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Let’s be honest: Some company processes were designed when fax machines were still in fashion. You know the forms that need five signatures, approvals that sit on someone’s desk for weeks, or a “process” that seems to exist just to make life harder. The truth is simple: good governance requires good processes. If leadership is the engine of progress, processes are the gears. And when those gears are rusty, noisy, or misaligned, progress slows down—sometimes to a grinding halt.
That is why process innovation and continuous improvement must sit at the heart of the productivity governance model. Leaders need to challenge the status quo, simplify workflows, and embrace technology. Innovation is not just for Silicon Valley or our Yaba innovation hub. It is for every ministry, agency, and department. The question every leader should be asking is: “Is this process helping or hindering?” And if it’s the latter, then it’s time to innovate. Adding more forms is not innovation, it’s punishment.
Sadly, many of our systems are still relics of the past. Some offices still insist on passport photographs stapled to every document as though we don’t live in the digital age. You walk in and see dusty cabinets stacked high with files, people’s personal data piling up for years. One has to ask why we keep them? To sell to the suya man? Or maybe to iya elepa? Behind the joke lies a serious truth: Cinging to old ways wastes time, frustrates customers, and leaves us far behind.
The good news is that process innovation is not theory—it works. Take North Yorkshire Council in the UK. Their social workers discovered that 80% of their time was swallowed by paperwork and case management admin—leaving only 20% for what truly mattered: supporting vulnerable children and families. That imbalance was unacceptable. So, the council reimagined case management with Artificial Intelligence. They connected data sources to a single platform, built AI tools that could scan handwritten notes and system details, and even auto-generated eco-maps showing links between children and their social networks. Suddenly, what used to be overwhelming admin became actionable insight. Social workers had more time with families and less time buried in files. That is process innovation in action.
But while innovation can feel like a bold leap forward, continuous improvement is about the steady discipline of always getting better. It is asking daily: “What can we tweak today to make tomorrow smoother?” As a City Councillor, I quickly learned that listening to the public often reveals where processes need fixing. Sometimes it’s a minute adjustment; other times, it requires a total overhaul. Either way, the principle remains. We must never settle.
A striking example is the Free School Meal applications in Swindon Borough Council. Before, families endured long delays because applications were manually processed. Vulnerable children often waited too long for something as basic as a meal. Then came Robotic Process Automation. With automation, applications could be assessed instantly, 24/7. Parents submitted forms online, and approvals happened in real time. The results? Faster service, less stress for families, and better outcomes for children.
Corporate organizations have long embraced this mindset. They know that process drives profit. Frameworks like Lean Six Sigma, Business Process Management, and Total Quality Management have reduced waste, cut costs, and boosted customer satisfaction. The numbers are hard to ignore: efficiency can rise by 20 to 30 percent; costs can fall by a quarter; Six Sigma projects often cut defects in half; ISO-certified organizations see process performance improve by as much as 50 percent. That’s not just management jargon—that’s impact.
Leaders in governance should take a cue from this. Streamlined processes mean taxpayer money is respected, customer time Is valued, and trust is earned. Sadly, processes do not improve themselves. They deteriorate with time unless leaders stay vigilant. One of my former bosses drilled this into me: “As a leader, you must learn the art of stepping aside—looking at the system as an outsider, and asking, ‘What can we do to improve this?’” That requires what I call the inner eye of leadership. The ability to zoom out, to see how citizens or staff actually experience a process, and to ask tough questions: Which steps are wasting time? Which rules frustrate people? Where are we using human energy for tasks a system could easily handle?
This isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about empathy. Improvements make life easier. They make staff enjoy their jobs more. They make citizens happier. And, perhaps most importantly, they keep your organization ahead of the pack. The future belongs to those who are willing to unlearn old ways and relearn new ones. That is what process innovation and continuous improvement are all about: the courage to admit that old methods may no longer serve us, and the openness to embrace better ways.
At the end of the day, governance is not just about policies—it’s about productivity. And productivity is built one improved process at a time. Leaders who embrace innovation and continuous improvement unlock creativity, drive efficiency, and keep systems modern. Those who don’t risk wasting resources, frustrating citizens, and falling further behind.
So here’s my challenge to every leader: the next time you walk through your office or engage with citizens, put on your inner eye. Look for the bottlenecks, the frustrations, the outdated steps. Then act. Innovate. Improve. Because the best leaders don’t just talk about vision—they deliver it through better processes.
Here is the reality, you don’t even have to put on your inner eye. Just listen to the customers. What are they hissing about or complaining about in your company. That could be the key to your next process improvement project!
• Owodunni is the City Councillor in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
