About Bill Peterson

I’m a lean best practices teacher and consultant with more than 30 years of hands-on experience using lean, Six Sigma, BPR, and other continuous improvement tools to enhance process efficiency, job satisfaction, and organizational performance.

Bill Peterson

In the courses I teach, I emphasize the practical application of lean over abstract theory, encourage personal engagement with the material, and help you create processes that align with your organization’s mission. My ultimate goal is always to help you deliver more value to your customer—with significantly less overhead and waste.

 

I began developing my approach to lean methodology during my 26-year career with Delta’s Technical Operations Division. At Delta, I saw firsthand that the productivity and job satisfaction of frontline workers was often constrained by the impact of business processes in other areas: management, sales/marketing, strategy, purchasing, logistics, engineering, HR, and invoicing/accounts receivable.

Realizing this—and realizing that no great lean achievements could be made without removing these additional constraints—set me on a life’s journey that continues to this very day. I’ve devoted most of my career to the study and practice of applying lean to business processes. While still at Delta, I began intensively researching the ideas of great process improvement thinkers and combining them with my own experiences and insights to create a proven, repeatable methodology for improvement.

Since 2006, I’ve been teaching this methodology to professionals in diverse industries. I teach as a faculty member in the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business and as an independent consultant with my own business, LeanBP. I’m also a lecturer in UT’s Aerospace & Defense MBA program. Over the last decade, I’ve worked extensively with the U.S. Air Force to improve acquisition and aircraft MRO processes, and I’ve consulted for clients such as Asurion, TeamHealth, Hinckley Yachts, CenturyLink, Southwest Airlines, and Fokker Services.

I have a B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an Aerospace & Defense MBA from the University of Tennessee. I hold a Six Sigma Black Belt certification and FAA Airframe and Powerplant Licenses.

 

Hear Me Speak

Hear me chat with Chris Burnham on his Lean Leadership Podcast.

Contact Me

Email me at bill@leanbp.com or call me at 404-281-0811.

"Bill Peterson's Lean Applied to Business Processes is a unique approach to continuous improvement. His teaching/coaching style and his unique application of continuous improvement will make any business more efficient and a better place to work. The best process Improvement instructor I've had in over 20 years of studying the subject."— Chris Miller, Boeing Field Marketing Rep
"I knew in the first half hour that this class would be exceptional. Bill was engaging, knowledgeable, open, and humble enough to make me feel less intimidated. I feel hopeful about my ability to use the tools he taught. Great instructor!"— Participant, LABP Class, University of Tennessee
"Bill’s enthusiasm hooks you, but it’s his complete understanding of the theory and application of lean and his delivery of the material that set him apart. Professional, personable, and knowledgeable. One of the best."— Participant, LABP Class, University of Tennessee
"The LABP course directly addressed my company and professional needs. Prior to this course I had a decent understanding of Lean Six Sigma concepts, but now I have a well-rounded understanding. As for running an event, I now have the confidence, tools, and support to kick-start the process."— Participant, LABP Class, University of Tennessee
"Concepts covered throughout the course seem universally applicable, from ‘leaning’ one's personal routine to tackling an entire organization."— Participant, LABP Class, University of Tennessee
"This is a fabulous course. I will absolutely recommend this program to friends and suggest that the executive team send additional colleagues."— Participant, LABP Class, University of Tennessee
© LeanBP and Bill Peterson