Online - Introduction to Lean Thinking and Practice

Course Description:

Join lean leader John Shook as he guides you through this engaging, hands-on, virtual course. You will learn the fundamentals of lean and how to apply them to your work, including identifying and solving problems, creating customer value through the reduction of waste, overhauling inefficient processes, and the importance of capability development.

This 30-hour online course can be done at your own pace. Lessons are delivered in a variety of formats, including videos, hands-on activities, readings by lean experts, and successful lean case studies.

Learning Objectives:

Through extensive research and years of practice, LEI has identified the key elements of lean to begin or continue your lean journey. Upon completion of this online course, you will be able to:

• Recognize where and how to apply lean principles, systems, and concepts to increase value and eliminate wasteful practices in your daily work
• Resolve business challenges by using scientific method, PDCA-based problem solving
• Identify work activities as being “value-add,” “incidental,” or “waste” and understand how all three affect workflow
• Understand the five dimensions of the Lean Transformation Framework and explain why all five are necessary for a transformation to occur

Content Example:

Who Should Enroll:

• Students and professionals with little to no lean knowledge who are interested in adding the benefits of lean to their resumes
• Professionals at any level who are familiar with lean and would like a back-to-basics “refresher” course on lean

About Our Partnership 

Introduction to Lean Thinking and Practice is an innovative online course developed by the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), a global leader in lean management thinking and practice, in partnership with the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

With a mission to make things better through lean thinking and practice in order to create more value and prosperity while consuming the fewest possible resources, LEI conducts research, teaches educational workshops, publishes books and ebooks, runs conferences, and shares practical information about lean thinking and practice through lean.org.

The LEI/Isenberg School partnership will give you an exclusive educational opportunity to earn graduate level academic credit from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a companion course offered by the Isenberg School tentatively scheduled for Summer 2017. By taking part in this partnership you’ll receive, among others, the following benefits:

• A deeper understanding of Lean Management and how to sustain it
• Access to LEI’s decades of thought-leading content and research about Lean Management
• Learn from and engage with top-rated Isenberg faculty
• Be better prepared to apply to the Isenberg MBA Program
• Discounted tuition