Build
a Lean-Capable
Workforce

Without relying on Lean specialists or expert facilitation

The future of in-person experiential lean training IS HERE!
  • Scalable
  • Digitally Enhanced
  • Consistently Successful
  • Run by Anyone

Scale A Lean Mindset with

Most organisations understand the importance of Lean. Many have invested heavily in Lean training, Lean tools and Lean transformation programmes. Yet, creating a workforce that embraces continuous improvement remains one of the most difficult challenges in operational excellence.

OPTiMiZE! combines the engagement of hands-on experiential learning with the consistency and scalability of a digital platform, enabling organisations to introduce Lean thinking to hundreds or even thousands of employees. The experience is practical, memorable and repeatable.

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Lean Success Starts with People, Not Tools

Most Lean transformations do not fail because people have never heard of Lean tools such as 5S, Standard Work, 5 Whys, Poke Yoke and A3 Problem Solving.

They fail because those concepts never become embedded in everyday thinking.

Lean succeeds when employees identify waste, solve problems and look for better ways of working and participate in improvement.

Those behaviours cannot be created through awareness alone.

Behaviour changes only when people directly experience Lean. That is the gap OPTiMiZE! is designed to address.

The Problem is not Implementing Lean

- it's Sustaining it!

Lean has become a fundamental operating philosophy for organisations around the world.

Most organisation know what Lean is. Most have introduced Lean tools. Many have launched improvement programmes. Yet relatively few succeed in creating a workforce that consistently thinks, acts and improves the way Lean intends

The challenge is creating the mindset and behaviours that allow Lean to become part of everyday work.

88%

Of senior operational leaders we surveyed say they have taken steps to introduce Lean.

18%

Of senior operational leaders we surveyed say Lean is deeply embedded in the DNA of their organisation.

Why Experiential Learning?

Experiential learning is uniquely effective because it allows employees to experience Lean in action, rather than simply learning about it. By seeing waste, feeling the impact of poor processes, collaborating to solve problems and experiencing the results of improvement first-hand, employees gain the powerful "aha" moments that drive lasting behavioural change.

Compared with classroom training or e-learning, simulation-based learning has been shown to create higher engagement, deeper understanding, stronger knowledge retention and better transfer of learning into day-to-day work. It helps teams develop a shared language, greater confidence in improvement, and the mindset needed to embrace continuous improvement across the organisation.

OPTiMiZE! doesn't just teach Lean principles.

It helps people think and act Lean.

By combining proven experiential learning techniques with scalable digital delivery, it enables organisations to build a Lean mindset across the workforce, not just within specialist teams.

Lean Success Requires More Than Tools

Organisations that sustain Lean over time typically develop three capabilities.

Leadership

Leaders who model Lean behaviours and reinforce continuous improvement.

Tools and
Management Systems

Structured systems like Daily Management that support coaching, problem solving and accountability.

Workforce Engagement

Employees who understand Lean, believe in its value and actively participate in improving work.

Most Lean investments focus heavily on leadership and management systems. Far fewer organisations have an effective way to engage the wider workforce at scale.

was designed to address the workforce engagement challenge

Why Existing Training Falls Short

Organisations face an uncomfortable choice:

traditional e-learning

Participants complete the modules, but few change how they think.

Scalable
Inexpensive
Easy to Deploy
Unrelatable
Limited Engagement
Low Impact

traditional lean simulations

Participants engage with the experience, but it's only available to a few.

Engaging
Memorable
Good Learning Outcomes
Expensive
Lack Scalability
Lean Expert Dependent

combines the strengths of both approaches!

  • The engagement of experiential learning.
  • The scalability of digital learning.
  • The consistency of a standardised platform.

The new way to create a Lean Mindset at scale.

A Great Lean Simulation...

OPTIMIZE! is a comprehensive and well designed Immersive Lean Simulation that consistently delivers deep understanding of Lean concepts and how they are applied to drive superior productivity and performance.

Like many traditional expert-led Lean Simulations, it enables teams of 9-12 people to experience the Lean journey from a traditional push based production system to a highly efficient pull-based levelled flow production system.

In OPTIMIZE!, participants experience 5 production "days" during which a manufacturer of propellers for marine applications standardizes and stabilizes its operations before then introducing and optimizing flow based production.

