LEAN THINKING FOR INNOVATION & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Description

Organizations today need employees who can do more than simply follow established procedures. They need people who can identify process inefficiencies, challenge existing ways of working, and contribute practical ideas for improvement. This workshop introduces participants to a practical, process-based approach to Continuous Improvement and Innovation. Through Lean thinking, participants will learn how to understand process flow, identify performance gaps and process losses, diagnose improvement opportunities, redesign processes, and establish improved ways of working. The workshop emphasizes practical application and encourages participants to develop a continuous improvement mindset that can be applied directly in their workplace.

What You'll Learn

Understand the importance of a Continuous Improvement and Innovation mindset.
Understand processes in terms of their outcomes, flow and key components.
Apply the 5M+1E framework — Man, Machine, Method, Material, Measurement and Operating Environment.
Identify gaps between current and expected process performance.
Recognize process inefficiencies, losses and relevant Lean wastes.
Identify practical opportunities for process improvement.

Requirements

Physical Appearance

Who this course is for

Operations teams — processing, back-office and support functions.
Team Leaders and Supervisors.
Process Improvement and Quality Teams.
Employees who are involved in improving work processes and operational performance.
Staff who want to develop a practical Continuous Improvement and Lean thinking mindset.

Course Content Overview

TOPIC 1: CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT & INNOVATION MINDSET

Understand the difference between routine execution and continuous improvement
Develop the mindset to question existing ways of working
Recognise Continuous Improvement as an ongoing responsibility
Explore Innovation as finding new or better ways to achieve desired outcomes

TOPIC 2: UNDERSTANDING A PROCESS – OUTCOME, COMPONENTS & FLOW

Understand what a process is and how it creates an intended outcome
Identify process inputs & activities and outputs
Understand customer and operational requirements
Map and understand the current process flow
Examine key process factors using 5M+1E

TOPIC 3: DIAGNOSING THE PROCESS – WHERE IS THE IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITY?

Establish the current level of process performance
Compare current performance with expected or desired performance
Identify performance gaps within the process
Examine where time | effort | resources or performance are being lost
Identify process factors that may be limiting performance
Use Lean thinking to identify potential process losses and wastes

TOPIC 4: IMPROVING & REDESIGNING THE PROCESS

Challenge the existing way of working based on process findings
Identify activities that can be eliminated | simplified | combined or rearranged
Reduce unnecessary movement & waiting and activities
Improve relevant 5M+1E factors
Explore alternative methods & tools or technology where appropriate
Redesign the process flow to improve overall performance

TOPIC 5: VERIFY & STANDARDIZE THE IMPROVED PROCESS

Compare proposed improvements against the desired target
Determine suitable measures to evaluate improvement
Verify whether the changes achieve the intended results
Establish the improved process as the new standard
Define clear methods & responsibilities and performance measures
Understand standardization as the foundation for sustaining and further improving performance

TOPIC 6: KEY TAKEAWAYS & WORKPLACE APPLICATION

Review the complete Continuous Improvement journey
Reflect on the key concepts and practical learning from the workshop
Identify a process or activity from the participant's own workplace for improvement
Apply the Continuous Improvement thinking process to real workplace situations
Develop practical questions and actions to take back to the workplace
Build a repeatable habit of continuously looking for better ways to achieve process
outcomes