Lean and Continuous Improvement Extension Certificate

E-mail: cebusiness@mtroyal.ca
Information: 403.440.5069 or toll-free 1.888.392.3655
Register: Start here
Location: Lincoln Park Campus, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW

Required Courses | Optional Courses

Why should lean performance initiatives and continuous improvement be a part of any business or organizational strategy? Lean means value and “accomplishing more with less".

Organizations that want to excel in today’s marketplace must foster a culture of strategic agility, lean performance and continuous improvement. The modern enterprise across every sector is seeking ways to streamline operations, minimize waste, improve efficiencies, and align practices with changing priorities and values.

Strategic management practices are paramount to leading, facilitating, and inspiring lean transformation and continuous improvement. Be introduced to lean strategies and tools for organizational problem solving and lean performance improvement in non-manufacturing environments such as finance, health care, and oil and gas. The program includes recognized techniques and best practices in Kaizen, lean philosophy and methodology, quality management and Six Sigma.

Using real-world examples and case studies, this certificate can help you and your organization to reduce costs, waste, workplace stress, employee dissatisfaction, inefficiencies and redundancies.

Who Should Take this Program
It is designed for managers, professionals and front line staff who seek to effectively lead or support lean culture change and continuous improvement. It is especially valuable for teams and organizations outside a traditional manufacturing setting that want to implement lean thinking and performance improvement, including oil and gas, health care, information technology and financial services.

Lean Enterprise Resource Centre
The Lean Enterprise Resource Centre is designed to provide students with additional resources beyond the contents of the classroom environment. You will have access to Required Course Materials, Information Guides, Tools and Templates, Weblinks to Articles, Tips/Tricks and more.

The Resource Centre is an evolving environment; meaning the content and information available will change and adapt over time. Our aim is to provide you, the student, with helpful, interesting and valuable tools to assist you in your growing continuous improvement career.

Please note: You will need to provide your MyMRU username and password to access the Lean Enterprise Resource Centre. To create a username and password, you need to activate your account through MyMRU. For instructions on how to create your login information, please check Activating and Logging in to MyMRU.

Required Textbooks
Lean Production Simplified, 2nd Ed., 2007 (approx $45)
Going Lean, 2008 (approx $30)
The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook, 2004 (approx $20)
Total cost approx. $100
All textbooks can be purchased from the BookStore.

Course Materials
All required course materials are distributed online. To download required course materials, please visit the Lean Enterprise Resource Centre.
Please note: To ensure accuracy of information, course materials should be downloaded approx. 2 weeks prior to the course start date. Failure to do so may result in misalignment of materials in the classroom.

Earning Your Extension Certificate
Complete the following courses (120 hours) in class with a minimum of 75% attendance in each course:

• Four core courses
• Lean Process Improvement: Final Assessment Paper (minimum grade of C or 70%)
• 30 hours of Optional Courses, listed below

Note: We strongly recommend completing all courses before registering for the Final Assessment Paper.

The program must be completed within three years.

Required Courses

Lean Principles 
Review lean methodology and its underlying principles of increasing value, minimizing waste and empowering employees.
Course Materials: PDF versions available through the Lean Enterprise Resource Centre.

Lean Tools 
Discover techniques to gather ideas, evaluate processes and identify the root cause of business problems. Discuss alternative problem solving and process improvement techniques, including cause and effect diagrams, value stream mapping and data collection.
Course Materials: PDF versions available through the Lean Enterprise Resource Centre.

Lean Culture 
Discover strategies to successfully implement and sustain lean transformation and continuous improvement for your organization. Appreciate the important role that culture and people play in successfully achieving continual performance improvements.
Course Materials: PDF versions available through the Lean Enterprise Resource Centre.

Implementing and Sustaining Lean 
Get a roadmap for measuring performance, sustaining success and leading lean and continuous improvement after implementation, including practical tools, best practices and pitfalls to avoid. Review requirements for the Final Assessment Paper.
Course Materials: PDF versions available through the Lean Enterprise Resource Centre.

Lean Process Improvement: Final Assessment Paper 
Integrate and apply principles, tools, techniques and strategies acquired throughout the program. In a written paper, identify a process for assessment, assess customer value, apply lean tools to evaluate the process and cultural setting, identify root causes, make recommendations for improvement and outline a plan for implementing and sustaining improvements.
Prerequisite: the 4 previous required courses

 Back to Top

Optional Courses
Choose 30 hours of coursework from any of the following Extension Certificates.

Business Analysis
Program details

Business Process Management
Program details

Change Management
Program details

Leadership Development
Program details

Management Development
Program details

Project Management
Program details

Back to Top