MADM 428 (Lean Optional quiz)
Champion Website: Lean Education Standards (There are no standards. This article changes everything.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
A Lean Champion needs to provide sound advice on organizational needs and be skilled at developing others. The best leaders develop the next generation of leaders. Requirements for this role include: -Making, refining, and communicating the case for change and the transformation strategy -Motivating and challenging people to improve themselves and the organization -Understanding the strong ROI for the lean transformation and the even greater benefits from creating a great place to work -Keeping the focus on changing the culture to create a sustainable organization -Leading an annual effort to "step back to reflect" on progress and make course corrections
Confusion Reigns Website: Lean Education Standards (There are no standards. This article changes everything.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
Educational courses and certification programs for lean are all over the place. There are no generally accepted standards. It's ironic how a program focused on reducing waste has evolved into such uncontrolled confusion: -Why does everyone have to waste time seeking to determine which concepts and tools should be taught to employees? -Why are these charlatans running around treating lean education as just an immersion into speaking Japanese? -Who are these crazy people claiming it's easy to change your organization's culture? For this article, I'll stick to a standard lean transformation program. I will focus on the needs of those seeking to make the cultural transformation - the difficult path to creating a sustainable organization. I won't muddy the waters with lean six sigma, lean sigma, Toyota stuff, or some other derivative. In addition, I will not be supporting anyone seeking to cause chaos with some fast cost cutting shenanigans. I will not be giving away a short list of magic bullets or a long list of a million foreign words.
A Solid Framework Website: Lean Education Standards (There are no standards. This article changes everything.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
Given an immense body of knowledge, you cannot, and do not need to, provide complete educational coverage to every person helping with a lean transformation. But, you do need to provide education to everyone and segment which concepts, terms, and problem solving tools should be taught to people, based upon their role in your lean transformation. There are no "official" levels of knowledge for people working on a lean transformation. However, there is a common sense approach used by many organizations. This common sense approach defines standards for education and the roles people will perform on lean projects and other events. This widely used approach segments lean education standards and the corresponding roles into the following: -Apprentice: provide subject matter expertise and support projects, kaizen blitz events, and continuous improvement activities -Practitioner: manage projects, lead value stream mapping sessions, and facilitate kaizen blitz events -Expert: lead major projects, address complex problems, and advise project teams -Master: establish standards, provide expert advice on overall program management, and coach problem solvers -Champion: sponsor projects, ensure resources, and communicate the progress toward creating a sustainable organization Of course, there is room at the margins. An organization might ask more, or less, from any role. This would simply mean more, or less, education would be required for succeeding at the assignment.
Knowledge Needs Website: Lean Education Standards (There are no standards. This article changes everything.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
Given the 5 lean roles, let's turn our attention to the education required for each role. Warning: we are now at the point with very high risk of aggravating every lean enthusiast who believes they have it figured out! Those without a desire to learn - should stop reading now. For those with the courage to continue, brace yourself and get ready to learn. The balance of this article will explore the body of knowledge which, our research and experience demonstrate, should be included in the curriculum for each level.
Master Website: Lean Education Standards (There are no standards. This article changes everything.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
Great news for those aspiring to the Master role - there are just a few additional requirements. However, these require skills such as leadership, coaching, and teaching. The additional requirements include: -Manage the lean program for an organization, business unit, local site, or whatever -Ensure lean projects are selected, scoped, and executed appropriately -Coach others through problem solving projects -Be the reservoir of knowledge for complex tools which are seldom used, but are very effective in the right situation The list of concepts, terms, and tools includes: https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
Summary Website: Lean Education Standards (There are no standards. This article changes everything.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
I don't expect to eliminate all of the confusion in the worldwide market for lean education courses and certification exams. Most likely, I have made a number of experts turn red with anger. They are free to hold onto their own opinions. My goal for readers is to provide a way to sort through the chaos and find a baseline for comparing lean education courses and certification exams. If you have a concept, term, or tool which is missing from the lists above, send me a message.
Effects Website: Professional Certifications (Let's review the current situation facing people seeking a professional certification.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/professional-certifications/
Let's explore the effects of the current situation. The two biggest process improvement techniques have been fairly robust in responding to new and emerging opportunities. The niche organizations have been the best at responding to market needs. It is unclear how the professional organizations have kept current. They seem to have invested in initial product development, but not in the need for rapid response to new developments. The old "lean manufacturing" has transitioned to "lean transformation" for all types of organizations. Lean is now the number 1 program used by retail, healthcare, financial, governmental, and other organizations. Only someone, who has been lost in woods for 2 decades, would refer to lean manufacturing. Six sigma has also made the transition to service organizations. There are great success stories where the data analysis power of six sigma has been applied to the millions and billions of transactions in financial and healthcare organizations. We are also seeing enormous potential for six sigma to expand with the explosion of the concept called big data. Old habits die hard. Some of the lean and six sigma tools, which offer minimal value, are still hanging around. We won't get into the list, as it would just make a few traditionalists angry. It takes thoughtful discussion, and reflection, for people to let go of some tool they have used for 30 years. Now, they probably only use the tool in a training class and never use it during an improvement project. But - that's the point!
