What you'll learn:
- Categorize characteristics of organizational culture as Lean or non-Lean
- Identify strategies for building a kaizen culture
- Match the characteristics of a kaizen event to corresponding descriptions
- Recognize activities a team carries out while implementing kaizen in an organization
The course on Applying Lean in Service and Manufacturing Organizations is part of the Lean for Business Organizations program which includes the following 6 sections:
1. Introduction to Lean for Service and Manufacturing,
2. Using Lean for Perfection and Quality,
3. Lean Tools and Techniques for Flow and Pull,
4. Reducing Waste and Streamlining Value Flow Using Lean,
5. Value Stream Mapping in Lean Business, and
6. Applying Lean in Service and Manufacturing Organizations
Despite the relative simplicity of many Lean tools, a majority of attempts to adopt Lean in an organization fail. Why does this happen? The chief cause of failure to convert to a Lean enterprise is lack of awareness that it requires a culture change, rather than simply a change in tools.
Transformation to a Lean enterprise calls for a complete change in the way everyone in the organization thinks about work, as well as slight work modifications.
Flirting with Lean tools won't create a meaningful or lasting improvement in an organization. To truly embrace and integrate Lean principles, an organization has to make a long-term commitment to the change. It also has to change its culture. All employees need to practice applying Lean concepts daily, until Lean thinking becomes an accepted and routine part of how they think and behave. It requires a cultural change.
A permanent shift to the Lean philosophy can occur only from a continuous improvement philosophy. When this occurs, organizational and customer benefits will be realized. So you need to encourage and practice continuous improvement daily to truly integrate the shift in culture.
This course on Applying Lean in Service and Manufacturing Organizations provides a guide to the benefits and characteristics of a Lean culture. It provides tips and strategies for facilitating a culture change through the use of kaizen. And it provides a detailed guide on how to plan for and implement a kaizen event in your organization.
That’s it! Now go ahead and push that “Take this course” button and see you on the inside!
