History Rhymes: Why the AI wave Needs the Same Lesson as Lean, Agile, & PC

Hi All,

At Design Thinking and Innovation the Nov 2026 event we are thrilled to have Daniel Scheufler. This session will explore how process innovation has changed the way we do commerce historically and how we can use the learning to navigate the future.

History doesn't repeat, but it rhymes. Every wave of technology, from Ford's assembly line to Lean, Agile, and even ERPs, rewarded the organizations that redesigned their workflows, not the ones that bolted new tools onto old processes. AI is no different.

Ford didn't just speed up craft production; he redesigned work so it came to the worker. Toyota asked where the waste was and made continuous improvement everyone's job. Agile replaced big bets with rapid feedback. Computer-based ERP systems promised even more, but only delivered for companies that redesigned supply-chains around them. Each wave rewarded organizations that rethought the process, not the ones that digitized the old one.

AI is the next stanza. Organizations that simply paste AI into existing steps gain almost nothing. The ones that win will use AI as the excuse to redesign how work gets done.

What you'll take from this session:**
- A framework for spotting when AI is bolted onto an old process vs. enabling a workflow redesign
- The three human questions to own before any AI use: options, goal, validation
- How to use AI as a toolmaker's tool to create custom automations for your own frameworks
- Lessons from Toyota's slow-then-fast EV strategy, and from the ERP rollouts in the 90s on building capability before scaling

Join us to discover how your design thinking instincts are the real advantage in making AI work. Bring a colleague curious about moving beyond the hype—this is about real tools for real work.

Who would find this event useful:

• Entrepreneurs, start-up founders
• Design / Technology professionals
• Design Strategists, design professionals
• Design and Management Students
• Community at-large

Innovation does not happen in isolation—it grows through shared experiences, fresh perspectives, and meaningful conversations.

🚀 Come curious. Leave inspired.

Join our Linked-in group:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dt-i-org

DT&I Team