Lean emphasizes continuous improvement.  Upon learning the methods and tools used in Lean in this intense four day session, it easy for students to see why and how Lean is achieving the results so often published at companies of all sizes.   

More simplified in its approach and less taxing on human resources than a straight Six Sigma program, Lean makes an ideal toolset for small and mid-sized organizations that are already running thin on resources of all types.  It is the type of system and toolset that employees at all levels will openly embrace when they are involved in and help engineer the improvement solutions that make their jobs more productive, easier, safer, better, and more profitable. 

When you implement Lean you can expect any and all of the following benefits:

• lowered workers compensation costs
• reduced customer complaints
• reduce your costs for poor quality
• reduced defects
• increased first pass yields
• reduced order to shipment times
• improved order fill rates
• increase employee value added productivity
• reduced cycle times
• Significant gains in raw materials and inventory turns
• Get more done in less space (optimize your current space)

In this training class, students will learn about:

• Poka-Yoke
• Value Stream Mapping
• Kanban
• Set-up reduction
• 5S (and 6S)
• Total Productive Maintenance
• How to run Kaizen Rapid Improvement Events
• Fundamental Quality tools to help improve analysis and results

Lean means speed, which leads to opportunities, which leads to efficiencies, which leads to profitability.   Learn how with the guidance of QAI's staff of Lean Experts.  We'll direct students to understand and effectively implement methods and tools of Lean that are focused on understanding the process so that it becomes easy to recognize non-value added activities. Elimination of non-value added activities helps promote work standardization and what is known in Lean as one piece flow.

Lean utilizes some of the tools and approaches of Six Sigma in order to aid the optimization of resources and increase the opportunities for improvement. Without Six Sigma tools, Lean earned a reputation for hitting just the 'low hanging fruit' projects.

The effect of the positive changes that you and your workforce create helps to:

• Prepare and motivate people
• Involve employees and management
• Share information and manage expectations
• Empower champions, especially managers
• Create an atmosphere of experimentation
• Install realistic performance measures and reward system
• Get solid successes early and start the momentum forward