Lean Education Academic Network – LEAN

Why do we exist?

What is our transformative purpose?  Members of the leadership team know, agree, on and are passionate about the reason why LEAN exists:

Short Form:

LEAN – Advance operational excellence in academic research and teaching.

Long Form:

Lean Education Academic Network (LEAN) – Advancing the study, teaching, and practice of operational excellence philosophies, paradigms, principles, systems, and techniques in higher education academic research and teaching including but not limited to TQM, JIT, Lean, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, Quality Assurance, Theory of Constraints, and Agile.

LEAN is an organization primarily composed of university educators who are dedicated to the growth of Lean research, teaching, and practice. Its purpose is to drive thought leadership. LEAN seeks to actively engage leaders in industry and academia to develop new approaches to teaching university students Lean thinking, practices, and action.

Research

With the goal of advancing Lean research, education, and practice, LEAN has established the College of Operational Excellence (COE) with the Production & Operations Management Society (POMS) and anticipates the formation of similar linkages with other like-minded professional organizations. In this way, LEAN will contribute to both applied and theoretical development of Lean enterprise, manufacturing, and service. Among expectations is that research around this development will be routinely presented at the annual POMS Conference as well as other relevant venues. We further anticipate the development of a research journal dedicated to Lean and closely aligned topics that will be offered through a respected publisher.

As this website is refined, one of its sections will include a list of academic journals that publish Lean research and a catalog of pertinent articles. It will also feature a list of award-winning books and articles aimed at academics and practitioners alike. Further, a “call for papers” section of possible interest to scholars interested in presenting their results at conferences and similar events will be maintained. Finally, a director of Lean academic researchers will be maintained.

Teaching and Curriculum

This section of the LEAN website will feature teaching modules, case studies, and a syllabus-sharing page where users can find and rate materials for use in classrooms and workshops. Full PowerPoint or PDF lecture files will also be available.

Lean Dialogue

Members of LEAN will receive announcements about upcoming events where there will be opportunities to meet and dialogue. As this website matures, there will be a more robust discussion forum where members can ask questions and can weigh in on various topics relevant to Lean.

Announcing the POMS College of Operational Excellence

POMS College of Operational Excellence: Process Improvement is a recurring and, arguably, central theme in operations management. A scan of leading journals, Production & Operations Management Society (POMS) Annual Conferences, and POMS College Mini-Conferences reveals the ubiquity of “improvement” related research, and yet there is no common platform for scholars that study process improvement. LEAN is pleased to announce the formation of a new College of Operational Excellence (COE) within POMS that aims to create a community of researchers, educators and practitioners who care a common interest in examining how improving processes helps firms achieve superior performance. The COE embraces theoretical and empirical research, irrespective of the organizational context, theoretical approach, or philosophical lens (such as Lean production, six sigma, quality management, ISO 9000, among others). The primary objective of the COE is to provide a platform focused on operational excellence to:

  1. Foster creation and dissemination of scholarly knowledge.
  2. Share teaching and pedagogical material.
  3. Exchange information about undergraduate, graduate, and another specialized educational programs.
  4. Interact with leading practitioners to enrich research and learning.

Join the College of Operational Excellence: All members of POMS are eligible to join the College of Operational Excellence. Please note that one college membership is complimentary with POMS membership, with membership fees for additional college being $25 each.

For any questions or additional information please contact: Eric Olsen or Peter Ward