Lean Thinking Course

Lean Product Development

Optimize your innovative potential with Lean product development.

Sep 17-19, 2025
$1,800
Register

Location:

Ann Arbor, MI

Schedule:

8:30am-4:30pm ET
May 12, 14 & 16, Jun 02, 04 & 06, 2025
$1,200
Register

Location:

Synchronous over Zoom

Schedule:

9:00am-12:30pm ET

Course Summary

Learning Objectives

Course Overview

Credentials

Instructional Team

Course Summary

Go Blue Discounts
Instruction Time Completion Time CEUs
In-Person 2 days Canvas access ends after 30 days 2.75
Remote-Live 6 four-hour sessions Canvas access ends after 30 days 2.75

Learn essential strategies and key tools that will decrease time-to-market, reduce waste, enhance product quality, and fully integrate new product designs into a Lean production environment. Leave prepared to bring your best ideas to market as effectively and quickly as possible.

Learning Objectives

  • Learn about the Lean product development process and the tools of the Toyota Development System
  • Apply value stream mapping techniques to product and process development
  • Create an implementation plan for your organization
  • Develop systematic error proofing processes
  • Acquire tools for effectively launching your new product or process
  • Consider the roles of organizational culture and the challenges of leading Lean change

Course Overview

LAPTOP REQUIRED FOR IN-PERSON OFFERINGS

  • Impact and benefits of Lean PD
  • Overview of Lean PD principles
  • Lean Product Development simulation – Round #1 (traditional PD)
    • Problems with traditional product development
    • Illustration of typical wastes
    • Tracking metrics associated with traditional wastes
  • Processes
    • Driving flow in product development: insights from queuing theory
    • Kentou phase
    • Decision flow mapping
    • Learning cycles
  • Set-based concurrent engineering
  • Intro to people systems
    • Balance functional expertise with cross-functional integration
    • Develop towering technical competence in all engineers
    • Chief Engineer system – abridged version; focus on concept paper/VOC
    • Supplier partnerships
  • Tools for organizational learning and continuous improvement
    • Overview of learning tools and techniques
    • Reflection
    • Checklists and matrices
  • Tools for communication and alignment
    • Hoshin management overview
    • A3 reports overview – 4 types
    • Nemawashi
    • Obeya
  • Differences between manufacturing and product development value streams
  • VSM icons for product development
  • Current state map building blocks
  • Build a current state map
  • Identifying waste in the current state map
  • Build future state map
  • Implementation
  • Applying A3 thinking and problem solving to real-life challenges you are facing at work
    • Define the problem – elements of a good problem statement
    • Setting clear goals
    • Root cause analysis – overview of techniques
    • Countermeasures – short and long term
    • Implementation plan
    • Follow up – the critical “check” and “act/adjust” phase of PDCA
  • Case study & applications
    • Case studies of applying Lean PD techniques
    • Lean PD implementation approaches & lessons learned
  • Summary of Lean PD principles
  • Cultural characteristics of Lean PD
  • Simulation Round #2 (Lean)
    • Apply Lean principles from class to the simulation
    • Illustrate the impacts on a PD system
  • Implementation approaches to drive Lean principles in your organization
    • How to get started
    • Lessons learned – what works and does not
    • Implementation examples from selected companies
  • Getting started – A3 proposal for your first steps on the Lean PD journey

Who Should Attend

This course is intended to benefit professionals involved in:

  • Product planning
  • Product design and development
  • Process development
  • Product and process validation
  • Manufacturing or product launch

Credentials

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Digital Certificate

Certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of this course.

Instructional Team

John Drogosz, PhD

  • Lean Specialist and Instructor, Michigan Engineering Professional Education
  • Vice President, Optiprise Inc.

What's next?

Design & Innovation
Course

Organizational Design

Leadership
Course

Transformative Leadership

Get Started

For more information or answers to any questions please email [email protected] or fill out the form.

Main Office:
2401 Plymouth Road, Suite A/B
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 647-7200
[email protected]

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