Say hello to David Liu, our new BPI CoE Lead! He’s the kind of guy who’s just as excited about diving into complex enterprise processes as he is about making a bowl of handmade ramen (his absolute favourite). His insatiable curiosity propels him to delve deep into the essence “why?”, and an expert at finding ways to enhance and elevate outcomes.
David’s been on quite a journey for the past three months, settling into his new life in Canada and shaking things up here at Blanc Labs. We sat down with him to find out more about his experience and discover what fuels his passion to understand the inner mechanisms of both professional landscapes and culinary delights.
Welcome to Canada and to Blanc Labs! How have your first 90 days been?
Wow, these past months have been quite the ride, packed with trust-building, blending into new cultures, and loads of personal and professional growth. Shortly after my onboarding, our team kicked off a fairly large Business Process Improvement (BPI) project and and formalizing the BPI practice within Blanc Labs has been a great experience. Each step of this has been a building block for me.
As someone who recently moved from Hong Kong, I’ll admit, I had my doubts about adapting to a whole new workplace culture. But the moment I stepped into Blanc Labs, the team made me feel right at home. They handed me the reins, offering the freedom and trust that allowed me to make a significant impact around here.
Any standout moment that you’d like to tell us about?
One standout moment was a business trip to Vancouver, where I conducted an on-site process assessment for a client. This firsthand experience not only deepened my understanding of client needs but also helped me form close relationships. With the collaboration of experts from different areas at Blanc Labs, we successfully delivered our first BPI project, receiving recognition from the client—an auspicious start for the BPI practice.
What attracted you to Blanc Labs in the first place, and why did you choose to join at this point in your career?
Blanc Labs provides a dynamic, startup-like environment with daily challenges, which I find invigorating. The rapid pace and expansive growth opportunities align with my career goals. More importantly, the shared vision on business process improvement during the interview resonated with me, making it an easy decision to join a team that values innovation and is willing to take risks.
What makes Business Process Improvement such an interesting area of work for you?
My career in the process-related field comes from a simple desire—to streamline processes and make everyone’s work easier. Growing up, my curiosity about how things work, be it a restaurant kitchen or a car engine, fueled my interest in operations behind businesses. This fascination deepened as I came across more slow processes in daily life. That’s when I knew I wanted to pursue consulting and specialize in business process improvement.
How do you envision the future of BPI, and what challenges do you foresee?
Even as I envision an automated future where most tasks are streamlined, I believe human intervention will remain crucial in customer-facing roles and creative industries. Because of automation, there is a concern about potential job loss. Post-improvement initiatives, companies must consider upskilling employees or transitioning them into roles that leverage human intervention, like customer-facing roles, to maintain value addition.
And finally, what according to you, makes a Business Process Improvement project successful?
I like to think of a successful BPI project as a well-made bowl of ramen—
The flavorful broth needs a long time to boil bones and meat until they blend well for a rich flavor. This is like the experience needed for a good BPI project. Finding issues and understanding process problems takes years of practice and dedication.
The Tare, though a small part in ramen, has a big impact on the noodle’s taste, determining the overall flavor. It’s similar to the goal in a BPI project. A goals acts as the guiding star throughout, leading us to the expected business outcome. A BPI project without a clear goal is like ramen without Tare—it lacks flavor and excitement.
The type of flour used in making noodles is comparable to the tools and methodologies employed in the analysis. Meanwhile, the texture and thickness of the noodles resemble the direction of the analysis. For a successful BPI project, leveraging experience to select the most suitable tools and methodologies is crucial. This strategic choice ensures accurate analysis, aligning with the project’s goals effectively.
In ramen, oils and fats serve to enrich the broth’s flavor, adding complexity to the overall taste. Similarly, in the realm of BPI, user education plays a vital role. If users are not well-informed about the new process, they may prefer the original one, rendering the efforts of the entire project futile.
Finally, the toppings on the ramen symbolize the selection of technologies. Just as there can be an infinite combination of toppings in ramen, choosing the right set is essential to enhance the overall flavor. Similarly, in a BPI project, technologies act like toppings strategically added to enrich the final product.
David Liu’s Ramen Making Process
“Ramen is my go-to favorite, and exploring great ramen spots in downtown Toronto has been so much fun. Now, a quick heads-up—I’m not a pro chef, just a big ramen fan who enjoys watching ramen videos online.
So, here’s how you make it. First off, you start with making the broth. Boil stuff like bones, meat, and extra flavors to get a yummy base for your ramen.
Then comes the Tare, which is the seasoning. It’s usually made with soy sauce, salt, or miso. You mix it into the broth to amp up the flavor.
Next is making the noodles. Mix flour with water (sometimes carbonated water), stretch the dough, and cut it into noodles.
To make the broth richer, add some fats and oils. It gives the ramen that extra deliciousness.
Finally, to make it look cool and taste even better, add toppings like pork, seaweed, bamboo shoots on top of the noodles and broth. It’s like the cherry on top, making your ramen not just tasty but also a feast for the eyes.”
Feeling inspired by David’s journey? Want to supercharge your own business processes? Whether you’re craving insights on enhancing workflows or simply curious about David’s favorite ramen spots, he’s your go-to person! Reach out to David at davidl@blanclabs.com.
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