NASA-Ames Research Center – Transforming the Partnership Process

Organization: NASA – Ames Research Center
Industry: Aerospace, Space Exploration, Research
Location: Silicon Valley, California

Client Overview

NASA’s Ames Research Center is a key contributor to the agency’s mission, specializing in areas such as astrobiology, small satellites, airborne astronomy, supercomputing, intelligent systems, and national airspace system innovations. The center is renowned for its interdisciplinary science and technology, advancing both space exploration and global aeronautics.

The Challenge

Despite Ames’ groundbreaking research and technological capabilities, their partnerships program—crucial for innovation and external collaboration—was bogged down by slow, cumbersome, and expensive processes.

Key challenges included:

  • Misaligned internal leadership and unclear roles

  • Administrative inefficiencies and duplicated effort

  • Fragmented systems and redundant approval processes

  • Lack of visibility into project pipelines

  • Missed revenue and partnership opportunities due to delays

These hurdles not only impaired operational efficiency but also led to significant frustration among potential and existing partners.

Engagement Objectives

NASA Ames sought a radical transformation of their partnerships program, with the following goals:

  • Map the entire process from partnership inquiry to project launch

  • Identify bottlenecks, duplication, and handoff delays

  • Reduce lead time and complexity in the agreement process

  • Accelerate onboarding of partnerships and increase overall throughput

  • Enhance cross-departmental collaboration and strategic alignment

Success was defined by measurable lead time reduction and a demonstrable increase in the number and quality of partnerships.

The Approach

We led a structured, collaborative improvement initiative built around Lean thinking and real-time problem-solving. Core elements of the engagement included:

Value Stream Mapping (VSM):  Detailed current and future state mapping of the partnership process

01

Kaizen-Based Workshops:  Engaging diverse stakeholders to co-create new standards and flows

02

Custom Administrative Tools: RASCI diagrams, milestone reviews, and simple process visuals to enable clarity and ownership

03

Onsite Facilitation: Multi-week collaboration with leadership and administrative teams to drive adoption and implementation

04

What stood out to the NASA team was our real-world adaptability of Lean principles to a government research environment—paired with sensitivity to non-Lean cultures and executive engagement expertise.

Transformation Highlights

The engagement delivered significant breakthroughs in both process and mindset:

  • 30% Reduction in Lead Time: Streamlined workflows accelerated the partnership approval cycle

  • Clear Roles & Accountability: Defined ownership across departments eliminated ambiguity

  • Process Visibility: Introduction of a partnership “pipeline” and prioritized project criteria enhanced strategic clarity

  • Cross-Functional Teaming: Early and structured collaboration improved quality, communication, and trust

Roadblocks such as legacy thinking and outdated systems were systematically addressed by empowering change agents and aligning leadership around shared objectives.

Business Impact

NASA Ames emerged from the engagement with:

  • Increased capacity to support more partnerships, generating greater value for NASA’s mission

  • Improved partner satisfaction due to faster response times and simplified processes

  • Enhanced strategic alignment between internal departments and the center’s partnership vision

Client Experience

The NASA Ames team described the experience as transformative, calling particular attention to the effectiveness of Christian Wolcott - Semoto Group’s Lean facilitation approach and ability to connect across technical and administrative boundaries.

“They loved the ‘Lean’ approach,” remarked the engagement lead.

Although no formal quote was approved for publication, the client expressed enthusiasm and would recommend Christian Wolcott - Semoto Group based on deep expertise, real-world knowledge, and high-impact results.

Looking Forward

While there are no immediate follow-up initiatives currently planned, the improvements implemented continue to support NASA Ames’ capability to grow and evolve its partnership portfolio.