Continuous Improvement

Microsoft has embedded AI deeply into its efforts to simplify and improve business processes. As the company noted in a September 2025 blog, “Continuous improvement isn’t new, but generative AI is. That’s why our approach at Microsoft involves redesigning end-to-end workflows with AI at their center, aligning technology, people, and processes to reduce human effort and deliver outcomes more efficiently.” Becky West, leader of the Continuous Improvement Center of Excellence within Microsoft Digital, says the company first initiates its continuous improvement workflows, then applies AI. “Conducting continuous improvement in that order keeps you from automating a broken process and focusing AI’s abilities in the wrong direction,” West says. In one case, an AI agent is helping employees resolve network outages, resulting in a 40% boost to a key network performance metric.

In the insurance industry, AI technologies are transforming fraud detection by analyzing vast amounts of data to identify patterns and anomalies indicative of fraudulent activities. For instance, credit card issuer USAA leverages predictive algorithms understand customer needs and improve member experiences, while monitoring AI’s decision- making transparency.

Procter and Gamble conducted a “hackathon” with Harvard and Wharton business schools to gauge the impact of AI in improving teamwork and innovation. Among other things, P&G concluded that teams working with AI were about 12% faster than those without, and that AI helped professionals from different backgrounds develop more balanced solutions, regardless of their individual expertise.

“This study affirms what we’ve long suspected: AI is a game-changer for innovation,” said Victor Aguilar, chief R&D and innovation officer at P&G. “Whether employees are brainstorming solo or collaborating with others, AI provides a powerful boost, unlocking new ideas and accelerating our speed to innovation.”