The Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence is an executive/practitioner programme providing participants with the required knowledge, know-how, know-why, and skills to advance as Lean and Continuous Improvement leaders in organisations.
Online programme
The programme is fully delivered Online in part-time mode across a 1-year period. Classes are synchronous and delivered in block-release format (3-hours; 4-hours; 6-hours) on assigned evenings and occasional Saturdays.
Black Belt
This Lean Black Belt standard was co-designed in collaboration with leading Lean practice organisations from across services, manufacturing, healthcare, and construction sectors. A graduate of this programme will be considered a “Black Belt in Lean”. The School of Business equates the concept of Black Belt to Level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Ireland. Graduates will receive a letter from the School of Business stating that their capability equates to Black Belt in Lean standard upon completion of the associated project modules/assignments to the required level.
Contemporary Lean thinking and practice
The programme is founded on seminal theories and thinking from scientific management, quality management, world-class manufacturing, change management, the Toyota Production System (TPS),The Toyota Way, andthe Shingo Model. Building on that foundation, we synthesise the principles, systems, culture, and behaviours that are integral to contemporary Lean organisational and enterprise excellence.
Participants attain in-depth understanding of wider organisational contexts, cross-sectoral applications, and both manufacturing and service orientations. The programme is distinctive in its focus on the critical, but less understood and invariably challenging, “soft” elements integral to effective Lean leadership and management. Thus, participants explore Lean philosophy and thinking; Lean leadership; Lean strategy deployment/hoshin kanri; organisational culture and employee engagement; Lean transformation and change management; and systems thinking, the learning organisation, and action learning.
Additionally, participants examine the "hard" Lean tools and techniques elements like, for example, Process Mapping, Value Stream Mapping, A3 Problem-Solving, and 5S. Participants also attain Black Belt level competency in key elements of statistical process control and business analytics, as well as completion of a live-laboratory continuous improvement project (CIP).
Industry application and research
The programme provides a balanced approach between the academic and the practical, and includes real-world application via the live-laboratory continuous improvement project plus industry contributions from guest speakers. Our approach enables extensive and deep peer learning amongst and between participants who come from a wide variety of sectors and from both public and private organisations that are at various stages of their respective Lean journeys.
Graduation and career progression
Upon successfully attaining the requisite 60 Credits, participants will be conferred with the qualification of “Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence” from SETU, and receive their “Lean Black Belt” letter.
Graduates have advanced to key positions as Site Leads or Senior Director/Managers in Lean/CI/OpEx. Many have been headhunted by other organisations, and others have become Lean Service Providers offering consultancy and training in Ireland and abroad.
Communities of learning and practice
The Academy of Lean Enterprise Excellence and Faculty Members are co-founders, leaders, and strategic advisors to a number of regional and national entities, and have been integral in the development of the national Lean ecosystem. Our programme participants and alumni become part of the regional, national, and global communities of learning and practice in Lean.
This is a part-time executive programme delivered over 12 months in an E-learning format, and with a primary focus on in-class participation and engagement. Classes are on Monday evenings and 3-4 Saturdays in both semesters.
The programme is fully delivered Online and in Synchronous mode. Participants are provided with the full programme schedule for the academic year at the commencement and orientation session in mid-September. Classes are in block-release format (3-hours; 4-hours; 6-hours) on assigned evenings and occasional Saturdays. Live conferenceclasses take place via Zoom or MS Teams, with participants accessing the SETU Zoom and MS Teams accounts as registered students.
60 credits
Semester 1 (Sep - Dec)
Semester 2 (Jan - Apr)
Semester 3 (May - Sep)
Lean Enterprise Excellence
Lean Engagement
Continuous Improvement Project (CIP) (20 Credits)
Lean Strategy & Sustainability
Lean Transformation
Lean Tools & Techniques 1
Lean Tools & Techniques 2
Lean Business Analytics 1
Lean Business Analytics 2
(All of the Semester 1 and 2 modules are worth 5 Credits each.)
