Lean Practitioner Programme
Programme Overview
The Lean Practitioner course content aims to provide participants with a sound knowledge of Lean Thinking, its key principles, concepts, and tools, and an awareness of the importance of Managing Change techniques to help ensure successful improvement. This highly practical three-day course is designed to enable participants to attain Lean Practitioner level certification with the British Quality Foundation (BQF).
Self-Study Online
£500 (plus VAT)
Virtual Open Classroom
£946 (plus VAT)
Venue Open Classroom
£946 (plus VAT)
In-Company Training
Group Discount
Chris Merriman, Director of Catalyst, Introduces Lean Practitioner
This three-day programme is a highly participative course which introduces the key principles, concepts and benefits of Lean Thinking, including a brief introduction to the importance of the ‘softer skills’ needed for successful projects and continuous improvement.
The broad aim is to provide participants with an increased knowledge of the Lean tool-kit and an awareness of the importance of Change Management techniques to ensure successful change. Ideally, the participants should attend with an identified process problem or project to tackle. Where appropriate, the practical syndicate exercises will look to work on these issues.
The lean practitioner programme provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles, concepts and origins of Lean Thinking and how they have evolved, including an awareness of the Toyota Way philosophy and principles. Importantly, the focus is on applying these techniques in both a service and manufacturing environment.
The lean practitioner course content follows the structure of the ‘Go Lean’ book
‘Go Lean’ focuses on improving flow and reducing waste. It’s a practical guide showing you how to apply Lean Thinking to improve performance, especially in service and transactional processes.
This guide is written in the same style as one of John Morgan’s earlier books, ‘The Lean Six Sigma Improvement Journey’. Whilst it focuses on Lean, some Six Sigma tools and techniques are included, to provide appropriate rigour and ensure a systematic approach to improvement is followed.
This highly practical three-day course is designed to enable participants to attain Lean Practitioner level certification with the British Quality Foundation (BQF).
The programme also seeks to enable the participants to apply for Lean Practitioner certification through the British Quality Foundation and the framework of the course has been specifically designed for this purpose.
The course content aims to provide participants with a sound knowledge of Lean Thinking, its key principles, concepts, and tools, and an awareness of the importance of Managing Change techniques to help ensure successful improvement.
The course also provides an ideal ‘top up module’ for people who have been trained as Six Sigma Green Belts or Black Belts, where Lean Thinking may not have been appropriately covered.
Outcomes for Your Business:
Following the programme, they should be able to demonstrate their active use of appropriate Lean concepts, tools and techniques including, for example, the introduction of 5S and Visual Management into a work area, the elimination of waste to improve flow, and facilitation of Kaizen Rapid Improvement Events.
Outcomes for Your Personal Development:
Following successful completion of your first successful project, you will have the option to be certified by the British Quality Foundation with the ensuing recognition and career advancement opportunities.
This course is worth 80 CPD points.
This NEW self-paced online course is equivalent in content to our 3-day Lean Practitioner Programme. It introduces the key principles, concepts and benefits of Lean Thinking, including a brief introduction to the importance of the ‘softer skills’ needed for successful projects and continuous improvement.
Our unique approach to online training brings the classroom experience to you! The core of our learning material is bite-sized videos, recorded in live training sessions so that you can learn by watching real people delivering a real course to real delegates.
How it works
This self-paced course is available online through Catalyst’s well established Business Improvement Zone – “The Biz”. The content is shared through a series of short videos (generally 10-15mins per topic) featuring live expert presenters sharing their knowledge and experience with flipchart graphics, Powerpoint slides and secondary video content. The student can work through these videos at their own pace, whenever convenient. There are quiz questions at the end of every section and an online multiple choice exam to be completed after completion of the course. Students will have access to pdf copies of the slides plus various Lean templates. The course comprises 33 videos complemented by a comprehensive set of learning resources and materials.
The course also seeks to enable the participants to apply for Lean Practitioner certification through the British Quality Foundation and the framework of the course has been specifically designed for this purpose.
Support for Groups of Learners. For multiple online learners from the same company, we can, if required, form cohort groups and set a learning milestone plan.
Virtual Open Classroom – equivalent to 3 days
Inside the Virtual Open Classroom
The training format is delivered as three consecutive one day sessions.
