at Bank Frick, the Liechtenstein-based financial institution operating at the intersection of banking, fintech and crypto services. Paavo’s career has taken him from consulting into manufacturing and now into financial services, working across organisations including BMW, Siemens and VAT Group before moving into the banking sector. That journey gives him a particularly grounded perspective on what stays consistent across organisations regardless of industry, and what fundamentally changes when regulation, risk and operational complexity become part of everyday process design. This is a practical and thoughtful conversation about why process transformation succeeds or fails, the limitations of governance models that exist only on paper and what it actually takes to build operational ownership that people engage with rather than quietly work around. They discuss: Why most large organisations behave less like a single company and more like a collection of semi-autonomous silos with their own cultures, incentives and ways of workingWhy process ownership fails when it is treated as an administrative responsibility rather than something people are genuinely empowered to shape and influenceHow lightweight workflow tools and process prototypes can make governance tangible and help teams collaborate more effectively across functionsWhy continuous improvement and BPM work best when they are tightly connected rather than operating as separate disciplinesThe challenge of balancing innovation, customer experience and operational efficiency inside a highly regulated banking environment, and why Paavo sees regulation as a “design envelope” rather than the starting point for process designHow Bank Frick is moving away from document-centric compliance towards a process-centric operating model where processes become the primary source of truthWhy AI will increase the importance of BPM and process governance rather than replace it, particularly in regulated industries where accountability and human oversight still matterThis episode is full of practical insight for anyone working in BPM, operational excellence, transformation, governance or enterprise change, particularly those trying to balance structure, regulation and real operational usability in complex organisations. Host: Liam O’Neill, Managing Director at bpmd Guest: Paavo Heikkinen, Head of BPM and Change Management at Bank Frick

    Good Process Design Is Not Enough: Process, Regulation and Ownership with Paavo Heikkinen

  8. Jun 2

    Start with the Problem, Not the Methodology with Prem Krishna

    Description:  In this episode, Sam Lewis speaks with Prem Krishna, Global BPM Transformation Leader at IKEA. Prem's career has taken him from software development and management consulting in India, through operational excellence and supply chain leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, to leading business process transformation in one of the world's most recognised brands.  What makes Prem's perspective particularly interesting is that he does not see himself primarily as a process professional. He sees himself as a problem solver. Throughout his career, he has worked across industries including manufacturing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, supply chain and retail, applying the same fundamental principle: understand the problem before choosing the solution.  This is a practical and thought-provoking conversation about process, governance, continuous improvement and why organisations often focus on the wrong things when trying to solve business challenges.  They discuss:  Why Prem sees himself as a problem solver rather than a process professional, and how that mindset has helped him work across industries from manufacturing and pharmaceuticals to retail and supply chain The danger of starting with methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma, Agile, process mining or AI before fully understanding the problem you are trying to solve Why organisations often blame process when the real issues are governance, ownership, decision-making and unclear responsibilities The lessons he learned improving manufacturing operations, and how data, observation and systems thinking help uncover what is really happening on the shop floor The difference between improving physical production processes and digital workflows, and why process mining has become such a powerful tool for understanding how work actually gets done How he helped build a five-year cost reduction strategy at Johnson & Johnson, and why winning stakeholder support one conversation at a time is often the key to successful transformation How AI is changing the way organisations operate, why it should be treated as a tool rather than a strategy, and what happens when you apply AI to a process that is already chaotic If you work in process management, transformation, operational excellence or enterprise change, this episode offers a refreshingly pragmatic perspective on how to solve problems, improve performance and create lasting results.  Host: Sam Lewis, Director at bpmd  Guest: Prem Krishna, Global BPM Transformation Leader at IKEA

    Start with the Problem, Not the Methodology with Prem Krishna
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Work In Process is the podcast for leaders who are responsible for improving how their organisation actually works. If you lead process, transformation, IT, enterprise architecture, data or operations, and you are accountable for turning strategy into execution, this podcast is for you. Hosted by Liam O'Neill and Sam Lewis of bpmd, each episode cuts through the noise to focus on what it really takes to turn investment in tools, teams and programmes into bottom line results. We talk to practitioners, leaders and specialists who are doing this work for real. No theory for the sake of it. Just honest conversations about building structured, data led and outcome focused approaches to change. Follow the show so you do not miss a new episode.

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