Lean Certification Core Reference Material
The Lean Certification exam questions are based on and validated from these sources. The exam is open book
format. In addition to the reference material listed below, you can bring and use any additional lean resource
materials. However, any exam question appeals will be referenced to the materials listed below.
Lean Knowledge Certificate and Lean Bronze Certification
You can purchase the entire Lean Bronze Certification book package at a reduced rate.
Masaaki, Imai (2012). Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense Approach to a Continuous Improvement Strategy
(Second Ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw Hill Companies. ISBN: 978-0071790352
The previous version, Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense, Low-Cost Approach to Management (ISBN: 9780070314467), is also acceptable.
Pascal, Dennis (2007). Lean Production Simplified: A Plain-Language Guide to the World's Most Powerful
Production System (Second Ed.). New York, NY: Productivity Press. ISBN: 978-1563273568
The previous version, Lean Production Simplified: A Plain-Language Guide to the World's Most Powerful
Production System (ISBN: 978-1563272622), is also acceptable.
Womack, James P. and Jones, Daniel T. (2003). Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your
Corporation (Second Ed.). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc. ISBN: 978-0743249270
Rother, Mike and Shook, John (2003). Learning to See: Value Stream Mapping to Add Value and Eliminate
MUDA. Cambridge, MA: The Lean Enterprise Institute. ISBN: 978-0966784305
Lean Silver Certification
You can purchase the entire Lean Silver Certification book package at a reduced rate.
Mascitelli, Ronald (2004). The Lean Design Guidebook: Everything Your Product Development Team Needs to
Slash Manufacturing Cost. Northridge, CA: Technology Perspectives. ISBN: 978-0966269727
Lareau, William (2002). Office Kaizen: Transforming Office Operations into a Strategic Competitive Advantage.
Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Quality Press. ISBN: 978-0873895569
Maskell, Brian H., Baggaley, Bruce, and Grasso, Larry (2011). Practical Lean Accounting: A Proven System for
Measuring and Managing the Lean Enterprise (Second Ed.). Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN: 9781439817162
Cunningham, Jean E. and Fiume, Orest (2003). Real Numbers: Management Accounting in a Lean Organization.
Durham, NC: Managing Times Press. ISBN: 978-0972809900
Liker, Jeffrey (2003). The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer. New
York, NY: The McGraw Hill Companies. ISBN: 978-0071392310
Ohno, Taiichi (1988). Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production. Portland, OR: Productivity, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0915299140
Lean Gold Certification
You can purchase the entire Lean Gold Certification book package at a reduced rate.
Mann, David (2010). Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions (Second Ed.). New York, NY:
Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN: 978-1439811412
Womack, James P. and Jones, Daniel T (2005). Lean Solutions: How Companies and Customers Can Create
Value and Wealth Together. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc. ISBN: 978-0743277785
Henderson, Bruce A and Larco, Jorge L. (1999). Lean Transformation: How to Change Your Business into a Lean
Enterprise. Richmond, VA: The Oaklea Press. ISBN: 978-0964660120
Hawken, Paul, Lovins, Amory, and Lovins, L. Hunter (2000). Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial
Revolution. New York, NY: Little, Brown & Company (Hachette Book Group). ISBN: 978-0316353007
Ford, Henry (2003). Today and Tomorrow: Commemorative Edition of Ford’s 1926 Classic. Boca Raton, FL:
Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN: 978-0915299362
Supplemental Reading
The Shingo Model™
Shingo Institute Challenge for the Research and Professional Publication Award
Graban, Mark (2011). Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Engagement (Second
Ed.). Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN: 978-1439870433