Lean Accreditation for Your Organisation's CI Programme
Join over 160 organisations worldwide
The benefits of LCS accreditation for your organisation
- Certify your entire workforce with a globally recognised Certificate of Lean Competency, giving your people tangible recognition for the skills they're building
- Gain external endorsement from Cardiff University, one of the world's leading institutions in Lean and Continuous Improvement research
- Strengthen your CI programme with a framework that's flexible by design. You choose the tools, techniques, and language that fit your organisation
- Link training directly to business performance, embedding practical application alongside knowledge so improvement activity delivers measurable results
- Motivate and retain your people by giving them professional development, reward, and recognition through a qualification that means something
- Join the LCS community platform and connect with peers across sectors who are building and scaling improvement programmes just like yours
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What LCS accredited organisations say about us
"LCS accreditation has been instrumental in strengthening our approach to capability building, both in my current organisation and previously. It has empowered our workforce to recognize the far-reaching impact of accredited methodologies—not only on individual and team performance but also across the organisation and wider industries. It has also provided valuable insights by allowing us to learn from best practices across sectors."
Director of Transformation and Partnerships, Kent and Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust
"LCS has transformed mindsets across our organisation, shifting CI from isolated pockets to a culture of Continuous Improvement embedded in everyone’s day-to-day work. It’s taken us to the next level of maturity, helping us elevate and strengthen our approach while generating excitement and engagement globally."
Head of Continuous Improvement, Computacenter
"LCS accreditation has given us a clear framework and structure for developing capability both within our team and across the wider organisation. The community events offer invaluable opportunities to build Continuous Improvement networks and learn from peers. It also strengthens the credibility of our approach, allowing us to benchmark against formal industry standards. I would recommend LCS accreditation to all organisations wanting to showcase their commitment to Continuous Improvement and drive real business improvements through measurable outcomes.”
Ruth Devenish
Programme Manager Spark, BBC
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"As a member of the Lean Enablement team at Florida Blue, I've seen firsthand how the Lean Competency System (LCS) has helped GuideWell, our entities, and the community. LCS has enabled us to streamline processes, reduce waste, and improve the overall customer experience, resulting in increased member satisfaction and retention. Through LCS, we've also been able to drive cultural transformation, empowering employees to think critically and solve problems, which has led to innovative solutions and improved outcomes. "
John Charwinsky
Process Improvement Consultant, Guidewell
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"I would recommend the LCS to other organisations thinking about it because it gets you to think about your training system in a consistent way. It enables you to standardise what you're doing and it also ensures the quality of what you're doing. We're seeing that through the quality of some of our problem solvers, we really know that we're starting to change the mindset within our organisation to problem solving capability."
Head of CI Technical Delivery, RS Group plc
Benefits of the LCS Academy in a Box
If you don't have your own improvement training programme is place, don't worry we have ready-made LCS training programmes you can license from us.
Key benefits of our ‘LCS Academy in a Box’:
- Save time and money with our LCS approved content, off the shelf, for both service & manufacturing businesses.
- Access over 50 online learning modules on a wide range of CI topics
- Scale your programme across your organisation globally by implementing a blended learning approach
How does an organisation become
accredited?
To become LCS accredited, you'll need an existing continuous improvement training programme, be in the process of developing one, or license LCS Academy in a Box from us.
You'll put together a submission portfolio that we review against the LCS portfolio, which assesses your ability to deliver effective knowledge and practical capability to your learners.
The accreditation process typically takes 1-3 months, though some organisations have completed it in as little as 7 days.
Once accredited, your license runs for two years, with a straightforward renewal process at the end of that period.
The LCS Qualifications Framework
The LCS qualifications framework has seven levels of competency covering the spectrum of Lean knowledge and application. An organisation can start the accreditation at any level depending on how advanced their improvement programme is. While the framework requires a number of subject areas are covered at each level, there is flexibility for the organization to choose the tools, techniques and language to fit with their culture.
Level 1: Fundamental
- Level 1a: Awareness
- Level 1b: Diagnosis & Analysis
- Level 1c: Improvement & Implementation
Level 2: Technical
- Level 2a: Implementation & Design
- Level 2b: Implementation & Leadership
Level 3: Strategic
- Level 3a: Strategic Enterprise
- Level 3b: Strategic Supply Chain
Certify your workforce
Once accredited, you can issue LCS certificates of Lean Competency to your entire workforce, giving your people tangible, globally recognised proof of the skills they're building. It's a powerful tool for motivation, retention, and professional development, and it lays the foundation for a sustainable CI culture across your organisation.
For employees looking to pursue individual lean certification, visit our individuals page.
How much does lean accreditation cost?
Accreditation fees are based on your certificate volume and organisation type, with separate pricing for commercial and public service organisations. Fees cover a two-year license period, and renewal fees are lower than initial accreditation. Small businesses benefit from a separate, simplified fee structure.
Join the LCS community
The LCS community platform is free to join and open to anyone with an interest in continuous improvement, whether you're already accredited or just starting out on your CI journey.
As part of the community, you'll get access to resources, tools and templates, industry-specific sub-groups, webinars and events, and a jobs board connecting CI professionals with organisations seeking certified talent.
It's a valuable space for your CI team to connect with peers across sectors, share experiences, and stay at the forefront of improvement practice.
Are you a small business?
A company may wish to consider Small Business Lean accreditation if it is a small business, a start-up, or a training company with limited resources. The main difference between Standard Accreditation and Small Business Accreditation is that Knowledge Test Assessments are not carried out by the company, but by the LCS centrally.
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Are you a consultancy or training provider?
A consultancy with a CI training capability can become an Accredited Certifier of Lean Competency, enabling it to issue LCS Certificates of Lean Competency to learners who progress through its training. It’s a valuable addition to the consultancy's service, as building its clients' CI capability is critical in the journey to developing a sustainable CI culture.
Ready to accredit your organisation's CI programme?
Talk to our team today to find out how LCS accreditation can work for your organisation.
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