About Anil Raju
With extensive experience in US Healthcare and ITES support operations, Anil Raju excels in driving process improvements, optimizing quality frameworks, and leading customer-focused design initiatives. His expertise lies in leveraging Six Sigma methodologies, DMAIC, and effective stakeholder engagement to drive operational excellence and quality outcomes.
Anil Raju is dedicated to ensuring operational success, focusing on delivering high-quality results within set timelines and budgets. He is committed to efficiently planning, executing, and optimizing operations while effectively managing risks and engaging stakeholders.
Experience
Professional Journey Highlights
Sr Manager Business Excellence
Sagility India Ltd
Jan'23 to Aug'25
★ Lifted audit coverage from 10% to 100% by spearheading adoption of a comprehensive quality framework.
★ Increased business growth by 10% by engineering follow-up techniques in Sales Operations.
★ Expanded Sales Ops from 22 FTE to 60 FTE by delivering 100% quality compliance.
★ Cut claims financial errors by 80% by designing a scenario repository for error-proofing.
★ Saved 2 FTE by streamlining second-level review processes through Lean principles.
Quality & Training Manager
Practo Technologies Pvt Ltd
Jun'21 to Oct'22
★ Achieved more than 95% quality compliance through real-time training interventions on platform updates
★ Reduced headcount needs by 2 FTE using Lean principles across doctor & patient support
★ Lowered repeat caller volume by 30% by refining follow-up processes and customer interactions
Quality Head
Innoviti Payment Solutions Pvt Ltd
Sep'19 to Jun'21
★ Reduced TAT for field service from 7–10 days to 1–3 days via Hub & Spoke model
★ Propelled daily revenue by ₹2 Cr by overhauling field engineer SOPs
★ Cut troubleshooting call volumes by 20% by redesigning technical workflows
★ Deployed VOC framework across all communication channels to enhance customer insights
★ Established stack ranking system for employee performance visibility
CSPM Manager
247.ai
Mar'19 to Jul'19
★ Shortened hiring process cycle time by 2 days through process mapping and redesign
★ Instituted QMS with measurable metrics and audit plans to strengthen governance
★ Built early warning systems to trigger Lean automation projects with tangible outcomes
Process Engineer
HP Inc
Jan'08 to Nov'18
★ Saved $77K per month and reduced TAT by 2 days by eliminating redundant approvals
★ Freed up 34 FTE by executing AHT reduction projects using DMAIC methodology
★ Generated $2M in new revenue by introducing post-warranty paid support in India
★ Developed enterprise-wide quality frameworks (SOPs, metrics, resource planning)
★ Championed continuous improvement to raise customer experience and SLA compliance
Senior Associate
Transworks Info Services Ltd
Jun'05 to Dec'07
★ Enhanced client satisfaction by mapping requirements into tailored customer solutions
★ Guided teams in resolving conflicts and escalating issues effectively
★ Improved service quality by identifying and implementing process enhancements
Education
Academic Achievements
Lean Manager | NIQC | 2018
ISO 9001 - 2015 Internal Auditor | NIQC | 2018
Six Sigma Black Belt | NIQC| 2018
Bachelor's Degree in Management Studies | ISBM | 2012-2015
Key Achievements
DMAIC in Action
Solving Real Business Problems
Ever wonder why some teams solve problems permanently while others keep fighting the same fires?
The secret isn't more meetings or bigger budgets. It's a simple yet powerful approach called DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control).
When facing persistent issues, most leaders rush to implement solutions without understanding root causes. This reactive approach might provide temporary relief, but the problems inevitably return.
I've seen DMAIC transform high-volume customer support operations by revealing hidden patterns that everyone missed. In one case, we discovered that only 71% of tickets were getting resolved within the specified SLA. By addressing this specific issue, we improved tickets resolved within SLA to 91% and saved $77,000/month.
The beauty of DMAIC lies in its data-driven objectivity. It removes assumptions and office politics from decision-making, focusing solely on what the numbers tell us. This framework provides the discipline to solve problems systematically rather than jumping to conclusions.
Next time you're facing a persistent business problem, try mapping it through the DMAIC lens. Start by precisely defining what success looks like, then measure current performance, analyze root causes, implement solutions, and control for sustained results.
Reducing Shipment Delays
Supply Chain Optimization
"Shipping delays are just an unavoidable part of business." If you believe this, you're leaving money on the table.
When I encountered a business losing customers due to 4-7 day shipping times (against a target of 1-3 days), most people had accepted this as "just how things are." But by applying Lean principles, we transformed this "unsolvable" problem.
The breakthrough came when we stopped blaming external factors and started mapping the entire process.
Using the DMAIC methodology, we discovered that the bottlenecks weren't where everyone assumed. Our team implemented a hybrid model that fundamentally changed how shipments were routed and tracked. The results? Delivery times dropped to just 1-2 days, well below the target.