Delivery and schedule
The programme is fully delivered Online and in Synchronous mode. Participants are provided with the full programme schedule for the academic year at the commencement and orientation session in mid-September. Classes are in block-release format (3-hours; 4-hours; 6-hours) on assigned evenings and occasional Saturdays. Live conferenceclasses take place via Zoom or MS Teams, with participants accessing the SETU Zoom and MS Teams accounts as registered students.
Assessment
All modules must be passed and each module is assessed by assignment, incorporating continuous assessment (graded) and formative assessment (un-graded). There are no end-of-term summative examinations.
Semester 1 and Semester 2 modules are worth 5 Credits each. The CIP is worth 20 Credits, and is an organisation-based project wherein participants develop and deliver a real-world improvement initiative within their organisations. The CIP is worked on across the entirety of the first year, and represents the Year 1 capstone project with final deliverables at the end of Semester 3.
Materials and access
When officially registered as students, programme participants attain full access to SETU online resources, including Moodle – our virtual learning environment (VLE) – as well as academic databases and other online library facilities, and SETU Zoom and MS Teams accounts. Any recommended books and other readings will be indicated by each Lecturer for their respective modules.
Eligibility and entry criteria
To be considered for entry onto the Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Applicants should have a Level 8 qualification, in any discipline, along with a minimum of 3 years’ relevant industry experience; and, where applicants do not have a previous Level 8 qualification, they will be considered on the basis of a recognition of prior learning (RPL) application to a Level 8 standard or equivalent and provided they have a minimum of 5 years’ relevant industry experience.
Students undertaking the Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence may elect to transfer to the Master of Business Studies in Lean Enterprise Excellence, and must do so early in Semester 2
Doctoral research
Several graduates have gone on to pursue Level 10 Doctoral Research whilst continuing to work and/or as part of an industry reserach partnership. Interested parties can undertake the structured Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) at SETU (Waterford campus).
Industry demand
Ireland is a recognised global leader in Lean Enterprise and Operational Excellence, and there thus exists a high demand nationally and internationally for graduates with Lean knowledge, know-how, know-why, and skills. Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Lean Enterprise Excellence from SETU (Waterford) are highly valued within their organisations and highly sought-after in general.
In addition to the extensive knowledge and learning acquired, the applied nature of the programme and real-world individual and group problem-solving provide participants with invaluable experience and skills that enable their workplace-readiness and capability to implement Lean in any sector, organisation type and scale. The vast majority of participants are employer-funded, and this further affirms the importance that organisations increasingly place on Lean capacity and capability development.
Career progression
Graduates have advanced to key positions as Site Leads/Managers in Lean/Operational Excellence/CI. Many have been headhunted by other organisations, and others have become Lean Service Providers offering consultancy and training in Ireland and abroad.
Communities of learning and practice
The Academy of Lean Enterprise Excellence and Faculty Members are co-founders, leaders, and strategic advisors to a number of regional and national entities, and have been integral in the development of the national Lean ecosystem. Our programme participants and alumni become part of the regional, national, and global communities of learning and practice in Lean.
"As a Continuous Improvement practitioner, I was looking to deepen my understanding of Lean to progress my career and enable the successful implementation of Lean at my site. The course challenged me to think deeply about Lean and understand its power when done well. The course encompassed both the practical elements of Lean as well as the theoretical aspects of Lean that are so important to appreciate."
- Liam Henry, Continuous Improvement Coach, Eli Lilly.
"The focus on Lean philosophy, strategy, engagement, and transformation, along with Lean tools, techniques, and business analytics, enables students to develop new perspectives on their organisations and sectors from day one. The Lecturers all deliver with enthusiasm and a drive for continuous improvement within the programme that makes for an engaging and exciting journey into Lean thinking for all participants. This programme has developed my capabilities as a Lean leader within a quality control setting, and I received a promotion during the second year that was a direct result of the application of skills developed on the course."
"My goals were to progress in the areas of professional and personal development and integrate this with my twenty years’ industry experience. This course shines a light on the critical area of the philosophy that underpins Lean thinking and practice. This, combined with the Lean tools, experienced lecturers, varied teaching methods, and diverse participants delivered a unique learning experience. The course has certainly altered my thinking and added value at this point in my career. A course of this quality is essential to survive and thrive in today’s competitive business world.”
