QQI Level 6 Lean · 15 FET credits
Practical Lean Business Application
About this QQI Level 6 Lean programme
Learn how to find where work gets stuck, fix it with the people who do it, and prove the result with data.
Most Lean courses teach tools using someone else’s examples. Here you choose a process from your own job before Day 1 and improve it over twelve weeks, with a mentor alongside you. You map it, measure it, run a Kaizen event with your team, test changes and standardise what works.
Whether you work in a service team, an office function or on a production line, you finish with a measured improvement, a toolkit you have already used, and a QQI Level 6 Lean award worth 15 credits.
What you'll be able to do
- Choose a process worth improving and make the case for it with data.
- Map how work really flows and see where time and effort are lost.
- Run a Kaizen event that turns your team's ideas into a prioritised plan.
- Apply Lean tools such as 5S, Kanban and SMED to remove the causes of waste.
- Write standard work and set up team routines so the gains last.
- Present your results with an A3 and a future-state map.
Award
Skills you'll gain
- Value stream mapping
- Kaizen facilitation
- Root cause analysis
- 5S
- Kanban
- SMED
- Poka-yoke
- Standard work
- Team daily management
- A3 problem solving
| Award | QQI Level 6, 15 FET credits |
|---|---|
| Format | 4 classroom days in Dublin, 3 workshops, 6 mentor sessions |
| Next start | Gateway: Tue 8 Dec 2026 Day 1: Tue 19 Jan 2027 |
| Duration | 12 weeks, plus the gateway |
| Effort | About 150 hours in total |
| Cohort | 16 learners maximum |
Results
Real projects. Measured results.
- Pharmaceutical1 hr → 0
Alexion Pharmaceuticals
Sample search time in the QC lab eliminated, and the fastest batch release in the lab's history.
Read the case study → - Manufacturing50%
Barclay Chemicals
Less work handling product specifications, with zero data duplication.
Read the case study → - Print and packaging4 depts
Colorman Ireland
Measuring labour recovery for the first time, with print excess reduced and quarterly KPI reviews in place.
Read the case study → - Manufacturing87.66 min
Glen Dimplex
Baseline changeover on the factory's slowest machine, cut using SMED and 5 Whys.
Read the case study → - Media and publishingAutomated
Irish Examiner
Master ads and component processing automated, cutting ad lead time with no extra resources.
Read the case study → - Architecture€15k
Mosart
A year saved in non-billable time, and 10% more capacity without hiring.
Read the case study → - Performing arts~5%
Royal Opera House
Expected capacity increase at the Purfleet production workshops, without adding headcount.
Read the case study → - Brewing52%
Rye River Brewing
Less time reconciling finished-goods stock, removing an estimated €23,400 a year in waste.
Read the case study → - LegalMaster Will
Tracey Solicitors
Will drafting systemised with a master template and an automated Will Generator.
Read the case study →
Nationally recognised
A QQI Level 6 Lean award on the National Framework of Qualifications
What you'll do
Twelve weeks. One real project. A mentor alongside you.
Project challenge
Before Day 1: Get ready
Choose your project, get your sponsor’s backing and confirm your Lean foundations, so you arrive on Day 1 ready to work.
Sessions
- Workshop (2 hours): course preparation and your project charter
- Lean Business Simulation: a full day running a process and seeing flow and waste first-hand
- Mentor session, one-to-one: your current state
Submissions
- Lean Wastes exercise and project outline
- Draft project charter
- Final project charter, signed off by your sponsor
Each submission must reach an 80% standard before you are admitted.
Classroom day 1: See the problem
Map how work flows today, measure it, and plan a Kaizen event with the right people in the room.
In the classroom
- Current-state value stream mapping
- Takt time and lead time
- Stakeholder analysis
- Planning and running a Kaizen event
Back at work
- Gather baseline data on your process
- Run your Kaizen event
- Mentor session, small group: preparing your Kaizen event
Your charter, baseline data, current-state map, Kaizen outputs and action plan, signed off by your sponsor. Comes back with feedback and a chance to revise.
Classroom day 2: Fix the causes
Design a better way of working and put two Lean tools to work on your process.
In the classroom
- Future-state value stream mapping
- 5S workplace organisation
- Kanban, SMED, asset care and visual management
Back at work
- Put two Lean tools in place with your team
- Workshop (2 hours): choosing and applying your tools
- Mentor session, one-to-one: your tools
- Mentor session, small group: implementation
Evidence of the tools in use, how your team was involved and trained, and the benefits so far. Comes back with feedback and a chance to revise.
Classroom day 3: Make it stick
Lock in the new way of working so the gains hold after the project ends.
In the classroom
- Standard work
- Error-proofing (poka-yoke)
- Leader standard work
- Team daily management and communication
Back at work
- Write and test standard work with the people who do the task
- Set up a daily team routine
- Workshop (2 hours): standardisation and your final presentation
- Mentor session, small group: evaluating your results
- Mentor session, one-to-one: standardisation and presentation
Tested standard work, team metrics, routine checks and terms of reference for your team meeting. Comes back with feedback and a chance to revise.
Classroom day 4: Show the results
Show what changed against your baseline, and what you learned on the way.
In the classroom
- Present your project to your cohort and assessors
- Your A3 summary and future-state value stream map
- Your plan to keep and extend the gains
Delivered on the day and signed off by your sponsor. There are no written exams anywhere in the programme.