This wasn't just about faster shipping—it directly impacted the bottom line. Customers who were ready to jump to competitors stayed loyal, and the organization saved substantially on courier charges by eliminating inefficient routing.
The most valuable lesson was that seemingly "fixed" constraints are often more flexible than they appear. By challenging assumptions and following a structured improvement approach, we turned a business liability into a competitive advantage.
Poka-Yoke
Applies in Service Industry
What if you could make mistakes physically impossible in your service operations? That's the promise of Poka-Yoke.
While most people associate mistake-proofing (Poka-Yoke) with manufacturing, it's actually a game-changer in service industries. The principle is simple yet powerful: design processes that prevent errors rather than detecting them after they occur.
In service environments, this might look like automated form validations that prevent incomplete submissions, checklists that must be completed before a transaction can proceed, or color-coding systems that make mix-ups visually obvious.
I've implemented Poka-Yoke principles across various service operations with remarkable results. For example, by creating a macro-based documentation tool, we crashed documentation errors by 80%. In another instance, redesigning the SOP for field engineers boosted daily revenue by 2 crores.
The beauty of Poka-Yoke is that it doesn't rely on constantly reminding people to be more careful (which never works long-term). Instead, it builds guardrails into the process itself, making the right way the easy way.
This approach doesn't just reduce errors—it transforms the customer experience by increasing first-contact resolution and eliminating the frustration of repeated interactions to fix mistakes.
Value Stream Mapping
Power of VSM
Can you see the invisible waste flowing through your organization every day? Most leaders can't—until they discover Value Stream Mapping (VSM).
VSM is like an X-ray for business processes, revealing bottlenecks and inefficiencies that cost you time and money. Unlike traditional process maps, VSM quantifies the time spent at each step—including the waiting time between activities that often accounts for 95% of delays.
The first time I facilitated a VSM exercise with a cross-functional team, their jaws literally dropped. Activities they thought took hours were actually taking days when accounting for handoffs and waiting periods.
By visualizing the end-to-end flow of work, VSM helps teams distinguish between value-adding activities (what customers would willingly pay for) and non-value-adding activities (everything else). This clarity makes improvement priorities obvious rather than subjective.
I've used VSM to transform everything from customer support processes to product development cycles. In one instance, mapping the entire process revealed hidden inefficiencies that, once addressed, reduced average handle time from 30 mins to just 15 mins.
The most powerful aspect of VSM is that it creates a shared understanding across departments, breaking down the silos that often prevent meaningful improvement. When everyone sees the same reality, collaboration naturally follows.
Knowledge Culture
Not a Cost Centre
"Our team just doesn't retain information." This excuse costs organizations millions in repeated training, errors, and inconsistent customer experiences.
But what if the problem isn't your people—it's your knowledge management approach? Building a high-knowledge culture isn't about hiring smarter people; it's about creating systems where knowledge flows naturally to where it's needed.
In my experience, teams that consistently maintain 90%+ knowledge scores approach learning fundamentally differently from average organizations.
Rather than treating knowledge as something to be "pushed" to employees through training, they create "pull" systems where team members naturally seek information because it helps them succeed. They make knowledge accessible, contextual, and immediately applicable to daily work.
I've transformed knowledge retention by implementing several key practices: creating scenario repositories that classify common situations, developing objective metrics that encourage knowledge-sharing rather than hoarding, and building collaborative platforms where tribal knowledge becomes institutional knowledge.
The results speak for themselves—when implemented correctly, these approaches have taken floor knowledge levels from mediocre to above 90% consistently. This translates directly to faster resolution times, higher customer satisfaction, and reduced operational costs.
The most successful knowledge cultures recognize that expertise isn't about memorizing facts—it's about knowing where to find information quickly and applying it appropriately.
Power of Root Cause Analysis
Reducing Errors by 80%
"We need to be more careful" is perhaps the least effective solution to quality problems. Yet it's often the first response to errors.
When a healthcare operation was experiencing high error rates, the initial reaction was predictable—more reviews, more training, more reminders to be careful. These approaches yielded minimal improvement.
The breakthrough came when we stopped treating all errors equally and applied structured root cause analysis to understand the patterns beneath the surface.
By creating a comprehensive scenario repository and implementing data classification, we identified that most errors stemmed from a small set of complex scenarios that weren't adequately documented. Rather than telling processors to "try harder," we developed specific decision trees for these scenarios.
The result was transformational—errors dropped by 80%. This wasn't achieved through working faster or adding more checkers, but by systematically addressing the actual causes of variation.
This experience reinforced a fundamental truth: most quality problems aren't people problems—they're system problems. When processes are designed correctly, they naturally produce correct outcomes without relying on superhuman attention to detail.
Root cause analysis works because it moves beyond symptoms to address underlying issues, creating sustainable solutions rather than temporary fixes.