We’re thrilled to announce that People Centred Excellence has become the first training provider in Europe to achieve dual accreditation for both Kata Competency and Lean Competency.
This exciting milestone means that when you book training or coaching with us, you can be confident that it will be delivered to the highest standard—helping you and your organisation improve skills and drive real, measurable results.
What Does Dual Accreditation Mean?
Here’s what’s behind this dual accreditation:
People Centred Excellence was already an accredited provider of training through the Lean Competency System (LCS), developed by Cardiff University’s Lean Enterprise Research Centre (LERC). The LCS is a globally recognised framework designed to help individuals and organisations develop the knowledge and skills to improve performance through lean thinking.
Now, we’re proud to also offer certified training through the Kata Competency System (KCS)—a new framework developed by LCS that focuses on helping teams use kata and scientific thinking to solve problems and drive continuous improvement. Based on the Toyota Kata approach, the KCS provides a structured pathway for Improvers and Coaches to demonstrate their use and experience of thinking scientifically and coaching others in doing so.
Why Does This Matter for You?
Graham Canning, Founding Partner of People Centred Excellence, shared:
“We’re absolutely delighted to have achieved dual accreditation for both Lean and Kata Competency. The LCS is a well-established and respected standard for delivering lean training, and now we’re equally excited to be offering KCS certification. The recognition that our training programmes for Toyota Kata meet the rigorous standards detailed in the KCS model, mean that individuals and companies wishing to become competent in kata can trust that the training and coaching we provide is verified to the highest standard.”
Sarah Wooledge, Head of Quality and Community at the Lean Competency System, commented:
“We’re thrilled that People Centred Excellence has added KCS accreditation to their LCS qualifications. Their thorough application process demonstrates the quality of their kata training and coaching, and we look forward to hearing more about their successes in applying these methodologies.”
Bringing Kata to Healthcare and Other Industries
We’re already applying our KCS training to new clients in the most practical of settings, including with the Quality Improvement Practitioner team at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust. This partnership is focused on helping the team achieve KCS certification for their Kata Coach programme, which aims to enhance problem-solving capabilities across the Trust’s healthcare services.
Graham added: “Our KCS-certified courses go beyond theoretical learning. Participants are encouraged to apply kata and scientific thinking directly in their own workplaces. By the end of the course, they’ll be equipped to act as certified Toyota Kata Coaches, ready to drive continuous improvement in their teams and help others to think scientifically and meet new challenges with confidence.”
Ready to Learn More?
If you’re interested in exploring how our Toyota Kata training and coaching programmes can support your organisation’s growth, we’d love to hear from you:
