Operations & Supply Chain

Map and Analyse a Real Business Process

Elective. Choose a real operational workflow — order fulfilment, patient intake, onboarding, manufacturing line — and map it end to end. Measure the time and cost at each step. A person who works in or manages the operation must review your map for accuracy.

Identify a Bottleneck and Propose an Improvement

Elective. Use data from the mapped process (or a new operation) to identify the primary bottleneck. Propose an improvement with a before/after metric plan. An operations professional reviews your analysis and confirms both the diagnosis and the proposal are grounded in real operational logic.

Conduct a Supply Chain Audit

Elective. Audit the end-to-end supply chain for a real product or service. Map every stage from raw material to final delivery. Identify ≥3 vulnerabilities (cost, lead time, single-source risk). Verify at least one with a supplier or operator interview. Proof includes the map, the vulnerabilities, and the interview record.

Complete Six Sigma Green Belt

Elective. Complete a Six Sigma Green Belt certification using the DMAIC methodology on a real process improvement problem. The DMAIC project deliverable — a real process with measurable before/after data — is the proof, not the certificate alone.

Build an Operations Metrics Dashboard

Elective. Build a dashboard tracking real operational KPIs for a real business or department. Include at least one non-obvious insight derived from the data — something that would change a decision. A person in the operation validates that the metrics are meaningful and the insight is non-trivial.

Free MIT course materials on operations management fundamentals. Good theoretical grounding before applying frameworks to a real organisation.

The ASQ CSSGB is one of the most recognised Six Sigma credentials. Their body of knowledge document is a useful study guide regardless of which certification you pursue.

Free tier available. Drag-and-drop process mapping tool. Industry standard for creating BPMN and swimlane diagrams that practitioners can review and annotate.