Leading Edge Group

This six-month distance learning program aims to provide participants with a practical application of Lean tools and techniques within the manufacturing and supply chain sectors, as well as developing the appropriate process improvement, leadership, and project management skills to drive the changes that are necessary for a successful Lean transformation.

 The program is aimed at career-minded practitioners who work in either supply chain, manufacturing or related functions such as quality, engineering, finance, and who have some responsibility for driving continuous improvement initiatives within their organization. It is also suitable for those who have some experience in Lean or the broad supply chain, and wish to develop knowledge and skills in these areas. Further details of this program including program content and mentor profiles are available in the Lean SCM Black Belt brochure.

Participant organizations include:

Canadian Tire Corporation, Tim Hortons Inc., Sugoi, DePuy, Lipton Soft Drinks, GSK, Schering-Plough, Flextronics, Pfizer, Janssen Pharmaceutica, McAfee, McKesson Corporation, Stryker Corporation, Fournier Laboratories, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Amazon, Pepsico, Moog Inc., Centocor Biologics

Entry requirement criteria, course prospectus, module descriptions, and so on are available by emailing info@leanscm.com.

This program is delivered through a hybrid of traditional distance education and online learning. Web-hosted interactive workshops will be scheduled throughout the program and time will be allocated during these workshops to review progress of Lean SCM Black Belt projects.

This six-month distance learning program consists of the following four modules:

Advanced Lean Tools and Practices

• Managing Lean Projects
• Lean Strategic Planning and Implementation
• Effective Leadership and Change Management
• Advanced Lean Tools and Practices

This module provides a ‘refresher’ introduction to the concept of Lean Thinking and explains its associated principles and benefits. It provides a detailed explanation on how to gain a thorough understanding on customer perspectives in order to accurately define what is value and how Lean can then be used to deliver this value in the most efficient manner through optimizing process flow and capacity and improving workplace organization.

Managing Lean Projects

Managing Lean Projects is geared to expose the student to the fundamental concepts of project management and high performance teams, both of which are essential if any Lean transformation is to be successful. Project management principles are designed to provide an overview of the project management discipline. This module addresses basic principles, tools, and techniques used in managing projects, as well as the role of the project manager. It illustrates important concepts in project planning and implementation, and participants practice project management planning.

Lean Strategic Planning and Implementation

This module outlines and explains the steps involved in developing a strategic plan for a Lean implementation and it describes the key components required for an organization to achieve a sustainable Lean transformation or roll-out. It explains the role of ‘rapid improvement events’ in implementing Lean solutions and gaining the quick wins that are vital in promoting an overall Lean transformation. The module explains how to prepare for these events and how to implement them to ensure optimal success. It also explores appropriate techniques for quantifying and measuring the success of Lean implementation projects. Finally, the module outlines and explains how to sustain early successes and ensure that Lean becomes embedded as part of the overall culture of the organization.

Effective Leadership and Change Management

Leadership and change management are combined in this module to give the student the ability to create a new vision of what ‘could be’ and turn it into a plan that the organization can execute upon and make a reality. The module provides a broad understanding of the key elements of leadership effectiveness and their impact on team / organizational performance. It also covers leadership intelligence — the ability to manage oneself as well as relationships with others. It covers negotiation and influencing others in situations where no formal authority exists.

Program completion requires the submission of a facility-based project*. The project will require the application of the concepts covered in the program. It will need to result in a measurable benefit to the organization of a minimum 100,000 Canadian Dollars (or relevant currency equivalent) and will need to be validated by the chief financial officer or other appropriate company representative.

In developing and completing the project, students will be assigned a project mentor and will be required to nominate a supervisor or sponsor from within their organization to coordinate progress and sign off on the final submission. The student, mentor, and the organization will agree the success metric for the project as part of the topic selection process.

Program content understanding and application will also be assessed through the submission of module assignments and exercises, while students are also assessed on their participation and attendance on the web-hosted events.

* Students should be advised that the project requirements should be brought to their organization’s notice when applying for this program.

A Lean Black Belt qualification is a key ingredient for organizations striving to deploy a Lean philosophy and culture. It provides you with the necessary techniques and skills to transform the organization to world-class status as well as the opportunity to communicate with Lean practitioners and experts across the globe.

This program is taught by experts who are highly acclaimed in the global supply chain sector including:

Dr. Tim Hill Ph.D., CLSSBB, PMP, Lean Sigma Black Belt

Dr. Hill has served as a Lean leader for over 25 years in Canada, the United States, and the Far East. He has had the opportunity to meet and work with Deming, Ishikawa, Imai and other world quality leaders and is listed as UWO’s expert on human resources, Lean and corporate social responsibility. Dr. Hill was selected by Toyota in Canada to train its employees on the Toyota Production System, Problem Solving for Quality and Toyota Business Practices.

Dr. John Harhen Ph.D., M.Eng.Sc., B.E., CFPIM, M.I.E.I.

John has extensive functional competencies in supply chain management, operations management, strategy development and systems deployment. He has over 25 years experience in blue chip pharmaceuticals and technology enterprises including hardware, software and services. John has held positions as Materials Director. Operations Manager, and Knowledge Based Solutions Manager for corporations such as Wyeth, Glaxo SmithKline and Digital Equipment Corporation.

Jerri Brooks MA, PMP

Jerri is a senior consultant and master change agent with the Leading Edge Group and is based in Parker, CO. Jerri has an extensive background in organizational development with 25+ years of experience working within the Department of Defense (DoD), telecommunications, and healthcare industries. She is highly skilled and experienced in the delivery of change acceleration process, work-out TM, process improvement, team building, and maintaining customer relationships, and she has held a number of senior executive positions in the US.

Mike Hanif CPIM, CQA, P.Log., ICIA, Lean Sigma Black Belt

Mike Hanif has a background in electrical engineering and business management. Since immigrating to Canada he has worked in several large organizations including Canpar, Purolator and Canadian Tire Corporation. Over the past 27 years he has worked in several departments at Canadian Tire, including Franchised Stores, Merchandising, Marketing, Logistics and Supply Chain. He is currently the leader of the continuous improvement team at the 1.4million square feet Canadian Tire Brampton Distribution Centre.

To find out more about pricing or group rates, please email info@leanscm.com for further details.

If you would like a live demonstration of the Lean SCM Black Belt program please email us and a member of our team will contact you shortly.