Achieving operational excellence with AI
Achieving operational excellence with AI
利用人工智能实现卓越运营
Frameworks like Lean Six Sigma and business process management (BPM) first gained traction because they promised clarity in the chaos—a structured way to bring order to messy, sprawling operations. Lean Six Sigma emphasized statistical rigor and quality control; BPM created end-to-end maps of how work should flow across departments. Both offered a repeatable way to embed habits of measurement, analysis, and accountability into day-to-day company culture.
精益六西格玛（Lean Six Sigma）和业务流程管理（BPM）等框架之所以最初受到青睐，是因为它们承诺在混乱中带来清晰——即通过结构化的方式，为杂乱且庞大的运营流程建立秩序。精益六西格玛强调统计严谨性和质量控制；而 BPM 则为跨部门的工作流程创建了端到端的蓝图。两者都提供了一种可重复的方法，将衡量、分析和问责的习惯植入到日常的企业文化中。
But today, those time-tested playbooks are evolving as companies seek to embed AI into established process excellence methodologies. By some estimates, the market for AI-powered process optimization is projected to exceed $113 billion within the next decade. In one study, a full 88% of business leaders anticipated increasing investments into AI-infused process intelligence in the next 12 to 18 months.
然而，随着企业寻求将人工智能融入既定的卓越流程方法论中，这些久经考验的“操作手册”正在不断演进。据估计，人工智能驱动的流程优化市场在未来十年内有望超过 1130 亿美元。在一项研究中，高达 88% 的商业领袖预计在未来 12 到 18 个月内，将增加对人工智能驱动的流程智能的投资。
Yet without the right foundations, many of those investments may not fully deliver on their potential. Companies that already operate with discipline have an edge. They can channel new tools into proven systems rather than bolting them onto shaky foundations. Organizations with mature process disciplines are also better positioned to translate AI ambition into real outcomes, as they are already accustomed to data-driven decision-making and process discipline—precisely the cultural foundation AI systems need to deliver value.
然而，如果没有正确的基础，许多投资可能无法充分发挥其潜力。那些已经具备纪律性运营的企业更具优势。它们可以将新工具整合进成熟的系统中，而不是将其强行附加在不稳固的基础之上。拥有成熟流程纪律的组织也更有能力将人工智能的雄心转化为实际成果，因为它们已经习惯了数据驱动的决策和流程规范——这正是人工智能系统发挥价值所需的文化基础。
Simply put: AI can accelerate process excellence, but existing process excellence is what makes AI truly impactful. Technology and process are no longer separate levers, and only organizations that pull them together stand to realize the full value of both.
简而言之：人工智能可以加速卓越流程的实现，但现有的卓越流程才是让人工智能真正产生影响力的关键。技术和流程不再是相互独立的杠杆，只有将两者结合起来的组织，才能实现其全部价值。
Note: This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Review’s editorial staff.
注：本文由《麻省理工科技评论》的定制内容部门 Insights 制作，并非由该评论的编辑团队撰写。