Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 session(s) / week, 1.5 hour(s) / session
Overall Course Goals
- Develop a broad understanding of Lean/Six Sigma principles and practices
- Build capability to implement Lean/Six Sigma initiatives in manufacturing operations
- Operate with awareness of Lean/Six Sigma at the enterprise level
Course Structure
All course materials are organized around a common "single-point lesson" (SPL) format, with some of the SPLs provided by the instructor and guests and with some developed and delivered by student teams. The student teams will be working with LFM alums who will serve as coaches/mentors in this and other aspects of the course. The overall organization of the course is around the following framework:
- Part I: Foundations
- Part II: Stability
- Part III: Flow
- Part IV: Pull
- Part V: Enterprise
Course Texts
Dennis, Pascal. Lean Production Simplified: A Plain-Language Guide to the World's Most Powerful Production System. New York: Productivity Press, 2002. ISBN: 1563272628.
Additional articles and book chapters as appropriate.
Course Assignments
- Lean/Six Sigma Implementation Experience Self-Assessment (1-2 page individual paper) - 10% of final grade - due in session 3
- Single-Point Lesson - Development and Delivery (20-30 minute presentation by 2-3 person team, with supporting materials and instructor guide - 30% of final grade - due throughout the term
- Analysis of Socio-Technical Implementation Initiative (2-3 page single-spaced paper by 2-3 person team) - 30% of final grade - due in session 10
- Class participation, including case analysis, simulations and problem-sets - 30% of final grade
In a nutshell:
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Lean/Six Sigma Implementation Experience Self-Assessment | 10% |
| Single-Point Lesson - Development and Delivery | 30% |
| Analysis of Socio-Technical Implementation Initiative | 30% |
| Class Participation | 30% |
Additional details on course assignments can be found in the assignments section.
Class Participation
Attendance in all classes is a base-line pre-requisite for this part of the grade - consistent attendance earns a grade of "90". This can be reduced with absences and increased by making informed contributions to class discussions, particularly comments that incorporate insights from reading assignments. There is no reward for maximizing "air time" - in fact we highly value efforts at encouraging contributions by others and shared learning by the entire class.
Also, a special web site has been established for you to document key lessons learned each week. While specific content will not be graded, participation in this system is expected as part of class participation.