Lean fundamentals is a five-day course for clinical and nonclinical leaders that establishes commitment to the lean approach and teaches practical application of its key elements.

The program builds a strong foundation for leaders involved with facilitating kaizen workshops and participating in change management, but who aren’t being certified as lean operations workshop leaders. Leaders, however, may later apply coursework to a certification. Leaders will experience instruction, exercises, and discussion on the principles and core methodologies of the Toyota Management System (TMS).

How Lean Fundamentals Works

During each session, our professionals will use experiential learning to teach you how to:

• Go-and-see on the gemba, or observe processes in person by visiting the workplace
• Identify waste in processes
• Apply the TMS through simulations in a learning lab environment

The six educational modules covered in the program are outlined below:

• Lean management. Introduces elements of the TMS as it applies to health care, as well as the key components of a lean management system with visually managed, tiered reporting.
• Value stream mapping. Explains the concepts of value- and patient-centered care by providing an overview of the value stream mapping process, from current state through flow, pull, and perfecting the process to create a future state.
• 5S and visual management. Teaches 5S principles, a disciplined approach to managing workplace organization, and the process for eliminating waste and establishing a sustainable visual workplace.
• A3 thinking and problem solving. Covers key elements of A3 thinking, a structured and disciplined approach that relies on critical thinking and root cause analysis, and problem solving using the plan, do, check, act (PDCA) method.
• Standard work. Explains the principles and methods of standards, standardization, and standard work including balancing workloads, layouts for work flow, and documentation and implementation of standard work.
• Mistake proofing. Introduces the principles of zero defects and its application in health care processes.