Certified Lean Operations & Process Improvement Professional (CLOPIP)®

Module 1: Foundations of Lean Thinking and Customer Value

Module Purpose

Establish a practical understanding of Lean thinking and define a suitable improvement opportunity.

1.1 Lean Principles and Organizational Performance

• Customer value and organizational purpose.
• Value streams and process performance.
• Flow, pull, and continuous Improvement.
• Respect for people and employee participation.
• Connecting Lean practices with organizational objectives.
• Avoiding improvements that shift problems to another department.

1.2 Understanding Customer Requirements

• Internal and external customers.
• Gathering customer needs through feedback and observation.
• Translating expectations into measurable requirements.
• Distinguishing customer value from internal convenience.
• Balancing speed, quality, reliability, and necessary controls.

1.3 Defining an Improvement Opportunity

• Selecting a manageable process.
• Writing a clear problem statement.
• Establishing boundaries and exclusions.
• Identifying process owners and stakeholders.
• Defining objectives and success measures.
• Preparing a Lean improvement charter.

Practical Activity

Examine a delayed service request process and define its customers, value expectations, scope, and improvement objective.

Tools and Templates

Customer requirements worksheet, stakeholder register, project selection checklist, and improvement charter.

Module Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to explain Lean principles, identify customer requirements, and define a feasible improvement project.

Portfolio Deliverable

Lean improvement charter and customer requirements summary.

Module 2: Process Mapping and Value Stream Analysis

Module Purpose

Document how work moves and identify where time and resources are consumed.

2.1 Understanding the Current Process

• Defining the beginning and end of a process.
• Identifying suppliers, inputs, processes, outputs, and customers through SIPOC.
• Creating flowcharts and swimlane maps.
• Recording decisions, approvals, loops, and handoffs.
• Validating maps through observation and employee input.

2.2 Building a Current-State Value Stream Map

• Material and information flow.
• Processing time and total lead time.
• Waiting, queues, and accumulated work.
• Rework loops and repeated inspections.
• Collecting timing and workload information.
• Identifying gaps in available data.

2.3 Identifying Improvement Opportunities

• Recognizing disconnected activities.
• Identifying long waits between short processing steps.
• Examining handoff failures.
• Prioritizing areas for investigation.
• Developing an initial future-state concept.

Practical Activity

Map a purchase requisition process and compare active processing time with total elapsed time.

Tools and Templates

SIPOC, swimlane map, value stream map, observation sheet, and process timing worksheet.

Module Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to create a current-state map, interpret timing information, and identify improvement opportunities.

Portfolio Deliverable

Current-state process or value stream map with a timing summary.

Module 3: Waste Identification and Workplace Organization

Module Purpose

Recognize operational waste and create more organized physical and digital work environments.

3.1 Identifying the Eight Wastes

• Defects and rework.
• Overproduction.
• Waiting.
• Underused employee knowledge and skills.
• Unnecessary transportation.
• Excess inventory and accumulated work.
• Unnecessary motion.
• Overprocessing.

Participants examine waste in service, administrative, and production environments.

3.2 Applying 5S

• Sort: Remove unnecessary items and information.
• Set in Order: Arrange necessary resources for efficient use.
• Shine: Maintain a usable environment and identify abnormalities.
• Standardize: Establish consistent organization practices.
• Sustain: Maintain ownership and review routines.

Applications include workstations, shared drives, document libraries, email workflows, and storage areas.

3.3 Visual Management

• Making workflow status visible.
• Using labels, locations, and visual instructions.
• Developing visual task boards.
• Displaying standards and priorities.
• Identifying abnormal conditions.
• Avoiding information overload.

Practical Activity

Conduct a waste observation exercise and develop a 5S plan for a physical or digital workspace.

Tools and Templates

Waste observation checklist, 5S assessment, workplace organization plan, and visual management checklist.

Module Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to identify waste, apply 5S, and design appropriate visual controls.

Portfolio Deliverable

Waste register and 5S improvement plan.

Module 4: Flow, Capacity, and Workload Improvement

Module Purpose

Analyze delays and develop workflows that move work more consistently.

4.1 Understanding Flow and Queues

• Movement of work between activities.
• Processing time, waiting time, and lead time.
• Batch processing and its effects.
• Work in progress.
• Queue formation.
• Task switching and interrupted work.

4.2 Examining Capacity and Constraints

• Available capacity and incoming demand.
• Identifying bottlenecks.
• Distinguishing a persistent constraint from a temporarily busy activity.
• Workload distribution.
• Matching resources to process needs.
• Understanding demand-based pacing where appropriate.

4.3 Designing Better Flow

• Reducing unnecessary batch sizes.
• Simplifying handoffs.
• Introducing work-in-progress limits.
• Using pull signals and Kanban boards.
• Applying first-in, first-out rules where appropriate.
• Defining exceptions and priority handling.
• Evaluating effects across the complete process.

Practical Activity

Analyze a service backlog and compare workflow options using workload, capacity, and queue information.

Tools and Templates

Capacity worksheet, bottleneck analysis, queue observation sheet, and Kanban board.

Module Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to explain delays, identify constraints, and develop feasible workflow changes.