Current Situation Website: Professional Certifications (Let's review the current situation facing people seeking a professional certification.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/professional-certifications/
Let's review the current situation facing people seeking a professional certification in lean or six sigma. The historical approach to earning a lean or six sigma certification is through a small education, training, and consulting organization. These types of organizations are typically focused on a niche specialty, such as lean or six sigma. They are run and staffed by seasoned experts who have the experience and ability to transfer knowledge to their clients. These niche organizations have reached millions of people in all types of job functions and industries. A more recent addition, to the mix, comes from professional organizations representing a niche profession, such as quality control or mechanical engineering. For these organizations, the professional certifications in lean or six sigma have been a nice addition to their portfolio, as well as, a new revenue source. It's unclear how much success these organizations are having. It's even less clear if they are reaching beyond the job functions typically represented by their members. A recent phenomenon is a concept called lean six sigma. There is widespread disagreement concerning the impact and value of this forced combination. Our team, at Transformance Advisors, is on the side of the debate which believes lean six sigma is just marketing hype. This view makes some people angry. But, it's clear to see how so-called lean six sigma proponents are, generally, former six sigma trainers seeking to claim they have a new and improved program. Our assessment of the available lean six sigma materials shows they are mostly six sigma with a few lean topics added for good measure. These courses do not incorporate the far more important aspects of a what it takes to accomplish a lean transformation.
Response Website: Professional Certifications (Let's review the current situation facing people seeking a professional certification.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/professional-certifications/
The current situation and the effects on lean and six sigma certifications has not gone unnoticed by our team at Transformance Advisors. We make significant investments in keeping our lean and six sigma materials current and relevant. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we take a hard look at the topics and concepts included in various courses and certifications. It's foolish to simply add more and more to any certification program - you need to, routinely, prune back the less relevant. We have completely integrated educational programs and certification exams. The relevant, current, and required knowledge is taught in our courses and tested on our exams. This approach leverages the historical advantages provided by niche organizations - a competitive advantage over programs which publish a list of one million topics which "might" be included on some exam. Our board of advisors takes an active role in assessing the content and quality of our programs. They bring perspectives which ensure we meet the needs of organizations seeking to improve their performance and the skills of their people. We push the envelope in terms of knowledge delivery. Our state-of-the-art learning management system is just one example where we have developed courses which leverage the latest technology.
Expert Website: Lean Education Standards (There are no standards. This article changes everything.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
The curriculum for Expert training should include a deeper dive into many items covered for the Practitioner role. In addition, there should be a lean project which requires rigorous use of problem solving techniques. The project should tackle a complex problem where a solution has been elusive. Learning should be supported through coaching from a qualified instructor. Successful problem solving leverages the two roles of problem solver and coach. Students should learn and practice both roles. The list of concepts, terms, and tools includes https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
Practitioner Website: Lean Education Standards (There are no standards. This article changes everything.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
The curriculum for Practitioner education should include a deeper dive into everything covered for the Apprentice role. In addition, there should be a well-defined project which walks through the specific steps for one of the common systematic techniques such as value stream mapping, changeover reduction, or the 5S system. Value stream mapping is one of the best type of projects, for becoming a lean practitioner, as this technique is associated with projects having a high probability of success. Learning can be enhanced and accelerated when the project is a scripted example which includes data and information designed for learning the required concepts, terms, and tools. For example, an online simulation tool can provide quick access to a fictional organization with a current state full of waste. Students can apply what they learn to design a future state and see the impact of their decisions through simulation. A number of complex concepts, terms, and tools are only "introduced" during Practitioner training. Complicated cultural issues and statistical analysis tools are not appropriate. The more important aspect, of becoming a lean practitioner, is the actual use of the lean tools and succeeding with a lean project. The list of concepts, terms, and tools includes: https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
Apprentice Website: Lean Education Standards (There are no standards. This article changes everything.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
The curriculum for the Apprentice role should be a general introduction to key concepts and topics. An organization specific class should include the case for change and explore successful lean projects which have been completed. The list of concepts, terms, and tools includes: https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/lean-education-standards/
Results Website: Professional Certifications (Let's review the current situation facing people seeking a professional certification.) https://transformanceadvisors.com/portfolio/professional-certifications/
The results of our efforts have been tremendous. Our certification exams are routinely offered by schools, such as Loyola University Chicago, Louisiana State University Shreveport, and the University of Northern Colorado. Additional schools are coming soon and will bring exponential growth. Our lean program is #1 in Colorado, where our public events sell-out and private events are growing year after year. Our annual alumni event is one of the biggest and best gatherings of lean experts in the state. Our six sigma program has been enthusiastically received. This program brings an exceptional value to our alumni and new customers. Private branding of our courses and exams is another booming market. These collaborations extend our impact with molding the standards for lean and six sigma programs.
