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SixSigma IASSC
The IASSC Certified Lean Expert (ICLE) program teaches enterprise‑wide Lean strategy, advanced process systems, quality, TPM, risk, and sustainable management, preparing professionals to design and lead high‑impact Lean initiatives.
180
Minutes
110
Questions
70/100
Passing Score
$350
Exam Cost
Who Should Take This
Mid‑level managers, process engineers, quality professionals, and continuous‑improvement leaders who have practical Lean experience and aim to master enterprise‑scale implementation will benefit. The certification validates expertise across 38 topics, enabling them to influence strategy, drive operational excellence, and advance their careers in Lean‑focused organizations.
What's Covered
1
Enterprise Lean Strategy
2
Advanced Lean Process Systems
3
Advanced Quality, TPM, and Risk
4
Advanced Lean Management and Sustainment
What's Included in AccelaStudy® AI
Adaptive Knowledge Graph
Practice Questions
Lesson Modules
Console Simulator Labs
Exam Tips & Strategy
20 Activity Formats
Course Outline
60 learning goals
1
Enterprise Lean Strategy
2 topics
Hoshin Kanri and Strategic Deployment
- Design Hoshin Kanri (policy deployment) frameworks that cascade organizational strategic objectives into actionable improvement targets at every level of the organization.
- Apply catchball methodology within Hoshin Kanri to negotiate and align improvement targets between management levels through structured dialogue and consensus building.
- Design Hoshin review cadences and visual tracking systems that monitor strategic deployment progress and enable rapid course correction when targets are at risk.
- Analyze the alignment between strategic objectives, improvement projects, and KPIs to identify gaps in strategic deployment coverage and recommend corrective alignment actions.
- Design X-matrix (Hoshin matrix) documents that visually link strategic objectives, annual targets, improvement priorities, and responsible owners on a single integrated display.
- Apply A3 thinking methodology to structure problem-solving and strategy deployment on a single-page format that promotes clear communication and systematic reasoning.
- Analyze Hoshin deployment effectiveness by evaluating target achievement rates, catchball quality, and the degree of vertical and horizontal alignment across the organization.
Change Management and Organizational Transformation
- Design change management plans for Lean transformations that address cultural resistance, build leadership commitment, and sustain behavioral change across the organization.
- Apply change management models (Kotter's 8 Steps, ADKAR) to plan and execute organizational transitions from traditional to Lean operating systems.
- Analyze organizational change readiness by assessing leadership commitment, cultural alignment, resource availability, and historical change adoption patterns.
- Apply advanced stakeholder management techniques to map influence networks, develop targeted communication strategies, and build coalition support for Lean initiatives.
- Design communication plans for Lean transformation that address different audience needs, information channels, and message timing throughout the change lifecycle.
- Analyze resistance to Lean transformation by categorizing resistance sources (cognitive, emotional, behavioral), assessing their intensity, and designing targeted intervention strategies.
- Design Lean coaching and mentoring programs that develop internal Lean capability at all organizational levels to sustain transformation momentum beyond initial consulting engagement.
2
Advanced Lean Process Systems
2 topics
Advanced Production and Flow Systems
- Design advanced JIT production systems integrating Kanban, Heijunka, and continuous flow principles to achieve demand-driven, low-inventory manufacturing operations.
- Design advanced Kanban systems with multi-loop configurations, electronic kanban signals, and dynamic quantity adjustment mechanisms for complex supply chain environments.
- Apply advanced SMED techniques including parallel operations, functional clamping, and intermediate jigs to achieve single-minute changeover targets for complex equipment.
- Apply advanced Heijunka scheduling with mixed-model sequencing algorithms that balance production variety, minimize changeover losses, and maintain smooth material flow.
- Design advanced layout plans that optimize material handling, minimize transportation waste, and support cellular manufacturing with U-shaped or L-shaped cell configurations.
- Analyze the interactions between takt time, cycle time, and changeover time to balance production systems and identify capacity improvement priorities.
- Design pull-based material replenishment systems that integrate Kanban signals with supplier delivery schedules to minimize raw material inventory while preventing stockout disruptions.
- Analyze SMED implementation results to evaluate changeover time reductions, assess the impact on batch size flexibility, and identify remaining internal setup elements for further conversion.
- Apply line balancing techniques to redistribute work elements across workstations, minimize wait time, and achieve production rates aligned with customer takt time requirements.
Advanced Value Stream Management
- Design enterprise-level value stream maps that span multiple facilities, supply chain tiers, and functional boundaries to identify system-level improvement opportunities.
- Apply advanced value stream metrics including value-added ratio, process cycle efficiency, and throughput time to quantify improvement potential and prioritize interventions.
- Analyze multi-product value streams to identify shared resources, competing priorities, and bottleneck interactions that require coordinated improvement strategies.
- Design future-state value stream maps that integrate flow improvements, pull systems, and leveling mechanisms into a cohesive vision with phased implementation roadmaps.
- Apply value stream management governance practices including regular value stream reviews, performance metric tracking, and cross-functional coordination to sustain improvements.
- Analyze supply chain value streams to identify inter-organizational waste, information flow bottlenecks, and collaborative improvement opportunities with suppliers and customers.
3
Advanced Quality, TPM, and Risk
2 topics
TPM and Equipment Effectiveness
- Design Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) programs that engage operators in proactive equipment maintenance to maximize equipment reliability and minimize unplanned downtime.
- Identify and analyze the Six Big Losses (breakdowns, setup/adjustment, minor stops, reduced speed, startup rejects, production rejects) to prioritize equipment improvement efforts.
