EdX

Lean Production (edX)

Lean Production (edX)

Learn how to apply key elements of lean manufacturing, such as 5S and Kaizen, to organizational processes to improve quality and productivity. Learn about lean management, a customer-centric methodology that improves processes by eliminating waste and focusing on value-added tasks. This course will introduce the main tenets of the Toyota Production System, which includes Just-in-Time manufacturing, quality management tools, and the critical concept of Kaizen, the Japanese practice of continuous improvement.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see EdX's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

You will also learn about key organisation and managerial approaches that are used in Lean.
You will learn how to analyse process flows in order to establish process capacity and identify the process bottleneck. You will then calculate resource utilisation and cycle time to evaluate the impact of set up times, batching, defects and reworks on key process performance measures, including inventory, flow rate and flow time.

We will also discuss the impact of key concepts of Lean, including Heijunka, Kanban, Jidoka, Andon, Poka Yoke, and 5S, which help achieve increased productivity and quality.
Upon successful completion of this series, learners will earn the Technical University of Munich Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification, confirming mastery of the fundamentals of Lean Six Sigma to a Yellow Belt level, based on the American Society of Quality's Body of Knowledge for the Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt.
This course is part of the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt: Quantitative Tools for Quality and Productivity Professional Certificate and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Professional Certificate.

What you'll learn:

  • The history and background of Lean production and the complementing elements of quantity and quality control.
  • How to measure production performance and how defects and waste degrade performance.
  • To improve process performance through application of lean principles, including setup time reduction, batch optimization, and defect elimination.
  • Elements of Lean production including Heijunka, Kanban, Jidoka, Poka Yoke, and Quality Circles.
  • 5S methodology for establishing and sustaining a productive work environment.

Course Syllabus

Week 1: Introduction: Identification of Waste
Understand the basic differences between craft production and mass production. Review the history of Lean Production, focusing on Japan's Toyota Production System as an alternative to mass production. Discuss how waste impacts productivity and describe Taiichi Ohno’s famous 7 Wastes.

Week 2: Understanding Flow: Capacity Analysis
Cover the basics of process analysis, including understanding how to calculate process capacity and resource utilization, as well as the important concepts of cycle time and takt time. Understand the relationship between inventory, a waste, is directly related to the flow time in a system through Little’s Law. Understand how variability in a system causes queuing or waiting. even if there is enough capacity on average.

Week 3: Continuous Flow: Setup Time Reduction
Calculate the impact of setups on capacity when the product variety is increased and understand how batching can improve this, but at the expense of increased inventory. Review the Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED), and learn why reducing setups and changeovers are critical to Lean manufacturing. Discuss the concept of Total Productive Maintenance and calculate the metric Overall Equipment Efficiency.

Week 4: Improving Flow: Workplace Organisation and Visualization
Introduction to the concepts of Workplace Visualization and Organization and 5S for improving and maintaining continuous flow in Lean Production.

Week 5: Maintaining Flow: Establishing Pull Systems and Scheduling
Define the key principle from the Toyota Production System, Just-In-Time (JIT)and the significance that JIT has for Lean Production in reducing waste and meeting customer demand. Review the relevant components of production planning and how these affect Production Scheduling, the heart of Lean Production. Understand, with the help of reduced setup time, how Mixed-Model Scheduling achieves a match between production and customer and how Pull systems can be realized using Kanbans.

Week 6: Quality and Continuous Improvement
Calculate the impact defects have on our flow rate. Understand how Poka Yokecan help fool-proof our processes and learn how to structure and run a Kaizen Blitzto bring about rapid improvement opportunities for problem-solving and process improvements. Consider the central role of Continuous Improvement in Lean Production by comparing the set of management principles, The Toyota Way 2001, and Jeffrey Liker’s 14 Management Principles.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Agile Innovation and Problem Solving Skills (edX) EdX
University of Maryland, College Park,University System of Maryland - USM,USMx,UMD

Agile Innovation and Problem Solving Skills (edX)

Learn how to deliver greater value through Agile solution targeting and theory of constraints that unleash your team's innovative potential. Innovative products and services change lives, and having the right innovative process creates an competitive advantage. Ultimately, innovation is about one thing: problem solving.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Economic Democracy: The Cooperative Alternative (edX) EdX
University of Edinburgh,EdinburghX

Economic Democracy: The Cooperative Alternative (edX)

Could a cooperative market economy, in which firms are owned and controlled by their workers, be a viable and efficient alternative to capitalism? Most Western societies are proud of being political democracies, but democracy rarely operates within the firm. Democratic governments, in principle, can be criticised freely and are answerable to those they seek to govern. By contrast, managers are not, in general, answerable to those they seek to manage, and the mildest criticism can be dangerous.

