Lean Silver Certification study plan

Define and correctly distinguish the five Lean principles (value, value stream, flow, pull, perfection) using your own words and one workplace example each

Classify the eight wastes (TIMWOODS) and identify at least three examples of each from a process you personally know

Explain how takt time, cycle time, and lead time differ, and compute each from a small numeric scenario

Contrast push versus pull systems and describe how a kanban signal authorizes replenishment

Map the seven value-stream mapping steps from product-family selection through future-state design

Distinguish current-state from future-state maps and list the data boxes required for each process step (cycle time, changeover, uptime, yield, batch size)

Calculate value-added ratio, process cycle efficiency, and total lead time from a simple ten-step map you construct

Identify the three flow enablers (takt, continuous flow, supermarket pull) and decide where each applies on your map

Construct a future-state map from your current-state map, marking kaizen bursts for each gap

Apply the eight value-stream mapping questions (takt, finished-goods strategy, flow, supermarket pulls, pacemaker, leveling, increment, improvements) in sequence

Draft a value-stream plan with owner, target date, and measurable outcome for each kaizen burst

Explain how to select a product family using a product-process matrix or routing analysis

Apply the PDCA cycle to a real problem, writing each phase's inputs and outputs explicitly

Complete a structured root-cause analysis using 5 Whys and a fishbone diagram, and verify the root cause with data rather than opinion

Distinguish containment, correction, and corrective action, and explain why containment precedes root-cause work

Define a SMART problem statement and countermeasure with a measurable target condition

Compare kaizen, kaizen blitz, and daily incremental improvement events by scope, duration, and facilitation needs

Explain standard work as the baseline for improvement, including takt, work sequence, and standard in-process stock

Describe gemba walks and list the observation behaviors that separate coaching from auditing

Explain how leader standard work and visual management sustain gains after an improvement event

Articulate how respect for people and continuous improvement reinforce each other, with concrete leader behaviors for each

Design a leader standard work template covering daily, weekly, and monthly routines at one leadership level

Explain the role of a daily management tiered huddle structure and what escalates between tiers

Identify the cultural failure modes that cause Lean transformations to stall (tool-focused deployment, absent sponsorship, fear of surfacing problems)

Sequence a Lean deployment using value-stream selection, pilot scope, and rollout logic, and justify the order

Explain the role of the Lean promotion office, line ownership, and the transition from consultants to internal capability

Define leading and lagging deployment metrics and build a balanced scorecard for a pilot value stream

Describe how 5S, visual management, and standard work are sequenced relative to flow and pull implementation

Reconstruct each domain's core frameworks from memory using blank-page recall, then correct gaps against your notes

Complete timed practice sets weighted by domain percentage and review every missed item to root cause

Explain the difference between tools and thinking in at least three exam-style scenarios to avoid superficial answers

Rehearse the most commonly confused pairs: lead time vs cycle time, push vs pull, correction vs corrective action, leading vs lagging metrics