Lean Manufacturing Operations
For manufacturing and process-improvement learners, identify value, classify waste, and map a process so improvement starts with evidence.
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Lean Manufacturing Operations
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About this course
For people beginning to use Lean in manufacturing, logistics, services or healthcare. You will define customer value, recognise the seven classic wastes, and mark each step in a simple flow as value-adding, necessary non-value work or waste. Teams gain a shared basis for choosing what to investigate next. This module introduces the foundational Lean concept of value versus waste. You will learn how to map a simple production flow, distinguish activities that create value for the customer from those that consume resources without adding value, and identify the seven classic wastes. By the end, you will be able to walk any process and spot opportunities for improvement. This module teaches you how to create visible, repeatable workplace standards using the 5S method and how to document the safest, most efficient work sequence through standard work. You will learn to observe a workplace critically, identify waste, and produce standards that any team member can follow. By the end, you will be able to run a basic 5S audit and draft a standard work sheet for a simple task. This module teaches you how to make work move smoothly through a production system by limiting work-in-progress, aligning to customer demand through takt time, and using pull signals instead of push scheduling. You will learn to spot bottlenecks not by hiding them behind inventory, but by exposing them so the team can act. By the end, you will be able to diagnose flow problems and design simple pull mechanisms that reveal constraints rather than mask them. This module teaches you how to distinguish surface-level symptoms from the true root causes of production problems, and how to use the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle to test countermeasures rigorously. You will practice classic Lean tools like the 5 Whys and fishbone diagrams, then learn how to verify whether a change actually improved the process or just moved the problem elsewhere. This capstone module guides you through completing a bounded improvement project end-to-end, applying the Lean tools you have learned so far. You will establish a baseline, identify and eliminate waste, implement a countermeasure, verify results, and standardize the new way of working. By the end, you will have a portfolio-ready improvement story with measurable impact.
What you'll learn
- Define value from the customer's perspective and distinguish it from non-value work
- Recognize and classify the seven wastes (TIMWOOD) in a production flow
- Map a simple production process and mark each step as value-add, necessary non-value, or waste
- Propose concrete improvements to reduce waste in a real or simulated workflow
- Apply each of the 5S steps to a real or simulated workspace
- Distinguish between value-added and non-value-added actions in a task
- Draft a standard work sheet including takt time, work sequence, and standard WIP
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