Apply Lean thinking principles to identify and eliminate waste across business processes
Course profile · Process Improvement
Lean Six Sigma - Intermediate
A practical course covering Lean tools, Value Stream Mapping, A3 reports, Kaizen events, and standardized work, for anyone building on the basics of process improvement.
Free1h 35m28 lessonsIntermediate
Outcome-focused
What You Will Learn in This Lean Six Sigma Intermediate Course
Measure process efficiency using cycle time, throughput, and process cycle efficiency metrics
Create and interpret Value Stream Maps to expose bottlenecks and plan workflow improvements
Apply Little's Law to understand the relationship between work-in-progress, cycle time, and throughput
Use 5S and visual management to organize work environments and increase team transparency
Build A3 reports to document problems, root causes, and improvement actions on a single page
Plan and run Kaizen events using a structured charter, timeline, and team-based approach
Design standardized work procedures and use operator balance charts to reduce variation
About this course
What This Lean Six Sigma Intermediate Course Covers
This Lean Six Sigma intermediate course covers the core tools used in practical improvement work, starting with Lean thinking and waste identification, then moving through process cycle efficiency, DMAIC review, and into the tools that make up the bulk of a Lean practitioner's toolkit. The course runs under two hours.
The tools section covers Value Stream Mapping, Little's Law, 5S, visual management, line balancing, cellular layout, SMED, Kanban, and Poka-Yoke. Each tool is explained with what it is, how it works, and when to use it. The A3 and Kaizen sections cover how to run improvement projects, from writing a problem statement through planning a Kaizen event and building standardized work procedures.
The course ends with the Cool Oil Project cast as a full A3 report, walking through problem statement, root cause analysis, and the improvement plan in A3 format. It shows how the tools connect when applied to a single project.
The course is self-contained and does not assume prior Lean Six Sigma knowledge, though the two beginner courses make a natural on-ramp. Both are listed below if you are starting from scratch.
Is this for you?
Who this course is for
- Professionals who completed a beginner Lean Six Sigma course and want to apply the tools, not just understand them
- Operations and quality analysts looking to run structured improvement projects with Lean methods
- Team leads responsible for reducing waste and improving how work flows through their teams
- Students preparing for a Lean Six Sigma yellow or green belt certification
Before you start
Requirements
- You can start without prior Lean Six Sigma training; familiarity with the basics will make the course easier to follow.
Inside the course · 28 lessons
Course outline
Introduction
Course overview: what is covered, how it is structured, and how to get the most from it
Lean Thinking
The core principles of Lean and what creates waste in any process
Waste
The types of waste in Lean and how to identify them in service and office environments
Process Cycle Efficiency
Measuring what proportion of total process time actually adds value to the customer
Scientific Method
The evidence-based logic behind structured improvement: hypothesis, test, and learn
DMAIC Part 1
The first phases of the DMAIC improvement cycle reviewed and extended beyond the basics
DMAIC Part 2
Completing the DMAIC cycle with a focus on Analyze, Improve, and Control
Value Stream Map
Visualizing the full flow of a process to identify where time and value are lost
Lead Time Analysis and Little's Law
The relationship between work-in-progress, cycle time, and throughput, and how to use it
Creating a Value Stream Map
Step-by-step walkthrough of drawing a current-state and future-state VSM
5S
The five steps for building an organized, standardized, and sustainable work environment
Visual Management
Making process status visible to everyone without relying on meetings or reports
Line Balancing
Distributing work across team members to remove bottlenecks and match output to demand
Cellular Layout
Arranging workstations to reduce movement, waiting, and transport waste
SMED
Reducing changeover time to increase flexibility and reduce downtime between tasks
Push, Pull and Just in Time
How demand-driven production systems reduce overproduction, inventory, and waiting
Kanban
Using visual signals to control the flow of work and prevent overloading any step
Poka-Yoke: Zero Defects
Designing processes that make errors impossible or immediately visible when they occur
A3 Report
Documenting a problem, root cause, and action plan in a structured single-page format
Kaizen Introduction
What Kaizen events are, when to use them, and what makes them different from ongoing improvement
Kaizen Event Charter
Scoping and preparing a focused improvement event before the team walks into the room
Planning a Kaizen Event
Scheduling team activities, logistics, and facilitation for a productive improvement event
Standardized Work
Creating repeatable work procedures that reduce variation, errors, and training time
Operator Balance Chart
Distributing tasks visually to match work content to takt time and team capacity
Standardized Work Combination Table
Mapping the sequence, manual time, machine time, and walk time for each work element
Standard Work Chart
Showing operator movement, work sequence, and standard WIP at a workstation layout
Problem Statement
Defining the problem clearly (scope, impact, and baseline) before any improvement begins
Cool Oil Project
A complete A3 walkthrough of one improvement project from problem definition to action plan
Included materials
More than the videos
- A full A3 project walkthrough, the Cool Oil Project
Professional development
PDU information
This course lists 1.50 PDU. Review PDU guidance before claiming credit.
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