The programmes are delivered live over Zoom by our experienced Master Black Belt instructors. We use a wide variety of techniques to create and engaging, participative and fun experience for the learners including breakout room exercises, polls/quizzes, online collaboration tools, hands-on exercises (where you have to stand up and move!) as well as live discussions.
Learning by doing in the virtual world!
Support Pack
Prices include comprehensive training materials, access to online learning resources and full BQF Certification.
We are currently delivering all of our Open Programmes remotely.
See Virtual Open Classroom
Once restrictions are lifted we will be able to resume face-to-face delivery and provide training at our London, Birmingham and Edinburgh venues once again.
In-company classroom
For more than 4 delegates attending the same programme this is the most cost effective option.
The Lean Practitioner programme can be delivered on-site or virtually.
The sessions will be bespoke, lively and interactive delivering a memorable learning experience for the delegates.
We will discuss your objectives prior to the delivery, and help you to plan the most effective training and support to your team of delegates.
Three consecutive days or spread out over half-days sessions. Whatever is most convenient to you!
For international programmes we can start at anytime. For example the format for virtual delivery can be a series of six half-day sessions typically spread over twelve weeks.
Contents
Our three-day Lean Practitioner Programme introduces the key principles, concepts and benefits of Lean Thinking, including a brief introduction to the importance of the ‘softer skills’ needed for successful projects and continuous improvement.
Following the programme, delegates should be able to demonstrate their active use of appropriate Lean concepts, tools and techniques including, the introduction of 5S and Visual Management into a work area, the elimination of waste to improve flow, and facilitation of Kaizen Rapid Improvement Events.
The course seeks to enable the participants to apply for Lean Practitioner certification through the British Quality Foundation and the framework of the course has been specifically designed for this purpose.
- Developing Critical to Quality Customer Requirements (CTQs)
- Determining the relevant process measures
- Identifying Customer Value and the Moments of Truth
- Use of the Kano model
- Standard Operating Procedures (standard work)
- Understanding how the processes flow
- Creating Process and Value Stream maps, as appropriate
- Creating Spaghetti diagrams
- Identifying Value-Add and Non-Value-Add activity
- Data collection and display
- Understanding variation and the use of Control Charts
- Developing Visual Management
- Stabilising the process
- Reducing/removing Non-Value Add activity
- Identifying and reducing waste including the introduction and deployment of 5S and ‘Waste Walks’
- Understanding waste from the customer’s perspective
- Demonstrating the use of the Theory of Constraints in addressing bottle-necks
- Levelling and sequencing production (Heijunka)
- Identifying opportunities for Just in Time and Kanban (Pull production/Single piece flow)
- Identifying the opportunity for enhanced workplace layout
- The team roles required to deliver a Lean environment
- Communication
- Team briefings
- Ensuring the use of up to date Visual Management
- Identifying, prioritising and scoping improvement projects
- Following DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control) or PDCA (Plan,Do, Check, and Act), as appropriate
- Planning and facilitating Kaizen Rapid Improvement Events
- Assessing and managing risk
- Developing and maintaining Storyboards/A3s
- Understanding E = Q x A, ensuring effective ‘buy-in’
- Ensuring effective Control Plans
Recognised by Industry - Accredited Programmes
Catalyst has a long association with the British Quality Foundation and in 2006 established the certification schemes for Lean Six Sigma and Lean in partnership with the BQF.
We have always had strong partnerships with professional bodies and have retained a close working relationship with the EFQM, BQF, CQI, ICiPS (Institute for Continuous Improvement in Professional Services) as well as partnerships with organisations such as the Manufacturing Institute, the Agile Business Consortium and IC Agile.
Lean Practitioner Programme - Our Clients' View
Five Star Reviews
Our clients tell us we are
Consistently Excellent!
We’ve been using the industry standard NPS to measure customer satisfaction for over 5 years. Feedback is consistently excellent with delegates scoring an average of 9 (out of 10).
Forthcoming Public Green Belt Events
To book your place on one of our Lean Six Sigma Green Belt public training events just select from these dates:
Virtual Classroom Lean Practitioner [3 days] – 25-27 March 2025
The course is delivered virtually in one, 3-day session on 25-27 March 2025
Virtual Classroom Lean Practitioner [3 days] – 16-18 September 2025
The course is delivered virtually in one, 3-day session on 16-18 September 2025
