The Lean Competency System

Background

Launched in the summer of 2005, The Lean Competency System (LCS) is a unique resource developed by LERC to provide individuals and organisations with an organised and relevant lean qualifications structure. In essance, it enables organisations to issue LERC accredited lean qualifications to employees who have successfully completed an endorsed programme of lean oriented training. It also enables experienced managers to gain recognition for their lean knowledge and practical experience.

LERC’s aim in developing the LCS is to provide an effective framework for lean knowledge transfer in organisations, thus promoting the sustained adoption of lean that helps improve the quality, cost and delivery of an organisation’s products or services.

Benefits

Our experience suggests that lean has a greater chance of adoption and acceptance by staff when it is linked to an academically recognized and transferable qualification. Our research suggests that staff engagement is a key component of ‘sustainable lean’.

• It enables organisations to identify levels of competency for different employee groups, thus aiding the development of an organisational lean skills matrix. It can also help in identifying standards for recruitment.
• The process of ‘being accredited’ generally tends enhance the whole training organisation in terms of a tighter integration of its components and a clear linkage of learning outcomes to assessment. By using the LCS, the organisation will be adopting what is increasingly becoming a widespread lean qualification system, used on an international basis.
• It gives staff a pathway for progression and provides a valued recognition for achieving a particular level of lean competency (increasingly important for an individual’s cv and training record).
• The non-prescriptive and flexible nature of LCS structure enables it to suit and be adapted to different process types, environments and sectors.
• Inherent in the accreditation processes is guidance and advice from leading lean experts, thus enabling the organisation to ensure it keeps up to date with current lean thinking.
• The LCS is very cost effective. Organisations do not to pay a fee for each person certified and the non-commercial nature of the initiative helps ensure a value-for-money proposition.

Below: Receiving the LCS Certificate of Accreditation

Background >>