- Apply OEE analysis to decompose equipment losses into availability, performance, and quality components and identify the dominant loss category for targeted improvement.
- Design autonomous maintenance programs that train operators to perform daily equipment checks, cleaning, lubrication, and minor adjustments to prevent equipment deterioration.
- Analyze OEE trends over time to evaluate TPM program effectiveness and identify persistent equipment losses requiring engineering or capital investment solutions.
- Design planned maintenance programs that establish maintenance schedules based on equipment criticality, failure history, and manufacturer recommendations to complement autonomous maintenance.
- Apply TPM pillar implementation methodology to deploy the eight TPM pillars (autonomous maintenance, planned maintenance, quality maintenance, focused improvement, early equipment management, training, safety, and office TPM).
- Analyze equipment loss data to create Pareto charts of the Six Big Losses and develop focused improvement plans targeting the dominant loss categories.
Advanced Quality and Risk Analysis
- Design comprehensive Jidoka systems that integrate automatic defect detection, process stopping, Andon alerting, and root cause investigation into production line design.
- Apply advanced FMEA techniques including process FMEA, design FMEA, and system FMEA to comprehensively assess risks across product and process lifecycles.
- Design advanced poka-yoke systems that combine contact, fixed-value, and motion-step methods to create multi-layered error prevention for complex assembly processes.
- Analyze complex root cause scenarios using structured methodologies to identify systemic causes that span multiple processes, departments, or organizational levels.
- Design integrated quality management systems that combine Jidoka, poka-yoke, and statistical process monitoring to achieve near-zero defect production performance.
- Analyze FMEA risk priority trends across product and process lifecycles to evaluate risk mitigation effectiveness and identify emerging failure modes requiring proactive intervention.
- Apply advanced root cause analysis techniques including fault tree analysis and barrier analysis to investigate complex, multi-causal failure scenarios across system boundaries.
4
Advanced Lean Management and Sustainment
2 topics
Advanced Standardization and Kaizen
- Design enterprise-wide standardized work systems that maintain consistency across multiple facilities while allowing for local adaptation and continuous improvement.
- Design and facilitate advanced Kaizen task-force workshops (Blitz/Event format) for complex, cross-functional improvement challenges requiring rapid 3-5 day execution.
- Apply advanced visual management systems including digital displays, real-time performance dashboards, and integrated control rooms for enterprise-wide process visibility.
- Analyze Kaizen event portfolios to identify patterns in improvement outcomes, evaluate team effectiveness, and optimize future event planning and team composition.
- Design Kaizen newspaper tracking systems that document improvement actions, responsible parties, deadlines, and completion status to ensure post-event follow-through.
- Apply Lean leader standard work practices to create daily, weekly, and monthly management routines that reinforce Lean behaviors and maintain operational discipline.
- Analyze standardized work compliance data to identify deviation patterns, evaluate training effectiveness, and recommend process redesign where compliance rates are persistently low.
Sustainment and Integration
- Design advanced sustainment systems with layered audit processes, leader standard work, and escalation frameworks that maintain Lean improvements at scale.
- Apply DMAIC methodology to integrate data-driven analysis with Lean process improvement for complex problems requiring both waste elimination and variation reduction.
- Apply advanced PDCA cycles with nested Plan-Do-Check-Act loops at strategic, tactical, and operational levels for multi-level continuous improvement governance.
- Design short interval control and active supervision protocols that standardize management rituals across shifts and departments for consistent performance monitoring.
- Analyze Lean maturity across an organization by evaluating tool adoption, cultural indicators, performance trends, and sustainment effectiveness to identify transformation gaps.
- Design Lean transformation roadmaps that sequence improvement initiatives, balance quick wins with strategic projects, and build organizational capability progressively.
- Design Lean accounting metrics that replace traditional cost accounting measures with value-stream-based financial reporting that accurately reflects Lean improvement benefits.
- Apply benchmarking practices to compare organizational Lean maturity against industry leaders and identify specific capability gaps requiring targeted development.
- Analyze DMAIC project portfolios to evaluate overall program effectiveness, identify common root cause patterns across projects, and recommend systemic improvements.
Scope
Included Topics
- All 38 subject matter topics in the IASSC Certified Lean Expert Body of Knowledge at the advanced level, including all topics from Lean Practitioner and Lean Leader plus advanced topics.
- Advanced Lean foundations: all practitioner and leader topics plus Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Six Big Losses (breakdowns, setup losses, minor stops, speed losses, startup rejects, production rejects), Hoshin Kanri (policy deployment), and change management.
- Advanced process optimization: all flow and production tools plus advanced layout planning, advanced SMED implementation, advanced Heijunka scheduling, and advanced Kanban system design.
- Advanced quality and risk: all quality topics plus comprehensive OEE analysis, advanced FMEA applications, advanced root cause analysis, and Kaizen task-force workshop facilitation.
- Advanced management: advanced standardized work, advanced sustainment systems, Hoshin Kanri strategic deployment, change management for Lean transformation, advanced stakeholder management, and DMAIC integration.
Not Covered
- Six Sigma statistical methods beyond basic DMAIC understanding, including hypothesis testing, regression analysis, DOE, and advanced SPC.
- Enterprise-wide Six Sigma deployment, balanced scorecard design, and advanced financial analysis covered in Master Black Belt certification.
- Software-specific Lean tool implementation.
Official Exam Page
Learn more at International Association for Six Sigma Certification
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