Certified Lean Management

The 8 Wastes of Lean

TIM WOODS — the framework at the heart of this course

Every professional environment has waste. This course teaches you to see it, name it, and eliminate it — across service, healthcare, finance, and beyond.

T

Transportation

Unnecessary movement of people, materials, or information

I

Inventory

Excess work-in-progress, stock, or data beyond immediate need

M

Motion

Unnecessary movement within a single process step

W

Waiting

Idle time caused by delays, approvals, or batch processing

O

Overprocessing

Doing more work than the customer actually requires

O

Overproduction

Producing more than needed, or sooner than needed

D

Defects

Errors, rework, and corrections that consume time and resources

S

Skills

Underutilising the talent, knowledge, and ideas of your team

5 Lean Principles

The roadmap from waste to value

1

Identify Value

Define what the customer values — eliminate everything else

2

Map the Value Stream

Visualise the full flow and find where waste hides

3

Create Flow

Remove bottlenecks so work moves without interruption

4

Establish Pull

Produce only what is needed, when it is needed

5

Seek Perfection

Pursue continuous improvement — there is always a next step

What you'll learn

Practical Lean skills for any professional environment

Apply the five basic Lean principles to any non-manufacturing process — service, healthcare, finance, software, or product engineering

Identify value-added vs. non-value-added activities in your own work processes — and systematically eliminate the difference

Recognise and eliminate all eight TIM WOODS wastes — with manufacturing and non-manufacturing examples for every waste type

Use the ACES framework (Automate, Consolidate, Eliminate, Simplify) to redesign and improve existing processes

Draw Flow Charts and Value Stream Maps using draw.io — visualise your process and find improvement opportunities

Conduct a structured Waste Walk — document and prioritise waste in your own workplace using the downloadable template

Understand how Lean and Six Sigma differ — and when each approach is right for a given improvement challenge

Apply Lean tools (5S, Kanban, Poka-Yoke, Kaizen) in non-manufacturing contexts — with practical guidance on where each fits

Course curriculum

5 sections · 31 lessons · 2h 35m

I

Introduction

8 lessons · 33 min

What Lean is — and what it is not
Origins of Lean in the Toyota Production System
The five basic Lean principles and how to apply them
Benefits of Lean: waste reduction, cycle time, employee morale
Lean vs. Six Sigma — choosing the right approach
How to earn your certificate, 2.5 PMI PDUs & 2.5 SHRM PDCs

II

Value Added vs. Non-Value Added Activities

3 lessons · 17 min

Defining value from the customer's perspective
Value-added vs. non-value-added vs. essential non-value-added
Using a 2×2 matrix and flowcharts to classify activities
Value as benefit minus cost — practical application

III

Identifying Waste — Waste Sensitization

12 lessons · 57 min

Muda, Mura, and Muri — the three categories of waste
All 8 TIM WOODS wastes with manufacturing and non-manufacturing examples
Waste Walk template — how to find and document waste in your workplace
Underutilisation of skills — the often-missed 8th waste

IV

Flow Diagrams

2 lessons · 13 min

Flow charts — symbols, decisions, swim-lane cross-functional diagrams
Value Stream Maps — separating material and information flows
Using draw.io to create professional process diagrams for free

V

Case Study and Conclusion

5 lessons · 35 min

ACES framework — Automate, Consolidate, Eliminate, Simplify
Healthcare case study — 5 swim-lane patient/doctor/lab process improvement
Applying automation, consolidation, and multi-skilling to reduce wait times
Overview of additional Lean tools: 5S, Kanban, Poka-Yoke, Kaizen

What's included

Everything you need to learn, apply, and earn

🎬

Video Lessons

31 focused video lessons covering every aspect of Lean Management — from waste identification through to process improvement tools and the healthcare case study.

📝

Multiple Quiz Sets

Section quizzes after each module to consolidate learning and test your understanding before moving on.

💡

Answer Explanations

Every quiz question comes with a detailed explanation — so you understand not just what is right, but why.

📋

Downloadable Slides & Templates

Downloadable slide PDFs for every section, plus a Waste Walk template and a swim-lane flow chart template from the case study.

🏆

Certificate + 2.5 PMI PDUs

Complete the optional Quality Gurus Inc. certification exam to earn your verified digital certificate, 2.5 pre-approved PMI PDUs, and 2.5 SHRM PDCs.

🤝

Student Community Access

Ask questions, discuss the case study, and connect with other Lean practitioners working across a wide range of industries and environments.

Who it's for

Lean management for professionals in any industry

Process improvement professionals

You work on improvement projects and want a structured, practical Lean toolkit you can apply immediately — in any sector, not just manufacturing.

Quality managers and quality professionals

You want to add Lean to your quality management skillset — TIM WOODS, Value Stream Maps, and the ACES framework to complement your existing tools.

Service industry, healthcare, and finance professionals

You work outside manufacturing and want to prove that Lean applies equally in your environment — with real examples from your sector throughout.

