Earning the Lean Bronze Certification demonstrates your solid understanding of basic lean principles and tools, and your ability in tactical implementation that drives improvement and shows measurable results.
Steps to Lean Bronze Certification
1. See what it takes
You must complete requirements that include education, knowledge, and experience.
2. Assess your knowledge
To earn this certification, you should demonstrate your understanding of the Lean Certification Body of Knowledge (PDF), including:
Setting goals, gap analysis, project management
Teamwork, team facilitation, team selection
Tactical results measurement (initial goal, results to goals, gaps)
You should also understand the basics of lean, including:
|
Autonomation (jidoka)
Cells, one-piece flow
Continuous improvement (kaizen)
Cost, productivity results
Customer demand pace (takt time)
Customer requirements, satisfaction
Distribution, logistics, delivery
Flow
Identifying value added/non-value added work
Identifying waste
Lean product design |
|
Load leveling (heijunka)
Mistake proofing (poka-yoke)
Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle (PDCA)
Problem solving (5 whys)
Pull systems (kanban)
Quality methods
Quick changeover, setup reduction
Root cause, corrective action
Standard work
Total productive maintenance (TPM)
Value stream mapping
Visual factory |
3. Read the recommended material
Exam questions are based on specific Recommended Readings(PDF) selected by knowledgeable and experienced individuals:
- Gemba Kaizen, Masaaki Imai
- Lean Production Simplified, Pascal Dennis
- Lean Thinking, James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones
- Learning to See: Value Stream Mapping to Create Value and Eliminate Muda, Mike Rother and John Shook
4. Apply
After you apply for the Lean Bronze Certification, you will receive an "Applicant Kit" which will include:
- Body of Knowledge
- Recommended Reading List
- Portfolio candidate portfolio instructions
- Bronze level portfolio forms
- Lena Proctor form and agreement
5. Attend a review course (Optional)
Review courses are not meant to be training, but a way to understand the exam, organize your reference material and refresh your memory. You must bring the recommended reading material to the course.
6. Take the exam
The open-book 170-question exam takes three hours. It is strongly recommended that you bring your recommended reading material to the exam. All exam questions are taken from those sources.
7. Receive the Knowledge Certificate
When you pass the exam, you receive a certificate (not a certification) that serves as a base for pursuit of the Lean Bronze, Silver and Gold Certifications. It is valid for three years and is not renewable.
8. Construct and submit your portfolio of experience
You must submit your portfolio and have it accepted within three years to achieve the Lean Bronze Certification.
It should document:
- Completion of education requirements.
- Events, projects and/or activities to which specific lean principles and tools were applied;
- Results of the events, projects and/or activities.
The portfolio also asks you to reflect upon each project and your portfolio as a whole. For portfolio forms and guidelines, see the “downloads” box on this page.
9. Work with a mentor (Optional)
Mentoring is an informal relationship between you and someone with more lean knowledge and experience, and seeking a mentor is strongly recommended. Suggestions: Look within your own company. There may be a mentoring program already in place, your manager or supervisor may be willing to take on the role, or there may be a lean leader or champion who can help you. If you are an effektivitet.dk member, contact us for possible mentor support.
10. Plan your next step
You may choose to pursue recertification or the Lean
Forside Lean Certification
Silver Level
Gold Level