Lean & Continuous Improvement Training for Manufacturers

What’s included

• Lean 101 Overview
• Standard Work
• A3 Problem Solving workshops
• Multi-day Kaizen events

A3 problem solving is the backbone of this curriculum — a structured, one-page method for working a manufacturing problem from root cause to a verified fix, built around the plan-do-check-act cycle. Read the full guide to A3 problem solving, including the 7-step process and how it compares to 8D and DMAIC.

Some fixes need more than one person and a report — they need a cross-functional team implementing on the floor for a week. Read the full guide to kaizen events: what a 3-to-5-day event actually looks like, and how it compares to Just-Do-It and A3.

The “root cause” step inside an A3 usually means 5 Whys or a fishbone diagram. Read the full guide to root cause analysis — when to use which tool, and the “Five Blames” trap that stops most investigations too early.

5S workplace organization is one of the foundations covered inside Lean 101 Overview and Standard Work. Read the full guide to 5S — the five steps, why most programs stall out at Sustain, and the honest truth about “5S certification.”

Before an A3 or a kaizen event, most teams need to see the whole process first. Read the full guide to value stream mapping — VSM vs. process mapping vs. spaghetti diagram, and how to run a first mapping event with a small team.

Long changeovers push plants toward large batch sizes. Read our guide to SMED — the internal vs. external setup distinction that’s the whole method.

Six Sigma and lean solve different problems and work best together. See our guide to Six Sigma belt levels — Yellow, Green, Black, and the DMAIC method underneath them.

“85% OEE is world class” gets repeated so often it’s treated as gospel, but it’s a rough benchmark, not a target. Read our guide to Overall Equipment Effectiveness — the three factors and how to use OEE to diagnose real losses.

Shigeo Shingo didn’t fix a missed-spring assembly error by asking workers to be more careful — he added a mechanical check. Read our guide to poka-yoke error-proofing — the three methods explained.

A push system builds to a forecast; a kanban pull system waits for a signal before producing anything. See our guide to kanban pull systems — how two-bin replenishment works.

Sakichi Toyoda’s 1896 automatic loom stopped itself the instant a thread broke. Read our guide to jidoka and autonomation — the four-step detect-stop-fix-investigate method.

Building large batches of one product looks efficient but overloads a plant one day and starves it the next. See our guide to heijunka — volume vs. mix leveling and the heijunka box.

A production report can tell a manager a line hit 94% of takt time yesterday — it can’t tell them why. Read our guide to Gemba walks — going to where the work actually happens.

Leader Standard Work defines what a supervisor checks; Standard Work is a different document entirely. See our guide to Standard Work — takt time, work sequence, and standard WIP.

Hoshin Kanri connects a five-year strategy to what happens on the floor this week, through a document called an X-matrix. Read our guide to Hoshin Kanri — a practical introduction to policy deployment.

DOWNTIME is easier to remember than “the eight wastes of lean,” and easier to spot once you know what each letter stands for. See our field guide to the eight wastes of lean — with shop-floor examples.

Six Sigma belt levels describe who’s trained — DMAIC is the five-phase structure they’re actually trained to run. Read our guide to DMAIC — the Six Sigma project framework explained.

A well-run production floor tells you whether things are on track within about ten seconds, without asking anyone a question. See our guide to visual management — and the visual factory, beyond 5S.

Why this matters

Frequently asked questions

We have never run a lean program — where do we start?

Lean 101 Overview is the right starting point — the foundations, before tools get rolled out across a plant.

What is a Kaizen event?

A focused, multi-day improvement event where a team works on a specific process, typically producing a measurable change by the end of the week rather than a report to implement later.

Do you offer Value Stream Mapping training?

Value stream mapping concepts are covered within our Lean training — contact the training team about current scheduling for a VSM-focused session.