Course Topics

Course topics for the pilot are based on Lean Thinking and Six Sigma, along with teams and strategy.

Module 1 covers an introduction to Lean Thinking and Six Sigma, along with strategy development & deployment and project management. This module aims to provide an understanding of the underlying philosophy of lean thinking, so that its main principles are appreciated. The '5 principles' are covered, along with value and waste - the essance of lean thinking. The strategic aspect is important, as it is critical to appreciate that lean has a wider dimension that just focussing on the shop floor and having a robust and market focussed stargey is considered a prerequisite to 'going lean'. Similarly, deploying the startegy effectively thoughout the organisation is another criical stage that must be considered. Finally, the modle considers the project management skills necessary to implement lean programmes.

Module 2 concentrates on teams and the 'people dimension' of lean implementation. While it can be easy to grasp the technical aspects of lean thinking, the issue of effectively galvinising groups of staff to act positively and purposively towards lean goals is often overlooked and is probably a significant reason why lean thinking projects fail or are not sustained in the longer term.

Module 3 is the first of the workplace tools units and gets in to the detail of process improvement, where some key lean tools are explored. The focus is on value stream mapping as the main way to understand your 'current state' , on workplace organisation (including 5S), continuous improvement and scheduling.

Module 4 is the second of the workplace tools units and focusses on quality improvement, starting off with an examiniation of problem solving techniques and the basic quality toolsic , and ending on a detailed look at Six Sigma, which includes the DMAIC methodology associated with this area.

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Summer 2007

Induction and training activities are ongoing with registered companies . Those interested in participating should contact any of the consortium members for a discussion.