Managers seeking PMI PDUs or SHRM PDCs

The course carries 2.5 pre-approved PMI PDUs and 2.5 SHRM PDCs — a practical and efficient way to meet your recertification requirements.

Your instructor

Sandeep Kumar

Founder, Quality Gurus Inc. · ASQ Certified — CSSBB, CQE, CQA & more

40+ years of quality management experience

ASQ Certified — CSSBB, CSSGB, CQE, CQA & more

350,000+ students trained globally

PMI Authorized Training Partner · ATP #6034

Sandeep is an engineer and quality management expert with over four decades of hands-on experience implementing Lean and quality improvement across a wide range of industries. His approach is practical over theoretical — every concept in this course is explained with real examples from non-manufacturing environments.

The Certified Lean Management course reflects Sandeep's core belief: Lean is not a manufacturing tool. It is a thinking system that works in any environment where there are processes, customers, and waste to eliminate.

350K+

Total Students

★ 4.7

Course Rating

40+

Years Experience

Student reviews

What students are saying

★★★★★

"Excellent course for learning more about lean in a variety of professional settings."

M

Michael Macknight

Verified student

★★★★★

"This Course is technically rich and easy to understand. I liked the flashbacks during the course to the main terms and topics — you memorize the important points without paying any effort to memorize."

D

Donig Fermanian

Verified student

★★★★★

"Teaching through clear and concise breakdown of information that gets right to the heart of what you need to know to implement lean in any environment. Using a case study as an example that anyone can relate to, regardless of your current work environment."

A

Ashley Harvey

Verified student

Enroll today

Get the complete course for $10

Use code QG80 at checkout. Full access, certificate, and 2.5 PMI PDUs included.

Certified Lean Management

$10$49.99

80% off with code QG80

31 video lessons · 2h 35m of focused content
365 days of unlimited access
Downloadable slides and process templates
Quality Gurus Inc. verified certificate of completion
2.5 pre-approved PMI PDUs (ATP #6034)
2.5 SHRM PDCs · CPD Accredited (UK) — Accreditation #1016436
Student community access
All future course updates at no extra cost
Access on any device, anytime

Enroll Now — $10 with code QG80 →

One-time payment · 365 days access · Any device, anytime

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need manufacturing experience to take this course?

No — and that's the point. This course is specifically designed for professionals outside manufacturing: service, healthcare, finance, software, product engineering, and beyond. Every concept is explained with non-manufacturing examples, and the case study uses a healthcare patient process that applies to any environment.

How many PMI PDUs and SHRM PDCs does this course provide?

The course provides 2.5 pre-approved PMI PDUs and 2.5 SHRM PDCs, earned when you complete the optional Quality Gurus Inc. certification exam. Quality Gurus Inc. is a PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP #6034) and an official SHRM Recertification Partner. Instructions for claiming your PDUs and PDCs are included inside the course.

Is this course accredited?

Yes. This course is accredited by The CPD Group (UK) — Provider #784310, Accreditation #1016436 — and qualifies for 3.0 CPD hours. The Quality Gurus Inc. certification exam is also included at no extra cost, giving you a verified digital certificate and badge on completion.

What is the ACES framework?

ACES stands for Automate, Consolidate, Eliminate, and Simplify. It's a structured approach for reviewing and improving an existing process — deciding what to automate, what to consolidate into fewer steps, what to eliminate entirely, and what to simplify. The course covers ACES in detail and applies it in the healthcare case study.

What is a Waste Walk and is there a template?

A Waste Walk is a structured observation of a process, guided by the TIM WOODS framework, to identify and document waste on the spot. The course includes a downloadable Waste Walk template you can use directly in your own workplace.

What tools do I need? Do I need Excel or special software?

No paid software is required. The flow chart and Value Stream Map section of the course uses draw.io, which is completely free. The course also shows you how to build professional swim-lane diagrams from scratch using draw.io — step by step.

How long does it take to complete the course?

The course is 2 hours and 35 minutes of video content across 31 lessons. Most students complete it over 2–3 sessions. You have 365 days of access, so you can work through it at your own pace.

Certified Lean Management: The Basics and Beyond.

TIM WOODS — the framework at the heart of this course

The roadmap from waste to value

Practical Lean skills for any professional environment

5 sections · 31 lessons · 2h 35m

Introduction

Value Added vs. Non-Value Added Activities

Identifying Waste — Waste Sensitization

Flow Diagrams

Case Study and Conclusion

Everything you need to learn, apply, and earn

Video Lessons

Multiple Quiz Sets

Answer Explanations

Downloadable Slides & Templates

Certificate + 2.5 PMI PDUs

Student Community Access

Lean management for professionals in any industry

Process improvement professionals

Quality managers and quality professionals

Service industry, healthcare, and finance professionals

Managers seeking PMI PDUs or SHRM PDCs

Sandeep Kumar

What students are saying

Get the complete course for $10

Common questions

Lean Management starts here.

Course Curriculum

1. Introduction

2. Value-Added vs. Non-Value-Added Activities

3. Identifying Waste

4. Flow Diagrams

5. Case Study and Conclusion

Course Slides