The Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI) at Michigan Tech supports faculty, staff, and students on their Lean Journeys and connects Lean practitioners across campus. We provide training, tools, and resources; share stories, and celebrate improvements as we grow in our practice of Lean. Our services include:
- Coaching, consulting, and facilitating continuous improvement projects
- Training, workshops, and academic courses on continuous improvement culture, methods, and tools
- Managing Lean white, yellow, green, and black belt certifications for demonstrated proficiency and successful completion of requirements
- Thought partnering on complex issues to innovate, develop clarity, and determine next steps
- Connecting practitioners through our Lean Community of Practice
School of Lean from the Gemba Academy
The School of Lean provides video tutorials and related learning materials, like self-quizzes, video overviews, and templates you can use to apply what you're learning. Included also is "Gemba Academy Live," which are stories about Lean implementation in nearly every industry, like health care, law offices, restaurants, and universities. This service is available to Michigan Tech faculty, staff, and students.
To get started, email us at improvement@mtu.edu for a username and password. Then, go to www.gembaacademy.com and use the "Log In" button in the top right page corner. You may access the training at the university, from home, or from your mobile device.
We've developed a Lean Mind Map to show how the Lean concepts are related and create a foundation for Lean training and development.
Michigan Tech's Lean Community of Practice
Getting involved is easy -- Complete this short form with your contact information and you'll be connected with our network of Lean coaches, internal consultants, faculty, trainers, and practitioners at Michigan Tech. You'll be placed on an email list and get notices of upcoming events. The email list is used to communicate meeting dates, information, and updates related to the group. All Lean practitioners are welcome; you don't have to be employed by Michigan Tech.
Michigan Tech Lean Basics Workshop Series -- Earn your Yellow Belt!
The Office of Continuous Improvement offers the following Lean courses at Michigan Tech. These workshops will be taught virtually using Zoom and Miro. There will be a brief pre-work assignment before the workshop, and you'll receive a certificate after completing a post-work assignment.
- Processes, Flow, and Waste: Lean Fundamentals
- Lean White Belt certification is awarded to those who satisfactorily complete all requirements for the Lean Fundamentals workshop
- Finding the Source of the Problem: Root Cause Analysis and Decision-Making Tools
- Countermeasures: Solving Common Problems using Lean Methods and Tools
- Understanding the Impact: Collecting and Visualizing Metrics to Support Improvement
- Practical Problem Solving: Leveraging the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle
These 5 workshops are part of the Lean Basics workshop series. If you complete all of these workshops, we’ll award you a Lean Yellow Belt certification! Registration for Michigan Tech employees and students, course descriptions, and training dates and times can be found online.