Workplace Innovation and Productivity Training Course

Participants can document current workflows and identify where delays, handoffs and process failures occur.

• SIPOC diagrams define suppliers, inputs, process boundaries, outputs and customers
• Gemba observation records actual work, handoffs, delays and workarounds
• Swimlane mapping exposes ownership gaps between functions and approval stages
• Time studies separate touch time, wait time and queue time
• Spaghetti diagrams identify motion, transport and layout constraints
• Process capability distinguishes common-cause variation from special-cause signals
• Standard work documents sequence, takt time, inventory and quality checks

Participants can identify waste and redesign workflow to improve flow, capacity and responsiveness.

• Lean's eight wastes identified in service, administrative and operational processes
• Value stream maps quantify lead time, processing time and information flow
• Little's Law relates work in progress, throughput and cycle time
• Kanban policies set replenishment triggers, work limits and visual signals
• 5S controls organise shared workspaces, digital folders and common equipment
• Cellular layouts reduce travel, queues and repeated handling steps
• Pull systems match release of work to downstream capacity

Participants can investigate recurring performance problems and select evidence-based countermeasures.

• PDCA cycles structure experiments, measurement, review and standardisation decisions
• Root-cause analysis combines five whys, fishbone diagrams and evidence
• Pareto charts rank defect types, delay causes and rework sources
• FMEA prioritises failure modes using severity, occurrence and detection ratings
• Control charts distinguish stable processes from assignable-cause performance shifts
• Countermeasures tested against predicted benefits, risks and implementation effort
• A3 reports document problem definition, analysis, actions and follow-up

Participants can generate practical improvement ideas and select those suitable for testing.

• Opportunity statements frame user needs, operational constraints and desired outcomes
• Jobs to Be Done identifies functional, social and emotional requirements
• SCAMPER generates alternatives through substitution, combination, adaptation and elimination
• Brainwriting reduces production blocking and captures ideas from quieter contributors
• Impact-effort matrices rank ideas by expected value and delivery difficulty
• Assumption mapping separates known facts, risks and testable beliefs
• Minimum viable pilots test solutions before wider process changes

Participants can plan controlled pilots and prepare affected people for revised ways of working.

• Pilot charters specify scope, hypotheses, measures, owners and decision gates
• Plan-do-study-act trials compare results against defined baseline conditions
• RACI matrices clarify responsibility for changes crossing departmental boundaries
• Stakeholder analysis identifies sponsors, users, resisters and influential gatekeepers
• ADKAR planning addresses awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement
• Standard operating procedures translate improved methods into controlled routines
• Change readiness checks assess training, systems, communications and supervisory support

Participants can establish team routines that surface issues, develop ideas and maintain accountability.

• Psychological safety supports reporting of errors, near misses and improvement ideas
• Daily huddles review performance, constraints, actions and escalation needs
• Visual management boards show targets, actuals, abnormalities and assigned actions
• Tiered accountability meetings escalate barriers within defined response times
• Suggestion systems establish submission criteria, review ownership and feedback loops
• Recognition practices reinforce adopted behaviours rather than idea volume alone
• Facilitation techniques separate divergent ideation from convergent decision-making

Participants can design measures that track productivity, quality and the benefits of improvement work.

• Operational KPIs balance quality, speed, cost, safety and customer experience
• SMART measures define formula, source, owner, frequency and target
• Leading indicators track conditions preceding defects, delays and missed commitments
• Run charts reveal trends, shifts and recurring performance patterns
• Benefits registers distinguish cashable savings, avoidance and service improvements
• Dashboard design uses exception reporting, drill-down logic and action ownership
• Measurement plans prevent metric gaming and unintended process consequences
• Eisenhower matrix prioritises urgent work against important outcomes and deadlines

Participants can assess where digital tools can improve workflow while maintaining appropriate controls.

• Process mining concepts use event logs to identify bottlenecks and rework
• Automation candidates assessed for rules, volume, exceptions and control risks
• Robotic process automation suits stable, repetitive, rules-based transaction steps
• Digital forms improve data quality through validation, timestamps and mandatory fields
• Knowledge management captures lessons, standards, templates and reusable solutions
• Information security checks protect personal data during process redesign
• Technology pilots define adoption measures, support needs and rollback criteria

Participants can prepare a managed improvement plan that sustains results beyond the initial intervention.

• Improvement charters align problem, target, scope, sponsor and timetable
• 90-day action plans sequence quick wins, pilots and longer-term projects
• Prioritisation matrices compare strategic fit, benefit, effort, risk and readiness
• Governance cadences assign review forums, escalation routes and decision rights
• Control plans specify monitoring limits, response actions and process owners
• After-action reviews capture results, lessons, unresolved issues and next steps
• Personal commitments identify one workplace process for immediate improvement