Lean Bronze study plan
Lean Bronze · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Lean Fundamentals and Cultural Enablers
Define the five core Lean principles in your own words and map each to a concrete example from a workplace you know
Distinguish value-added from non-value-added activity using a written test you can apply consistently
Identify the seven classic wastes plus the commonly added eighth (unused talent) and write one example of each from personal experience
Explain how muda, mura, and muri differ and why leveling addresses all three
Your checkpoint
A one-page personal glossary covering the five principles, value-added test, and all eight wastes with a workplace example for each
Lean Fundamentals and Cultural Enablers
Describe the cultural enablers of a Lean transformation and rank them by perceived difficulty in your own organization
Explain the role of respect for people and how it interacts with continuous improvement
Outline how leadership behavior, gemba presence, and daily management connect to culture
Contrast a command-and-control response to a problem with a Lean coaching response
Your checkpoint
A two-page culture assessment of a real or hypothetical team, naming three enablers present, three missing, and one leadership behavior to change
Continuous Process Improvement
Differentiate the DMAIC and PDCA cycles and state when each fits
Apply the A3 problem-solving structure to a small, real problem and write the problem statement in measurable terms
Distinguish root cause analysis tools (5 Whys, fishbone, Pareto) and select the right one for two scenarios
Explain why countermeasures must be verified with data rather than assumed effective
Your checkpoint
A completed one-page A3 for a real or realistic problem, including problem statement, current state, root cause, countermeasure, and verification plan
Continuous Process Improvement & Lean Systems and Value Stream Management
Describe the purpose and mechanics of kaizen events versus daily incremental improvement
Explain standard work and why it is a baseline for improvement rather than a constraint on it
Define value stream and distinguish a current-state map from a future-state map
Identify the information and material flows captured on a value stream map
Your checkpoint
A hand-drawn current-state value stream map of a simple process with at least five steps, showing cycle times, wait times, and total lead time versus value-added time
Lean Systems and Value Stream Management
Compute takt time from available time and customer demand, and compare it to cycle time in a worked example
Explain the difference between push and pull and how kanban signals regulate flow
Calculate process cycle efficiency from a value stream map and interpret what the number implies
Identify bottlenecks and queue time as the dominant sources of lead time in a mapped process
Your checkpoint
A one-page analysis of your week 4 map with takt time, process cycle efficiency, and three prioritized improvement opportunities with expected lead-time impact
Consistent Lean Enterprise Culture
Explain how standardized work, visual management, and daily accountability sustain gains after an improvement event
Describe the components of a tiered daily management system and the escalation logic between levels
Outline a 30-60-90 day plan for making a new standard stick in a team
Explain how metrics and leader standard work reinforce a consistent Lean culture
Your checkpoint
A written sustainability plan for one improvement from week 5, covering new standard, visual control, audit cadence, owner, and escalation path
Consistent Lean Enterprise Culture & Lean Systems and Value Stream Management
Explain how value stream management links strategy to improvement priorities through a value stream plan
Describe how hoshin-style planning cascades goals and how progress is reviewed
Identify common failure modes in sustaining Lean, including improvement drift and metric gaming
Distinguish a Lean accounting view of improvement from a traditional cost-accounting view
Your checkpoint
A one-page value stream improvement plan tying three metrics to a stated business goal, with owners, review cadence, and a countermeasure for one failure mode
Lean Fundamentals and Cultural Enablers & Continuous Process Improvement & Consistent Lean Enterprise Culture & Lean Systems and Value Stream Management
Review all four domains using your own notes and close gaps flagged during earlier weeks
Write a 10-question self-test across the domains and answer it without notes
Re-explain the five principles, eight wastes, PDCA, and value stream mapping from memory in five minutes each
Identify your two weakest areas and produce a targeted one-page summary for each
Your checkpoint
A scored 10-question self-test with a written remediation page for every question missed or answered uncertainly
Milestones
Week 2: Can define all five Lean principles and all eight wastes from memory and give a workplace example of each without notes
Week 4: Can explain PDCA versus DMAIC, walk through an A3 from problem statement to verification, and read a value stream map for lead time and value-added time
Week 6: Can compute takt time and process cycle efficiency in a worked example and explain how standard work plus daily management sustains an improvement
Week 8: Scores at least 8 of 10 on the self-test with no domain below 70 percent, and has a written remediation page for every missed item