Latest Module Specifications
Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026
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Description Managing business processes is a significant challenge in most organisations. Poor business processes leads to underperformance in manufacturing and service based organisations alike. Lean thinking is an operations management discipline which aims to identify, map and analyse the activities forming a process. Lean as a technique is a systematic approach to reducing or eliminating activities that don't add value to the process. It emphasises removing wasteful steps in a process and taking only the value-added steps forward. The Lean method ensures high quality and customer satisfaction. This module will provide students with the knowledge, techniques and skills to analyse and develop existing operations processes, models and frameworks that are commensurate with world class organisations. Students will be able to analyse critically the literature and existing organisational practices so as to be capable of understanding the role and practice of process analysis within organisations, demonstrating potential improvements in practice. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Demonstrate a knowledge of the key principles and concepts of Lean thinking. 2. Evaluate the various forms of waste associated with a Lean analysis. 3. Compare and contrast Lean tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Visual Management, Kaizen, SMED, 5S, and TPM in business process improvement. 4. Analyse existing operational processes and suggest improvements that support business process improvements. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
What is a process Lean and Lean thinking, the backstory Lean tools and practices – Improving process flow Waste identification Business process mapping The Lean Toolkit – An assessment of the broad array of additional tools and techniques of Lean Kaizen – a practical approach Lean case analysis An introduction to Lean Six Sigma | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List Books: None Articles: None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Other Resources None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||