Who we are
We are a boutique consulting firm that helps companies uncover inefficiencies and deliver smarter, faster operations through process audits and tailored automation.
“Not sure whether your team needs process improvement?”
Here’s what the numbers say about the impact of waste and inefficiency.
When your process roots are tangled…
“The cost of poor quality processes can be as high as 15-20% of total sales.” -American Society for Quality (ASQ)
“More than 80% of automation initiatives fail due to poor process understanding.” -Forrester Research
“Teams spend 20% of their time on work that’s duplicated or unnecessary.” -Smartsheet Report
“Organizations lose 20-30% of revenue each year due to inefficiencies.” -IDC (International Data Corporation)
“70% of leaders believe they’ve mapped their processes accurately. Only 16% of employees agree.” -Gartner
“Inconsistent processes are the #1 contributor to employee burnout.” -PwC Workforce Study
“80% of companies say they operate in reactive mode more often than proactive.” -APQC Benchmarking
...you can’t see what’s growing or what needs pruning. We can fix that.
When your data roots are shallow…
“Nearly 60% of employees say they spend more time organizing information than using it.” -Nintex Workplace Report
“Employees spend 1.8 hours every day - or 9.3 hours per week - searching and gathering information.” -McKinsey Global Institute
“The average employee uses 9.4 different applications daily.” -Asana Work Index
“Less than 30% of an organization’s data is actually analyzed.” -Forbes/Data Never Sleeps
...you’re guessing instead of growing with confidence. We can fix that.
When you automate the wrong things…
“45% of work activities could be automated using existing technology.” -McKinsey Digital
“70% of transformation programs fail.” -McKinsey & Company
“Large IT projects run 45% over budget and 7% over time, while delivering 56% less value than predicted.” -McKinsey/Oxford
“Only 30% of companies say their digital transformation efforts improve performance.” -Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
“Only 12% of employees strongly agree their organization does a great job of onboarding new technology.“ -Gallup
...your people stay stuck while waste keeps growing. We can fix that.
About Our Founder
Our founder, Katherine, holds degrees in both Life Sciences (B.Sc) and Materials Engineering (B.Eng) from McMaster University. She began her career in the manufacturing sector, spending four years in quality and process engineering roles within the steel and automotive industries.
It was here that her passion for process improvement took root — eventually leading her to pivot into the financial services sector, where she spent three years at a major Canadian insurance firm. During that time, she earned her P.Eng designation from Professional Engineers Ontario, as well as her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification through ASQ.
Katherine quickly built a reputation for impact: one of her flagship initiatives saved the company over $2 million in a single year — from concept to execution. Many of her other innovations consistently delivered $30,000 or more in annual savings, through smart automation and data-driven redesign.
One of her proudest accomplishments was spearheading a cross-border initiative to tackle a costly blind spot: a lack of reliable data on how long back-office processes actually took to complete. Through an internal think-tank and hackathon, she designed and led the development of a custom Python tool — built on AWS — that captured real-time process data without adding extra work for employees. This lightweight solution mapped true cycle times, bottlenecks, and variations across teams, revealing hidden waste and more accurate resource needs.
Although the tool didn’t reach full production, it showed the organization what was possible: an estimated $142 million in potential gains and cost savings over five years. This project solidified Katherine’s belief that better process data — paired with smart, lightweight tech — can transform the way companies forecast, make decisions, and grow.
Motivated by these results, she founded Sage & Oak Consulting to bring the same blend of engineering rigor, business insight, and scalable solutions to a broader range of clients. She is currently advancing toward her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and remains committed to continuous learning and lasting results.
Why should you choose Sage & Oak?
Our name reflects the values we bring to every engagement. Sage represents wisdom, strategic thinking, and actionable insight. Oak symbolizes strength, reliability, and a foundation built on deep roots. Together, these qualities ensure we deliver results you can count on.
Both are enduring symbols of growth — a quality we’re committed to driving for your business through every engagement.
At Sage, we pride ourselves on our delivering stellar technical and process consulting expertise. Most Lean Six Sigma professionals don’t code, and most coders don’t do process optimization. We do both. We are the bridge between IT services and process optimization. Unlike most traditional process consultants, we don’t just redesign workflows — we bring the data analysis and lightweight automation needed to make sure the improvements stick and scale for your business.
We are passionate about helping your operations thrive — by eliminating waste, enhancing consistency, and minimizing defects. Partner with us, and let’s shape the next chapter of your success. Together, we’ll help your business flourish.
Thank you for considering Sage & Oak Consulting.
