September 2006

It’s Not Just What You Know About Lean, But How You Apply That Knowledge

By Mark C. Tomlinson

Talk with any manufacturing engineer about what’s hot these days, and the word “lean” is likely to pop up immediately. You’ll hear how building lean principles into manufacturing processes is today’s new norm. The mantra is that to be a lean and agile manufacturer, you need to continuously improve your processes to reduce waste. This will result in increased productivity and quality, which in turn grows your company’s bottom line. So becoming a guru in all things lean can definitely boost your standing with the boss. But here’s something pivotal to keep in mind as you read about lean, or participate in formal lean training: lean success does not come just from what you know. Rather, it’s what you do with that knowledge that is of value to you and your employer. A unique way to validate the knowledge you’re gaining, and demonstrate how effectively you are incorporating it into real world applications is through a new Lean Certification developed by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) in partnership with the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) and the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing.

Many valuable training programs exist and proprietary software is available for engineers to learn about lean principles. What has proved frustrating for leaders across manufacturing industries, including aerospace and defense, automotive, and medical, is that these lean training programs function independently, leaving organizations uncertain how to align the learning tools, and how to assess just what their workforces have absorbed and know how to apply to their specific jobs. These industry leaders called on SME to collaborate with AME and the Shingo Prize to help them develop a new third-party, neutral lean certification.

The SME/AME/Shingo Lean Certification features three levels of credentials, and is unique in that it combines exams, portfolios and mentoring to assess candidates’ skills and knowledge at the tactical, integrative and strategic levels. At each level of the certification, candidates are required to prepare a detailed portfolio outlining their experience in implementing lean. Specifically, Bronze-level candidates need to demonstrate they are working with a mentor, and at the Silver and Gold levels, candidates are also required to seek out and mentor other professionals, proving their ability to help others advance their lean knowledge and skills.

"The portfolio and mentoring components are unique because they integrate the candidate's experience into the process," according to Jeff Sipes, an independent lean consultant. "While the test will help determine what the candidate knows, the portfolio and mentoring requirements determine what the candidate is doing.”

The new Lean Certification was built by cross-industry volunteers, with tremendous support from manufacturing companies such as The Boeing Company, Caterpillar, Daimler Chrysler, General Motors, Steelcase, AutoZone, Parker Hannifin, leading universities, and many others. The volunteers who pooled their talents to develop the Lean Certification body of knowledge, write exam questions, and create the portfolio requirements all have a vested interest, for the benchmarks established through this certification are the new lean standard to which they’re holding themselves accountable.

Rich Eaton, director of Supply Chain Planning for CARDONE Industries, who helped develop the mentoring component of the program, explained to SME that what makes the approach unique is that, “Instead of making it the responsibility of the protégé to locate a mentor, we structured this so that the mentor has to locate and mentor someone. The onus is on the mentor to initiate the relationship and support his or her protégé in order to become certified.”

Not only does the mentoring requirement prove that a certification candidate truly knows his or her stuff, it also benefits the organization that receives the mentoring from an outside source.

"A mentoring relationship within your own company can potentially be influenced by existing personalities or organizational reporting structures," said Bill Decker, lean development manager, Ford Motor Company. "But the lean certification's mentoring process provides objective, outside professionals whose main interests are to develop other lean leaders in manufacturing industries and improve their own mentoring and lean coaching skills."

Emerging as the new industry standard, and a preferred credential in job postings, Lean Certification is being built into workforce development initiatives at companies large and small.

Debra Englund, of The Boeing Company, reported that what she finds most appealing about the Lean Certification is how it ties together an individual’s skills, the certification’s body of knowledge, and the Shingo Prize. “My employer recognizes the Shingo Prize criteria as the industry standard, so this fits in with our existing tools. I’m personally going to sponsor the Lean Certification here with the team on the 737 program, which I oversee. My whole team is going to go through this program.”

Lean challenges engineers as a way of thinking. It reaches beyond a single engineering strategy or a change in one process. It’s about continuous improvement, experimenting with what works and what works better. It comes over time and is achieved through depth of experience. If you want to demonstrate to yourself and your employer what you can actually do with lean — and challenge yourself to reach beyond, to the next level — look into certification.

To learn more about Lean Certification, visit www.sme.org/leancert.

Mark C. Tomlinson, CEM,CMfgT, is SME's executive director and general manager. Previously, he served as vice president, Lamb Technicon Machining. Through his long manufacturing career, Tomlinson has lived and traveled internationally, making him familiar with manufacturing processes around the globe. If you’d like to contact him about SME’s activities and how they can help your organization, send an e-mail to leadership@sme.org or call +1 800 733 4763.

SME—which celebrates its 75th anniversary next year—is Where Manufacturing Comes Together. Learn how at www.sme.org.

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