Monday
Understand Current State
Lean concepts:Lean Principles, Gemba Operations
Tuesday
Standardize Operations
Lean concepts:Standard Work, NVA vs. VA Work, Visual Controls, 5S
Wednesday
Stabilize Operations
Lean concepts:Bottlenecks, Takt Rate vs. Cycle Time, Line Balancing, Vendor Milk Runs, Vendor Managed Inventory
Thursday
Create Flow
Lean concepts:Inventory Buffers, Kanban/Pull Signals, Changeover Reduction/SMED, Pacemaker Operations
Friday
Optimize Flow
Lean concepts:Heijunka Scheduling, Mistake-proofing (Poka-yoke), Stop and Fix (Jidoka), Finished Goods Supermarket

Unlike traditional Lean simulations, OPTIMIZE! delivers consistently high-quality learning outcomes which do not depend on the capability of a facilitator.

Traditional Simulation

  • Learning Method

    Experiential learning
    Immersive Experiential Learning

  • Participant Engagement

    High
    High

  • Lean Concepts Covered

    Comprehensive
    Comprehensive

  • Real-World Simulation

    Yes
    Yes

  • Delivers "Aha!" Lean Learning Moments

    Yes, dependent on facilitator quality
    Yes, consistently through digital facilitation

  • Requires Lean Expert Facilitator

    Yes
    No

  • Training Required to Run an Event

    Significant Lean and facilitation expertise
    A few hours of event coordinator training

  • Scalability Across Workforce

    Limited by facilitator availability
    Designed for scalability

  • Simultaneous Multi-site Rollout

    Difficult
    Designed for multi-site rollout.

  • Cost per Employee Trained

    ~$200/employee (at scale)
    ~$20/employee (at scale)

  • Global Deployment Model

    Expensive and resource intensive
    Designed for global rollout

... and also the platform you need to build a global lean capable workforce..

OPTIMIZE! is the first and only in-person Lean simulation doesn't need a Lean expert. It incorporates six game-changing innovations that elevate the scalability and value of experiential Lean training to an unprecedented level.

Built on a robust and coherent methodology

What makes OPTiMiZE! especially powerful is that participants do not simply learn Lean tools in isolation. They experience them as part of a coherent Lean deployment methodology that mirrors how successful organisation improve operations in the real world.

1

Standardize

Participants begin by identifying waste and creating a stable foundation for improvement through concepts such as standard work, visual management, value-added versus non-value-added activity and 5S workplace organisation. They see first-hand how simplification and standardisation improve performance.

2

Stabilize

With the foundations in place, teams tackle bottlenecks, workload imbalance and supply interruptions. Concepts including takt time, line balancing, vendor-managed inventory and supplier milk runs are introduced to create a process capable of consistently meeting customer demand.

3

Create Flow

Participants then transform the operation from a traditional push system into a pull-based flow system. Using Kanban signals, inventory buffers, pacemaker operations and changeover reduction techniques, they experience how flow dramatically improves delivery performance, responsiveness and efficiency.

4

Optimize Flow

Finally, teams learn how world-class Lean organisations optimise already stable processes. Concepts such as Heijunka scheduling, finished goods supermarkets, Poka-Yoke and Jidoka help participants understand how to smooth demand, reduce variation and maximise overall system performance.

Because each phase builds on the previous one, participants can clearly see the operational and financial impact of every improve,emt they introduce. Rather than being told that Lean works, they experience the journey themselves, creating hte powerful "aha" moments that drive lasting understanding and mindset change.

The result is a Lean experience that is comprehensive enough for experienced practitioners, accessible to beginners, and structured around a proven deployment methodology that brings Lean to life in an engaging and memorable way.

Want To Try ?

Discuss a free trial of OPTiMiZE! today.

Meet

Understand why we built OPTiMiZE!, why it’s different and why we believe it changes the game for organisations seeking to embed Lean in their DNA.

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Trial

Understand how the free trial works in practice and what you can expect to learn from testing OPTiMiZE! in your organisation.

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Deploy

Learn how we’ve made it easy and cost effective to train every employee at a site and how our Site Subscription model works.

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