Portfolio Deliverable

Flow analysis and workload improvement plan.

Module 5: Root Cause Analysis and Structured Problem-Solving

Module Purpose

Investigate recurring problems and select corrective actions supported by evidence.

5.1 Defining the Problem

• Describing what happened, where, when, and how often.
• Distinguishing symptoms from underlying causes.
• Using records and direct observation.
• Segmenting information by relevant conditions.
• Avoiding blame and unsupported assumptions.

5.2 Applying Root Cause Tools

• Five Whys analysis.
• Fishbone diagrams.
• Pareto analysis.
• Developing possible explanations.
• Validating causes with evidence.
• Identifying additional data requirements.

5.3 Using A3 and PDCA

• Preparing a concise A3 problem-solving report.
• Connecting background, current condition, target, analysis, and countermeasures.
• Planning a change.
• Testing on a manageable scale.
• Reviewing results.
• Adapting actions based on learning.

Practical Activity

Investigate recurring order or application errors and prepare an A3 report with evidence-based countermeasures.

Tools and Templates

Five Whys worksheet, fishbone diagram, Pareto chart, A3 report, and PDCA log.

Module Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to investigate causes, evaluate evidence, and prepare a structured problem-solving report.

Portfolio Deliverable

A3 report and cause validation summary.

Module 6: Standard Work, Mistake-Proofing, and Process Redesign

Module Purpose

Translate improvement ideas into clear, consistent methods of working.

6.1 Developing Standard Work

• Documenting an agreed method.
• Identifying activity sequence and key quality points.
• Preparing SOPs, checklists, and job aids.
• Defining roles and handoffs.
• Establishing exception and escalation arrangements.
• Assigning document ownership and review dates.

6.2 Preventing Errors

• Mistake-proofing principles.
• Preventing errors at their source.
• Detecting errors before they move downstream.
• Required fields and validation rules.
• Physical guides and sequence controls.
• Understanding the limitations of warnings and reminders.
• Testing controls in practice.

6.3 Designing the Future State

• Combining findings from mapping, waste analysis, and root cause investigation.
• Removing unnecessary activities.
• Comparing improvement options.
• Preserving essential controls.
• Evaluating digital workflow opportunities.
• Defining expected benefits and implementation risks.

Practical Activity

Develop a future-state process, standard work document, and mistake-proofing solution for a recurring operational problem.

Tools and Templates

Future-state map, standard work template, SOP, mistake-proofing checklist, and option appraisal matrix.

Module Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to document standard work, design error-prevention measures, and justify a future-state process.

Portfolio Deliverable

Future-state map, standard work document, and mistake-proofing design.

Module 7: Kaizen Facilitation and Improvement Implementation

Module Purpose

Facilitate focused improvement activities and coordinate implementation.

7.1 Planning a Kaizen Activity

• Selecting an appropriate improvement scope.
• Defining objectives and expected outputs.
• Selecting participants.
• Preparing baseline information.
• Establishing an agenda and ground rules.
• Connecting focused events with ongoing Improvement.

7.2 Facilitating Team Participation

• Involving frontline employees.
• Encouraging observation and constructive discussion.
• Managing differing views.
• Evaluating ideas against evidence and objectives.
• Assigning actions and responsibilities.
• Communicating the practical effects of change.

7.3 Piloting and Implementing Improvements

• Defining pilot scope and duration.
• Establishing success criteria.
• Planning training and job aids.
• Monitoring implementation risks.
• Defining escalation and rollback conditions.
• Reviewing feedback before wider implementation.

Practical Activity

Prepare a Kaizen agenda and pilot plan for the selected process improvement.

Tools and Templates

Kaizen planning template, facilitation checklist, action register, responsibility matrix, and pilot plan.

Module Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to plan improvement activities, support effective participation, and coordinate a controlled pilot.

Portfolio Deliverable

Kaizen facilitation plan and implementation schedule.

Module 8: Lean Performance Measurement and Sustained Improvement

Module Purpose

Establish the controls and management practices needed to evaluate results and sustain Improvement.

8.1 Measuring Improvement

• Selecting measures linked to project objectives.
• Lead time, throughput, backlog, first-pass yield, and rework rate.
• Establishing operational definitions.
• Comparing baseline and post-change performance.
• Accounting for changes in workload or case complexity.
• Using simple trend charts.

8.2 Sustaining Lean Practices

• Assigning process ownership.
• Establishing visual review routines and team huddles.
• Reviewing standard work.
• Maintaining 5S practices.
• Developing control plans and response actions.
• Identifying performance deterioration.

8.3 Demonstrating Value and Continuing Improvement

• Distinguishing cash savings, avoided costs, and released capacity.
• Accounting for implementation effort.
• Separating expected benefits from measured results.
• Preparing an improvement report.
• Capturing lessons learned.
• Identifying further improvement opportunities.

Practical Activity

Present the Lean improvement portfolio and explain how performance will be monitored and maintained.

Tools and Templates

KPI dashboard, control plan, benefits register, review checklist, and final report template.

Module Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to evaluate results, establish monitoring arrangements, and communicate benefits responsibly.

Portfolio Deliverable

Performance dashboard, control plan, and final Lean improvement report.