Industry Leaders in Lean and Quality Certification Programs Join Forces

Society of Manufacturing Engineers - In a move that aligns manufacturing professionals toward a single standard for Lean Certification and workforce development, ASQ (American Society for Quality) is joining with the triune of organizations that currently are responsible for the Lean Certification program. The Lean Certification program was launched in 2006 by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence and The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence in response to the market need brought forward by their members and constituents.

Key to joining this alliance is that the SME-AME-The Shingo Prize-ASQ Lean Certification is the only true lean certification available. It is the only independent, third-party assessment of knowledge and experience. Other programs on the market frequently use the term certification, however, they are really certificate programs – programs that confer a certificate upon a candidate based upon proprietary criteria, curriculum and/or training. They lack the independence and credibility of meeting the standards for certification.