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Free Learning
Designed for NGOs
Learning Materials from LeanAgileNGO Community Partners
We have carefully curated these choices to ensure high-quality content suitable for NGOs. Our community is always looking for more training material, so please contact us if you have material to share:
Lean Terms Glossary
Agile Terms Glossary
Gemba Academy Training
Module Overviews
Gemba Academy has been providing high quality, in-depth Lean and Six Sigma training since 2009. Here is a short list of introductory sessions for a variety of core topics, most around 10 minutes in length.
Note: These overview sessions are intended to help their customers understand the basic topics and choose where to invest in the intensive fee-based modules. These orientation sessions also provide an excellent free introduction for the Lean4NGO community. There are many additional overview sessions not listed here, and available by browsing the Gemba Academy Catalog.
Paul Akers 2 Second Lean
Paul Akers is a unique, home-grown phenomenon that has much to teach NGOs, particularly those working on the front lines, in difficult conditions, relying on their resourcefulness and creativity, using materials and tools they have on hand.
According to Paul, his books and videos are "not intended for MBAs or those interested in manufacturing theory or flow charts." They are "intended to blast open the door of opportunity for people who want to improve their daily life, be it in their workplace or home. Lean is not as complicated as all the experts and textbooks make it out to be. In fact, as you learn to incorporate a Lean approach to your life, you will see that the more Lean thinking you have in your life, the more you will enjoy life.”
The free, short, homemade videos are surprising and entertaining views of real people doing amazing things - taking a fresh look at how they do what they do, saving a few seconds here, a few minutes there, eliminating things that don't matter. He posts PDFs of many of his books for free. Thank you, Paul.
Dr. Jeffrey Liker
The Toyota Way series
Dr. Jeffrey Liker is a trusted guide to understanding Toyota practices which he calls “The Toyota Way”. This includes the overall Toyota Production System (TPS) which widely became known as the originator or Lean thinking and practice – including their remarkable management systems, and the underlying culture and mindset.
Beginning with a PhD in Sociology, he serves as Professor Emeritus of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Over several decades he was invited inside Toyota for an intimate understanding of what made, and still makes them, special and market leading. He has researched and written many books, including the "Toyota Way" series. He has received thirteen Shingo Prizes for Research Excellence, and in 2012 he was inducted into the Association of Manufacturing Excellence Hall of Fame.
Dr. LIker is a long-time supporter of Lean4NGO and has graciously offered free video based training on the following books - click on image to access video chapters..
Short Stops:
Quick Lean Lessons
This series of "Short Stop" courses help people quickly grasp and practice key Lean lessons in just 10-20 minutes.
Beau Keyte is a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute. He received a Shingo prize for The Complete Lean Enterprise (2005) the first comprehensive book dedicated to value stream mapping in the office and service industries. Beau serves on the coaching faculty at Ohio State University.
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