This Certified Lean Apprentice course provides a great introduction to the principles, concepts, and terms which everyone “must understand” in any organization seeking to make a lean transformation.
This 100% online option will take about a total of 8 hours, which you can spread over 2 weeks.
This Certified Lean Practitioner course provides a complete package of education, application, and coaching for those seeking to learn and gain hands-on experience with the most powerful tools used for lean transformations.
This hybird version will run for 14 weeks. You will:
This Certified Lean Expert course provides a complete package of education, application, and coaching for those seeking, or already performing, a leadership role in a lean transformation. Participants will learn advanced concepts, gain hands-on problem solving experience, and begin developing coaching skills.
A special feature of this course is a team-based project which leverages an online business simulation – you will collaborate with fellow students to practice the lean tools and concepts taught in the class. Improving organizations through programs like a lean transformation requires leaders, like you, to be great project managers and exceptional team members. This team-based approach will teach you how improving organizations is not a solo sport - no one can do it all by themselves.
This course will start fast - week 1 will get us racing toward the finish line just 7 weeks away.
As you probably know, you should reserve blocks of time on your calendar to cover the course materials and other requirements. I suggest you block at least 17 hours per week. Everyone is different and you may need to adjust, but 17 hours should work well for many of you.
Your team-based project will require at least one or two meetings per week. Teams seeking to to do better will meet twice and will communicate frequently during the week. The best teams have members who come prepared.
While your success at this course will require hard work, you are not in this alone. I want you to succeed and will be available to help with challenges.
I'm not one to hassle people about their progress. Taking a class is just like managing a project - you need to have a plan and execute your plan.
I've attempted to design this course to flow step-by-step and allow everyone to see what's been done and what's left to do.
But, don't get stuck, annoyed, or angry! Contact me or one of your fellow students if you need help.
There are two keys to success, which you should weave into your approach, for this course.
The first key is to stay on schedule. The workload for each week is about the same. Follow the earlier advice to block out time on your schedule. Falling behind will not go well.
The second key is to be an exceptional team member. We all know what it's like to work with someone who doesn't do their share. Don't be the jerk who tries to take advantage of others - that person no one wants to deal with. Being a jerk will not go well.
Course and Weekly Objectives
| Course Learning Objectives |
|---|
| 1. Recognize how the fundamental principles and concepts of a lean transformation can be applied in any type of organization |
| 2. Demonstrate practical hands-on application using the most common tools and techniques used by organizations on the lean transformation journey |
| 3. Gain practical hands-on experience running a lean improvement project by leveraging an online business simulation |
| 4. Produce the most common deliverables required for each key milestone in a typical lean transformation project |
| 5. Earn recognition as a Certified Lean Practitioner (CLP) by taking and passing an optional professional certification exam |
| Week 1 Learning Objectives | Course Objectives |
|---|---|
| Identify how small incremental changes add up to large improvement over time | 1, 2, 5 |
| Recognize how lean principles are fundamental truths for crafting a sustainable organization | 1, 5 |
| Recognize how all organizations have many stakeholders who value what they do | 1, 5 |
| Identify the types of waste which can lead to poor performance for all types of processes | 1, 5 |
| Experience a lack of direction and the impact on meeting customer expectations | 1, 2, 5 |
| Week 2 Learning Objectives | Course Objectives |
|---|---|
| Assess an organization in terms of progress with a lean transformation program | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Create a project selection scorecard | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Develop a project charter through collaboration with teammates | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Create a Gantt chart | 2, 5 |
| Perform a self-assessment demonstrating the characteristics of an ideal team player | 2, 5 |
| Week 3 Learning Objectives | Course Objectives |
|---|---|
| Produce a report to the board of directors articulating the progress on a lean transformation project | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Recognize how all organizations have value streams which create value for stakeholders | 2, 5 |
| Produce a current state value stream map through collaboration with teammates | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Create a run chart | 2, 5 |
| Conduct a self-assessment demonstrating the impact on performance through the traits common with dysfunctional teams | 2, 5 |
| Week 4 Learning Objectives | Course Objectives |
|---|---|
| Conduct a self-assessment on team performance in terms of meeting the objectives of a lean transformation project | 2, 5 |
| Conduct Pareto analysis | 2, 5 |
| Identify waste on a current state value stream map through collaboration with teammates | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Produce a stakeholder value agreement through collaboration with teammates | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Practice using an effective technique for gaining consensus | 2, 5 |
| Week 5 Learning Objectives | Course Objectives |
|---|---|
| Produce a second report to the board of directors articulating the progress on a lean transformation project | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Demonstrate leadership by making specific decisions to reduce waste and improve performance for a fictional online simulated company | 2, 3, 5 |
| Evaluate and rank options for creating flow and leveraging pull using an online consensus building tool | 2, 3, 5 |
| Produce a future state value stream map through collaboration with teammates | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Identify the sequence of deliverables required from the start of a lean project through the future state mapping step | 4, 5 |
| Week 6 Learning Objectives | Course Objectives |
|---|---|
| Create a gap analysis between a current state and future state | 2, 5 |
| Demonstrate an understanding of the differences between policies, procedures, and instructions | 2, 5 |
| Identify the education and training needs required for a successful transition to a future state | 2, 5 |
| Identify the change management issues which need to be addresses for a successful transition to a future state | 2, 5 |
| Produce an implementation plan through collaboration with teammates | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Week 7 Learning Objectives | Course Objectives |
|---|---|
| Evaluate and rank continuous improvement techniques as they apply to a specific project | 2, 5 |
| Create a project closure plan through collaboration with teammates | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Assess an organization in terms of progress with a lean transformation program after the completion of one lean project | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Differentiate lean transformation and six sigma - the two most popular improvement programs | 1, 5 |
| Pay it forward by providing advice to future students on how to succeed in this course | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
This Certified Lean Expert course provides a complete package of education, application, and coaching for those seeking, or already performing, a leadership role in a lean transformation. Participants will learn advanced concepts and gain hands-on experience with coaching others using the most powerful problem solving tools used for lean transformations.
This 100% online option will take about 12 hours per week over 7 weeks.
While 100% online, you will have assignments and team meetings which will require your ability to stay on schedule.
Our Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt course provides a great introduction to the principles, concepts, and terms which everyone “must understand” in any organization using the six sigma improvement methodology.
This 100% online option will take about a total of 8 hours, which you can spread over 2 weeks.
This Certified Six Sigma Green Belt course provides a complete package of education, application, and coaching for those seeking to learn and gain hands-on experience with the methodology and tools used for six sigma projects.
This 100% online option will take about 12 hours per week over 7 weeks.
While 100% online, you will have assignments and team meetings which will require your ability to stay on schedule.
This supply chain management course will arm you with the knowledge required to work more effectively with customers, suppliers, and coworkers. The course covers competitive advantage, creating alignment, demand management, supply management, and procurement.
This 100% online option will take a total of about 28 hours, which you can spread over 7 weeks.