Waterford Institute of Technology

Description
The Master of Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence is an executive education programme providing participants with knowledge, know-how, know-why, and skills in lean enterprise excellence so they can add value as recognised lean leaders and continuous improvement champions in organisations.

This Lean Black Belt standard was co-designed in collaboration with leading lean practice organisations from across services, manufacturing, healthcare, and construction sectors. A graduate of this programme will be considered a Black Belt in Lean. The School of Business, WIT, equates the concept of Black Belt to Level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Ireland. Graduates will receive a letter from WIT's School of Business stating that their capability equates to Black Belt in Lean standard upon completion of the associated project modules/assignments to the required level.

This programme is distinctive in enabling participants attain in-depth understanding of wider organisational contexts, cross-sectoral applications, manufacturing and service orientations, and the critical but hugely challenging 'soft' elements. Thus participants examine lean philosophy and thinking; lean leadership; lean strategy deployment and hoshin kanri; systems thinking, the learning organisation, and knowledge management; organisational culture and employee engagement; and change management and lean transformation.

The programme provides a balanced approach between the academic and the practical, and includes extensive industry collaboration via live-laboratory projects; site visits; guest speakers; and contributors to ongoing events. There is extensive and deep peer learning amongst and between participants from diverse services and manufacturing sectors, and from public and private organisations at various stages of their respective lean journeys. Via various academic paper assignments and the research dissertation project, the programme advances participants' research and writing skills, as well as their knowledge-base on contemporary lean thinking, management, and exemplary practices.

Graduates have gone on to advance themselves to key positions as site Lean/Continuous Improvement/Operational Excellence Leaders/Champions; many have been headhunted by other organisations; and some have become Lean Consultants/Trainers.

Exit award: Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence

There is a programme exit mechanism available after the first year of the programme for those who do not wish to complete the full Masters. In such a case a student would exit with a Level 9, 60 Credit, Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence. The request to exit needs to be made in January of Year 1.)

Overview
The programme reflects on foundational learning from scientific management, quality management, world-class manufacturing, change management, the Toyota Production System (TPS) and The Toyota Way; and we are distinctively aligned to the Shingo Model/Approach wherein we examine and synthesise the principles, systems, and culture and behaviours integral to lean enterprise and operational excellence.

Programme participants examine the "hard" elements, including lean tools and techniques like Process Mapping and Value Stream Mapping, A3 Problem-Solving, 5S, and so on; plus Black Belt level six sigma business analytics; as well as completion of live-laboratory continuous improvement projects.

In addition, our Lean Masters is distinctive in enabling participants attain in-depth understanding of wider organisational contexts, cross-sectoral applications, manufacturing and service orientations, and the critical but hugely challenging "Soft" elements. Thus participants examine lean philosophy and thinking; lean leadership; lean strategy deployment and hoshin kanri; systems thinking, the learning organisation and knowledge management; organisational culture, employee engagement, change management, and lean transformation.

Our programme provides a balanced approach between the academic and the practical, and includes extensive industry collaboration via live-laboratory assignment projects; site visits; guest speakers and contributors to ongoing events.

This practical and applied industry-academia engagement comes in several forms:
1.via the employer-based Continuous Improvement Project (CIP) wherein participants individually develop and deliver on an agreed CI project, integrating and applying their learning from throughout year 1 of the programme;

2.via a group-based live-laboratory assignment wherein participants work in groups to examine a real-world and live problem within a partner company and apply a lean mind-set, plus appropriate lean tools and techniques, to analyse and understand the situation and problem, and to present countermeasures and recommendations to improve processes, reduce waste, and bring real gains to the partner company; and

3.guest speakers and contributors to optional events like the Annual Lean Practitioner Seminar Series and the Annual Lean Enterprise Excellence Forum.

The second year of the programme involves students undertaking a single module in Research Methods & Techniques during the first semester. Students then undertake self-directed work and independent learning on their chosen research projects, supported by their assigned Supervisor who guides them through the research and write-up processes. Students deliver a major Dissertation as the capstone output of the second year. As part of this process, the Annual WIT Lean Research Symposium provides participants with an opportunity to present their research in a scholastic and collegial environment, and receive feedback from their peers and faculty.

Materials
Participants will have full access to WIT's online resources, including Moodle, WIT's virtual learning environment (VLE), as well as academic databases and other online library facilities. Recommended books and other readings will be provided by each Lecturer for their respective modules.

Completion
Upon successful completion of all 90 Credits, a student will be conferred with the qualification of 'Master of Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence' from Waterford Institute of Technology.

Community of Learning & Practice
Programme participants and alumni are part of a regional, national, and global community of learning and practice in Lean
•www.wit.ie/lean
•www.leanbusinessireland.ie
•www.leanconstructionireland.ie

Key WIT events include the Annual WIT Lean Practitioner Seminar Series, and the Annual WIT Lean Enterprise Excellence Forum (www.witleanforum.com).