No sessions available
5-12 Weeks
Intro to Managing Healthcare Supply Chain Operations (Coursera) Coursera
Northeastern University

Intro to Managing Healthcare Supply Chain Operations (Coursera)

This course is best suited for individuals currently in the healthcare sector, as a provider, payer, or administrator. Individuals pursuing a career change to the healthcare sector may also be interested in this course. In this course, you will have an opportunity to explore concepts and topics related to the design and management of operations and supply chains in the healthcare sector.

Nov 16th 2026
4 Weeks
Setting the Stage for Success: An Eye on Safety Culture and Teamwork (Patient Safety II) (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Setting the Stage for Success: An Eye on Safety Culture and Teamwork (Patient Safety II) (Coursera)

Safety culture is a facet of organizational culture that captures attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values about safety. A culture of safety is essential in high reliability organizations and is a critical mechanism for the delivery of safe and high-quality care. It requires a strong commitment from leadership and staff. In this course, a safe culture is promoted through the use of identifying and reporting patient safety hazards, accountability and transparency, involvement with patients and families, and effective teamwork.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
PsyHealth worXs! Psychosocial Health Prevention and Work standards“ (edX) EdX
RWTH Aachen,RWTHx

PsyHealth worXs! Psychosocial Health Prevention and Work standards“ (edX)

The first MOOC to teach practitioners how to conduct a psychosocial risk assessment step by step. Do you want happy, healthy, and productive employees? Do you want to learn how you can manage psychosocial risks in your company? This is the course for you! Did you know that up to 50% of workers in the EU report to suffer from work-related stress? And about 80% of managers are concerned about psychosocial risks in their organisation. Moreover, it is actually mandated by EU law for employers to ensure the safety and health of their employees. However, only 30% of organisations have procedures in place to deal with psychosocial risks.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Manufacturing Systems II (edX) EdX
MIT,MITx

Manufacturing Systems II (edX)

Learn how to analyze manufacturing systems to optimize performance and control costs and better understand the flow of material and information. Manufacturing systems are complex systems that require analytical analysis. Managers and practitioners use a wide variety of methods to analyze and optimize the performance of manufacturing systems and control costs.

Mar 6th 2024
5-12 Weeks
Cloud Computing for Enterprises (edX) EdX
University System of Maryland - USM,USMx,University of Maryland Global Campus - UMGC,UMGC

Cloud Computing for Enterprises (edX)

Understand cloud computing technologies and how they can increase business productivity and effectiveness. Organizations are increasingly moving their critical information and assets to the cloud. Understand the technology, best practices, and economics of cloud computing, and the rewards and risks of this rush to the cloud.

Mar 21st 2024
5-12 Weeks
Fundamentals of Finance (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

Fundamentals of Finance (Coursera)

Welcome to Fundamentals of Finance. This 4 module course will help you understand and affect the performance of your unit or organization’s profitability. By the end of this course, you will be able to implement finance and accounting concepts to drive your organization's growth, analyze financial statements and understand the factors in productivity and profitability, and create forecasting and budgeting. You will also have the ability to evaluate and manage cash flow, implement strategies around financing, and use of ratios in running a business.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Explore Management Concepts through Metaphor and Music (Coursera) Coursera
University of London

Explore Management Concepts through Metaphor and Music (Coursera)

How can exploring and analysing music and metaphors help us to better understand management, work organisations, working lives, and ultimately ourselves too? As you set out on your journey through this innovative course, the answers to these questions will be revealed. Through the lens of metaphor and music, you will be introduced to core managerial and organisational concepts and theories. You will explore issues related to, for example: organisational and work design; motivation and productivity; employee voice; careers; and management and leadership styles.

Nov 16th 2026
3 Weeks