The Science of Lean Operations

• High-level manufacturing or service managers who shape an organization’s operations
• Managers who want to improve existing operational systems
• Consultants and engineers who must justify the cost of improvement projects
• Production-control specialists
• Federal Government managers with oversight of institutional or organizational processes

• Past Participant Profile

• Link day-to-day operations with business strategies
• Customize policies according to your systems’ natural tendencies
• Analyze process flows to target improvement efforts
• Identify strategies for increasing throughput, shortening flow time, reducing variability and improving quality

The Strategic Role of Operations

• Strategic operations framework
• The Business Process Flows Framework
• Defining improvement
• Analyzing process flows: basic operational measures

The Toyota Production System

• Diagnosing common problems
• Making improvements

Science of Lean and Six Sigma

• Improvement strategies, including lean, Six Sigma, kaizen and TQM
• Translating strategy into policy

Basic Process Dynamics

• WIP, flow time, throughput relationships
• Little’s Law
• Internal benchmarking
• Analyzing bottlenecks

The Corrupting Influence of Variability

• Mechanics of congestion
• Batching effects
• Buffering with WIP, capacity and service
• Diagnostics

Push and Pull Production

• The “magic” of pull
• Kanban

Combined Program Option: Operations Management Week

This combination of programs offers you an executive-level overview of the innovative approach to operations management taught in the acclaimed Kellogg MBA Program. Take both programs — The Science of Lean Operations plus Supply Chain Management — consecutively as part of Operations Management Week and qualify for a discounted fee.

Jan A. Van Mieghem - Academic Director; Harold L. Stuart Professor of Managerial Economics; Professor of Operations

Continuing Education Credit
This program is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy and is recommended for 36.50 CPE credits.

Continuing Professional Education Information
The Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

All Kellogg programs that qualify for CPE credits do not have pre-requisites. Advanced readings and case preparation is required. A packet of course materials is emailed to all participants before the program begins.

All Kellogg programs are group-live or internet-based. Program level: Advanced. For more information regarding administrative policies such as complaints and refunds, please contact our office at 847-467-7000.

“Eye openers to the potential opportunities to improve the company's bottom line in the services industry. Since I am in the consulting services industry, [this program] gave me ideas that I look forward to trying out in my company.”
Associate Partner - Aon Mergers & Acquisitions, Hewitt Associates LLC

“In a concentrated but deliberate fashion, this [program] provided a thoughtful perspective on understanding variability in a variety of processes - manufacturing, services, non-profit, and how to qualitatively and quantitatively dissect them to provide a framework for continuous evaluation and improvement.”
Medicine, Cleveland Clinic

“Every operations specialist should have the skills from this [program] in their toolbox. The knowledge…is relevant, insightful, and immediately applicable in almost any operational setting.”
Executive Director Operations, Falken Tire