Lean Accreditation for Your Organisation's CI Programme
Join over 160 organisations worldwide
The benefits of LCS accreditation for your organisation
- Certify your 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
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Becoming LCS accredited can also give you membership organisation status, unlocking a range of additional benefits and opportunities, from access to our online LCS community platform, our events programme and e-learning.
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
"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
How does an organisation become
accredited?
To become LCS accredited, you'll need an existing continuous improvement training programme or be in the process of developing one.
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 Accreditation Process
Certify your workforce
Once accredited, you can issue LCS certificates of Lean Competency to your 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.
In addition, as part of your membership you will have the option to offer your employees access to a range of opportunities, from our online community platform, networking with peers, our events programme and e-learning.
For employees looking to pursue individual lean certification, visit our individuals page.
How much does Lean accreditation cost?
The accreditation fee is £2,000 +VAT (€2500/$3000) for a two-year licence period and is a one-off fee—there is no charge for reaccreditation after the initial term. Membership costs vary depending on the tier you select, with four options available from Micro to Premium. Higher tiers provide greater access to community benefits, events, resources and e-learning. You then purchase certificates for learners individually or in bundles.
Getting buy-in for Lean Accreditation
Securing budget for accreditation means framing it in terms leadership responds to: ROI, risk, and strategic alignment. Our guide walks you through how to structure a business case that connects your CI programme to measurable business outcomes and gets approval.
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
Join the LCS online 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.
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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