Course calendar
Upcoming QQI Level 6 Lean cohorts
September 2026
January 2027
Tue 8 December 2026
- Tue 19 January 2027
- Tue 2 February 2027
- Tue 9 March 2027
- Tue 13 April 2027
April 2027
Tue 16 March 2027
- Tue 13 April 2027
- Tue 27 April 2027
- Tue 1 June 2027
- Tue 6 July 2027
September 2027
Tue 17 August 2027
- Tue 14 September 2027
- Tue 28 September 2027
- Tue 2 November 2027
- Tue 7 December 2027
Meet your trainers and mentors
Learn from people who do this work
Steve Halpin
Course Director
Steve trains and coaches teams in service, public-sector and manufacturing organisations across Ireland, and chairs the Dublin Lean Network.
- B.E., University College Dublin
- Six Sigma Black Belt
- Certified Management Consultant (IMCA)
Alex Gibbs
Assessor and QA Manager
Alex led Lean deployment across the UK, Ireland and the Nordics and has trained more than 200 people. MBA, University of Brighton.
Martina Murphy
Mentor and Trainer
Martina’s clients range from joinery and baking to brewing and childcare. She also delivers Lean Yellow Belt training for a global pharmaceutical company. MBA, UCD.
Nuala O'Hagan
Mentor and Trainer
Nuala designed an improvement approach in a global financial institution that won Lean Business Ireland’s Enterprise of the Year in 2019. MSc, DCU.
Stacy Franklin
Trainer and Assessor
Stacy holds a Lean Black Belt from the University of Limerick, where she lectures on the Master Black Belt programme.
Frequently asked questions
Is this only for service organisations?
No. This QQI Level 6 Lean programme works wherever work flows: customer onboarding, month-end reporting, a production changeover. Your project is built on a process from your own workplace.
How is this different from the Lean Practitioner Programme?
From 2027 this QQI Level 6 Lean programme replaces our Level 5 Lean Practitioner Programme. It sits one level higher on the NFQ, at Level 6, and is built around a mentored workplace project with a gateway at the start. If you were looking at the Lean Practitioner Programme for January 2027, this is the one to book.
What is a QQI Level 6 award?
Level 6 on Ireland’s National Framework of Qualifications is the level of an Advanced or Higher Certificate. You receive the Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Practical Lean Business Application, carrying 15 FET credits. Other providers may recognise the credits towards further study, at their discretion.
Do I need Lean experience?
You need a grounding in Lean principles, such as spotting the main types of waste. The Lean Wastes submission in the gateway confirms you’re ready. If you’re new to Lean, we’ll suggest a starting point on your fit call.
How much time will it take?
About 150 hours over the gateway and twelve weeks. That includes four classroom days, three two-hour workshops and six one-hour mentor sessions. Most of the rest goes into your project. Past learners tell us to protect time every week, especially before a task is due.
What is the gateway?
The short stage before Day 1. You attend a preparation workshop and the Lean Business Simulation, meet your mentor, and submit a Lean Wastes exercise, a project outline and a sponsor-signed charter. Each must reach 80% before you’re admitted, so everyone starts with a scoped project and their manager’s backing.
How am I assessed?
Through four project tasks: understanding the problem (30%), applying two Lean tools (25%), standard work and team daily management (25%) and your final presentation (20%). No written exams. Tasks 1 to 3 come back with feedback and a chance to revise. Your assessor is independent of your mentor, and grades are internally verified and externally authenticated.
What happens after I apply?
We reply within two working days to set up a 15-minute fit call about your role, your project idea and the right cohort. After the call you complete a short second form covering your project, your sponsor and funding.
How do I pay and hold a place?
The fee is €2,250 per learner, VAT-exempt, and includes the Lean Business Simulation. If you’re paying yourself, you pay €350 by card before the Simulation. That holds your place and is credited against the fee; the €1,900 balance is invoiced on admission and due before Day 1. If your employer is paying, the €350 and the balance are invoiced against a purchase order.
What if I don't pass the gateway?
If you attend the Lean Business Simulation but your gateway submissions don’t reach the 80% standard, the €350 is kept as the fee for the Simulation and nothing more is due. The full terms are on the learner information page.
Can my employer pay?
Yes, and most learners are sponsored. Because the programme is built around a project with a measurable return, the business case is straightforward. We’ll give your manager or HR team whatever they need, and talk through funding options on your fit call.
Where are the classroom days?
In Dublin, 9am to 5pm. Venue details are sent on admission.
Can you run it for our team?
Yes. We run in-company cohorts built around your own processes. Book a call to talk through numbers, timing and format.
How you learn
Support from the gateway to your final presentation
Work with a mentor
Six one-hour sessions with a practitioner who knows your project: three one-to-one and three in small groups. Most Lean courses end when the classroom does. This one follows you back to your desk.
Improve with your own team
Your Kaizen event brings colleagues into the work, so the changes are shaped by the people who will run them.
Get feedback early
Tasks 1 to 3 come back with feedback and a chance to revise. Short videos, templates and worked examples sit in the learning hub whenever you need them.
Learner stories
What our learners say
Learners also explore
Foundation programme
Lean Essentials
For teams
In-company programmes
Community
Dublin Lean Network
Enrol as a team
Apply
Start your application
Tell us who you are and which QQI Level 6 Lean cohort you have in mind. We’ll reply within two working days to arrange a 15-minute fit call.
Prefer to talk first? Book the call directly.