Process Jam 2025

Presenter: Mike Cook

Synopsis: Let's start the day together to get aligned and quickly review the key takeaways and major "Aha!" moments from the previous day, followed by a brief look at the agenda and goals for the session ahead.

Objective: Ensure all attendees are aligned on the previous day's learnings and clearly understand the focus and schedule for the current day's sessions.

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Presenter: Mike Cook

Session Title:Leading Change Through Process Improvement

Synopsis: Even the best process improvements will fall short without thoughtful change management. This session explores the fundamentals of leading people through change, highlighting common challenges and practical strategies to build awareness, reduce resistance, and increase adoption. Participants will see how effective change management can turn process improvements into lasting results.

Objective: Provide participants with an understanding of change management principles and approaches they can apply to support their teams and organizations during process and system changes.

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A quick stretch, a drink of water, and a pause for your eyes can reset your focus and keep your energy flowing. Taking intentional breaks improves productivity, supports creativity, and makes sure you’re at your best when it’s time to jam on processes.

Synopsis: Engage directly with a panel of campus leaders and process experts as they share real-world insights, discuss common challenges, and answer your most pressing questions about driving process change.

Objective: Provide participants with practical, real-world advice and diverse perspectives on process management and improvement directly from experienced campus practitioners.

Facilitator: Russ Ballati

Guest Panel:
Seana Van Buren, Assistant Dean for Administration and Chief of Staff School of Public Health

Seana first came to Berkeley in 2002 as an undergraduate transfer student. After graduating, she worked in Public Health for more than seven years, serving both its research and academic missions. In 2012, Seana joined the Campus Shared Services implementation team, a role in which she helped lay the foundation for the academic personnel and research administration functions within shared services. She went on to be named Service Director for the Colleges of Chemistry, Letters & Science, and Natural Resources (otherwise known as Team 4). In 2018, Seana returned to the School of Public Health. She oversees a number of functional areas, as well as staff development and engagement. She co-created and manages the school’s Staff Changemakers Program, which provides training in process improvement, project management, and change management and coaching throughout an improvement project to gain practical experience. Seana is a three-time individual recipient of the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award, and an Oski the Bear enthusiast.

Patrick Reedy, Executive Director of BEARS Regional Services

Patrick has over 20 years of experience leading Shared Service Centers in Higher Education. He holds an MBA and a Master of Management in Public Administration (MM/PA), is a Certified PROSCI Change Management Practitioner and Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. Patrick specializes in cross-departmental collaboration and Lean process improvement, driving operational excellence, efficiency, and sustainable organizational change through data-driven and people-centered strategies.

Mike Cook, Director, Business Process Management Office, Administration Division

Mike has over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, project and portfolio management, process improvement, and change management. His background includes logistics planning, airfield and air transportation management, supply chain operations, biotech manufacturing, IT ERP implementation, master data management (MDM), process governance, and project management, forming a strong foundation in operational planning and organizational transformation across the U.S. military, biotechnology, and higher education sectors. A Certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Mike teaches Lean Six Sigma Yellow and Green Belt courses and is passionate about coaching, mentoring, and learning from others to foster a culture of continuous improvement.

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Lunch isn’t just a meal, it’s a moment to refuel, refresh, and give your brain a break. Step away from screens, stretch, and enjoy good food before diving back in.

Presenters: Priya Sarran-Persad & Nick Endsley

Session Title: Root Cause Analysis: DMAIC Case Study

Synopsis: Understanding the true cause of a problem is essential before investing time and resources in solutions. This session introduces the simple yet powerful Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram root cause analysis tool. Participants will learn when and how to use the tool, observe how to apply it in a real-world example, and see how root cause analysis can drive smarter, more sustainable improvements. 

Objective: Equip participants with practical skills to apply root cause analysis techniques, enabling them to move beyond symptoms and identify the underlying issues that impact their processes.

Note: This session leverages a use case exercise from our Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Yellow Belt training with some added Berkeley examples. 

Learn more about Lean Six Sigma (LSS) at Berkeley here.

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Presenter: Mike Cook

Synopsis: Conclude Process Jam 2025 by celebrating our collaborative achievements and summarizing key takeaways. This session will outline the next steps for sustained process improvement and provide guidance on how to keep the momentum going in your unit.

Objective: Equip participants with a clear understanding of the event's overall impact and the actionable next steps for applying and sustaining process improvement efforts within their teams.

RSVP here.

What is Process Jamming Time?

The Process Jamming Time blocks are reserved on the agenda to give you focused time to work on your processes.

What this means: We are not hosting a facilitated session during this window. Instead, we strongly encourage you to block this time on your calendar and use it as protected time away from your daily workload. "Process Jamming" is about giving yourself permission to pause the day-to-day grind and focus on documenting, experimenting, and learning.

Use this time to map a critical workflow, hold a focused documentation meeting with your team, or simply reflect on potential process improvements. The time is yours to use productively and without distraction.

Need support while you work? The BPMO team will be holding Office Hours concurrently, so if you hit a road block or have questions while working, simply drop in virtually for support.