Lean IT Kaizen Self-Paced Online Course & Examination

This course prepares you for the exam leading to the Lean IT Kaizen Certificate.

This interactive certification course is participative and provides the knowledge, tools, and techniques needed for leading and facilitating rapid improvement efforts – known as kaizen events – within IT organisations. 

The Lean Foundation level course is a mandatory requirement for all other levels within the Lean certification scheme.

With your Self-Paced Online Course, you receive:

• Access to fully accredited Lean IT Course approx. 12-18 hours of learning
• Online access to Pink Elephant's course resources
• 24/7 availability for 12 months
• Practice exam
• Web proctored examination voucher 
• 24 hour online exam proctoring service and exam management portal via Professional Designations
• A complimentary exam re-sit if you miss out passing your certification the first time
• Instructor assistance is available from within your learning portal.

Course Overview

Kaizen is an improvement philosophy in which continuous, incremental improvement occurs over a sustained period of time to help improve business performance. It’s a Japanese term where kai = change and zen = for the better. Combined, it means change for the better or continual improvement.

Building on the knowledge gained in Lean IT Essentials, this advanced course will take you beyond understanding Lean concepts and principles to master continuous improvement and become a Lean IT kaizen lead. You will obtain actionable solutions that use structured problem-solving approaches – including one used by Six Sigma – and proven Lean procedures and models. You will learn to identify, plan, and apply incremental service and process improvements that are focused on enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of any process or value stream. 

Participants will learn how to conduct Lean IT kaizen events by working through an improvement opportunity related to their own organisation – and leave with a plan for their own kaizen initiative. 

The course details kaizen key concepts, terminology, kaizen event roles, etc. It also delves into various Lean IT methods and specifically details how to effectively use the DMAIC (define, measure, analyse, improve, control) improvement model that leverages the Lean A3 problem-identification and planning tool to complete a full improvement cycle. Participants will learn to identify and implement small, accumulative improvement opportunities that utilise a combination of logical and analytical, as well as creative and ideation, methods. 

Learning Outcomes

During this comprehensive certification course, you will learn about: 

• The concept of kaizen and the core elements of the kaizen mindset, as well as what kaizen events, daily kaizen and improvement kaizen are – and the differences between them 
• The four sources of improvement – voice of the customer, voice of the process, voice of the business, and voice of the regulator 
• Applying the five principles of Lean to organising kaizen events and gain an understanding of kaizen team roles, as well as how to select kaizen initiatives and obtain support for them 
• Practical how-tos about applying Lean methodologies: 
• The Shewart cycle (also known as the Deming circle) of plan, do, check, and act 
• The A3 problem-solving method that applies Lean thinking and allows for a concise and standardised presentation of the process and results from a kaizen initiative, proposal, or the status of a project
• How to take a deep dive into DMAIC - the proven, structured improvement problem-solving method that is integral to a Six Sigma initiative:
• Define – Learn to identify the types of problems, as well as how to write a problem statement, validate the scope of the problem, write a problem definition, and much more. 
• Measure – Refine the problem statement by collecting reliable data on the variables related to the problem; use quantitative and qualitative measurement systems to determine procedures, set baseline and benchmarks, measure the value stream, etc. 
• Analyse – Follow the five main steps in this stage that include translating the data, performing a data analysis by using various methods that include the seven basic tools of quality and the five whys, performing a process analysis of the value stream map, determining the root causes, and prioritising the root causes. 
• Improve – Identify the improvement options, generate potential solutions, select and prioritise the most suitable of them, apply best practices, develop the future state value stream map, pilot the solution and improvement outcomes, and create an implementation plan. 
• Control – Create a measurement system, documentation, and an effective control plan, as well as communicate with stakeholders, present the results, transition ownership, and establish methods to improve quality – and then anchor the change in the organisation and share the lessons learned. 

Who should attend

The course is designed for IT practitioners interested in expanding their practical knowledge and skills to lead targeted Lean improvement initiatives focused on continual service improvement, including:

• Managers tasked with department level process improvements
• Business analysts
• Project managers
• Software developers
• Quality assurance managers
• IT Consultants
• Any roles responsible for quality, efficiency and continual service improvement

Prerequisites

For this course you are required to have successfully attained your Lean IT Essentials certificate. You will need to provide us with a copy of your certificate upon registration in order to be admitted into this course.

Exam & Certification

• This course prepares you for the examination leading to the Lean IT Kaizen Certificate. It is a 90 minute, 40 question, multiple-choice exam. You must attain a passing mark of 65% to attain your certificate
• The Lean IT Kaizen examination is administered and marked by Professional Designations, an online exam voucher will be provided on the last day of the course. The online exam schedule is available 24/7 and a webcam and internet connection is required. 

Course Material & Inclusions

Access to your own online learning portal for 12-months to work through the course materials and prepare for the examination. The course is delivered via downloadable resources, exams and instructor videos. Instructor assistance is available via email.

Lean IT Kaizen online exam voucher plus a complimentary Lean IT Kaizen exam re-sit if you miss out on passing your certification the first time.

A digital badge you can share with your network of your course achievement will be provided via email upon passing your certification exam. 

SFIA Skills & Industry Accreditation

After completion of this course, you may apply for self-directed learning PDU's through PMI. A certificate of attendance is available upon request. 

This course enables participants to develop their knowledge and proficiency in the following Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA®) professional skills:

• METL: Methods and tools
• QUAS: Quality Assurance
• MEAS: Measurement
• PBMG: Problem Management
• AUDT: Audit
  

This list gives the core SFIA skills covered by the course. Elements relevant to other SFIA skills may also be included to a lesser depth. Proficiency in a SFIA skill is measured by performance assessment and is achieved through actual substantial use of that skill in a real-world situation over some time. In course assignments and exercises undertaken through a course can demonstrate elements of the relevant skills which can then be further developed back in the workplace.  Acquiring new skills and building on existing skills, ideally occurs within the context of an agreed development plan for each person that ensures that their personal circumstances, strengths and development needs are met.