Industrial Management and Process Improvement Course

Lesson 1 • Industrial Management Overview

Defines industrial management scope, history, and key functions. Establishes the conceptual baseline for all subsequent management and process topics.

Lesson 2 • Key Performance Indicators in Industry

Introduces KPIs used to measure operational health, including throughput, utilisation, and quality rates. Links measurement to management decision-making.

Lesson 3 • Organisational Structures in Industry

Examines functional, divisional, and matrix structures common in industrial firms. Connects organisational design to operational efficiency and decision-making speed.

Lesson 1 • Analysing Process Flow and Bottlenecks

Applies collected data to identify bottlenecks, delays, and flow imbalances. Connects analysis findings to targeted improvement opportunities.

Lesson 2 • Value Stream Mapping Fundamentals

Teaches current-state and future-state value stream mapping to trace material and information flow. Directly supports waste identification and improvement planning.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to Process Mapping

Covers the purpose and types of process maps, including flowcharts and swimlane diagrams. Establishes visual documentation as the foundation for process analysis.

Lesson 4 • Process Data Collection Methods

Presents structured techniques for gathering time, motion, and quality data from live processes. Accurate data collection underpins reliable process analysis.

Lesson 1 • Total Productive Maintenance Basics

Covers Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and the six big losses to guide maintenance improvement. Connects equipment reliability to lean flow objectives.

Lesson 2 • Flow, Pull, and Kanban Systems

Explains one-piece flow, pull production, and kanban signal design to synchronise supply with demand. Reduces overproduction and excess inventory.

Lesson 3 • Lean Thinking and the Eight Wastes

Introduces lean philosophy, customer value, and the eight categories of waste (DOWNTIME). Provides the conceptual lens for all lean tool applications.

Lesson 4 • 5S Workplace Organisation

Teaches Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise, and Sustain as a foundation for operational discipline. A well-implemented 5S programme reduces waste and supports safety.

Lesson 1 • Quality Planning and Control

Covers quality plans, control plans, and inspection methods to prevent and detect defects. Links planning outputs to production control activities.

Lesson 2 • Root Cause Analysis Methods

Applies 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, and fault tree analysis to identify true defect causes. Accurate root cause identification prevents recurrence.

Lesson 3 • Quality Management Principles

Presents the seven quality management principles including customer focus, leadership, and evidence-based decision-making. Frames quality as a system-wide responsibility.

Lesson 4 • Statistical Process Control

Teaches control chart construction and interpretation to distinguish common from special cause variation. Enables data-driven process monitoring and response.

Lesson 1 • Control Phase: Sustaining Gains

Establishes control plans, monitoring systems, and handoff protocols to lock in improvement results. Prevents regression and transfers ownership to process owners.

Lesson 2 • Improve Phase: Solution Design

Guides solution generation, piloting, and optimisation using design of experiments and risk assessment. Ensures solutions address verified root causes effectively.

Lesson 3 • Analyse Phase: Identifying Root Causes

Applies graphical and statistical tools including Pareto charts, regression, and hypothesis testing to confirm root causes. Distinguishes correlation from causation.

Lesson 4 • Six Sigma Fundamentals and DMAIC

Introduces Six Sigma philosophy, sigma levels, and the DMAIC roadmap. Provides the structured framework for all subsequent data-driven improvement work.

Lesson 1 • Lean Supply Chain Practices

Applies lean principles to supply chain design including milk runs, consignment, and vendor-managed inventory. Reduces lead time and inventory across the extended value stream.

Lesson 2 • Inventory Management Fundamentals

Covers inventory types, carrying costs, and ordering costs to establish the economic basis for inventory decisions. Connects inventory levels to cash flow and service performance.

Lesson 3 • Supplier Selection and Performance

Establishes criteria and processes for evaluating, selecting, and developing suppliers. Strong supplier relationships are essential to lean and quality objectives.

Lesson 4 • Supply Chain Structure and Strategy

Maps supply chain tiers, flows, and strategic trade-offs between responsiveness and efficiency. Provides the structural context for inventory and supplier decisions.

Lesson 1 • Sales and Operations Planning

Introduces the S&OP process to align sales forecasts with production capacity and inventory strategy. Creates a single integrated plan across business functions.

Lesson 2 • Master Production Scheduling

Covers MPS development, time fencing, and available-to-promise logic to commit production to specific items and dates. Bridges aggregate planning and detailed scheduling.

Lesson 3 • Capacity Planning and Scheduling

Applies rough-cut and detailed capacity planning to identify and resolve overloads before scheduling. Sequencing rules optimise throughput and on-time delivery.

Lesson 4 • Production Control and Execution

Covers shop floor control, dispatch lists, and production reporting to manage work-in-progress against the plan. Closes the planning loop with real-time execution feedback.

Lesson 1 • Change Management for Process Improvement

Applies structured change management models to overcome resistance and sustain adoption of new processes. People-side management is as critical as technical solution quality.

Lesson 2 • Measuring and Reporting Improvement Impact

Teaches methods for quantifying financial and operational benefits of improvement programmes and communicating results to leadership. Demonstrates ROI to secure ongoing investment.

Lesson 3 • Sustaining a Continuous Improvement Culture

Establishes management systems, visual management, and daily accountability routines that sustain improvement gains long-term. Culture is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Lesson 4 • Building an Improvement Strategy

Aligns process improvement initiatives with business strategy using hoshin kanri and strategy deployment. Ensures improvement efforts address the highest-priority organisational goals.