Operational Excellence

[Detailed programme] [Faculty]

In collaboration with

Implementing Lean Thinking in Manufacturing, Logistics and Services

Has your company been trying to make the transition to Lean manufacturing and logistics?
Are you in a position that involves finding ways to eliminate bottlenecks and streamline a continuous manufacturing or logistics process?
Is one of your objectives to reduce waste?

Possibility to obtain the certificate 'Lean Competency', accredited by the Lean Enterprise Research Centre (see below).

Why this programme

This 6-day programme will help the participants to make their manufacturing and services processes 'leaner' and focuses on four aspects.

• Grasp the lean philosophy. Participants gain a thorough understanding of the concepts of lean operations from a management perspective. Many tools and techniques that build on the foundations of lean operations are also explained: value stream mapping, capacity and variability analysis, bottleneck management, etc. Moreover, implementing change through change management is discussed.
• Apply on your own company. Through a questionnaire, each participant's company will be assessed in terms of lean maturity. In order to receive the Lean Accreditation, participants have to do an in-company project, supervised and evaluated by Vlerick academic staff.
• Share best practices. Experienced business speakers from manufacturing and service industry share their best practices. A company visit shows a hands-on implementation of the lean philosophy. Moreover, discussion with the other participants is continuously stimulated to share experiences.

Target audience

Operational Excellence is a must for people with management responsibility in operations:

• Senior operations managers of services and manufacturing companies
• Manufacturing and logistics managers responsible for formulating and implementing change towards lean
• Resource planning managers
• Supply chain managers, business managers and process managers
• Project leaders in charge of designing and implementing change
• Consultants

Programme objectives

This seminar will help the participants to make their manufacturing and logistics processes lean by:

• Acquiring a coherent and integrated understanding of the concepts of lean
• Gaining insight into how to apply lean principles to operations and possible related hurdles in implementation
• Implementing more successfully lean projects

Participants that attend all modules and complete the various homework exercises and evening sessions will receive a certificate of completion. If the optional exam is succesfully completed, the participant gets the 'Lean Competency' accreditation (see below).

Programme topics

The programme is held in two modules of three days each.

Module 1:

• Lean thinking and the strategic context
• Value stream mapping
• Lean planning and sheduling
• Lean quality processes

Module 2:

• Capacity and variability analysis (CVA)
• Bottleneck management (theory of constraints)
• Introduction to 6 sigma
• Lean supply chains
• People management during change
• Implementing lean

Detailed programme

The Vlerick approach

Throughout the programme, a variety of lean business games are used in combination with cases to test and prove the theories being taught. The evening sessions are designed as exercises and discussion sessions to help participants learn how to apply the various tools and philosophies from a more practical standpoint. There are testimonials from experienced business speakers and a company visit that show the link between theory and practice.

This hands-on programme also stimulates you to apply the theory in your organisation. An assessment of your company shows your current state, and participants can do an in-company project (optional) supervised by Vlerick.

Faculty

Prof Dr Ann Vereecke is programme director. She is faculty dean and partner of Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School and former president of EurOMA, the European Operations Management Association. She teaches operations management.

Keynote Speaker is Prof Dr John Bicheno, professor of Operations Management at the University of Buckingham, Senior Research Associate at the Lean Enterprise Research Centre (LERC) and Director of the MSc in Lean Operations at Cardiff Business School. He will be complemented by four other professors.

Faculty

Lean 'Competency' accreditation

An optional exam will enable participants to obtain the certificate 'Lean Competency', an international accreditation by the Lean Enterprise Research Centre of Cardiff University.

The exam consists of two parts:

• A closed book written test that measures to which extent the participant has acquired knowledge on the theories thaught in class.
• An oral presentation and discussion with Vlerick professors, during which the participant explains a well-defined project plan in the area of operational excellence, taking into account the concepts that were introduced during the programme.

Partners

The Lean Operations programme has been developed by Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, in cooperation with PICS, the society fot integrated supply chains. PICS Belgium is an official affiliate of APICS.