Learning Lean: A Survey of Industry Lean Needs

The authors examined business practitioners' preferences for higher education curricula design in general and for what graduates should know about Lean, or waste-reduction efforts. The authors conducted a Web-based survey and found that practitioners are not as concerned about graduates' possessing specific technical skills as they are about them possessing a systems view of organizations and value streams. The survey findings suggest several implications for undergraduate and graduate business school curriculum design, Lean education, and a broader systems approach to professional education.