Lean Office & Service Innovation - VI Edition
Lifelong Learning Course
Duration: 88 hours
Dates: 24/10/2025 – 26/3/2026 (approximately one day every two weeks)
Location: University Complex in Viale Margherita, 87 – Vicenza
Lesson dates: 24/10/2025 (9-18), 07/11/2025 (9-18), 21/11/2025 (9-18), 05/12/2025 (9-18), 16/01/2026 (9-18), 17/01/2026 (9-13), 30/01/2026 (9-18), 12/02/2026 (9-18), 13/02/2026 (9-13), 27/02/2026 (9-18), 13/03/2026 (9-18), 26/03/2026 (9-18).
Enrolment fee: 2.900,00 euro (VAT exempt)
Scientific Coordinator: Stefano Biazzo
Didactic Coordination: Federica Lago
Goals:
The distinctive feature of the course is that it integrates three perspectives:
- Lean optimization through the elimination of waste
- the creativity of Service Design for the radical innovation of processes and services
- Digitalization with Business Process Automation tools
The course is centered on an idea of action-oriented training and the promotion of change; As a result, conceptual and methodological insights are constantly integrated with analysis and simulation of practical cases of application in business realities.
The methodologies of Lean Management in the Office environment, combined with the tools of Design Thinking (ability to find hidden desires of customers, creative techniques, ability to experiment) and the digital technologies of Business Process Management & Automation, allow participants to be able to deal not only with continuous (incremental) improvement, but also with (radical) innovation of processes and services.
Recipients:
The course is aimed at specialists, consultants and managers who wish to become "agents of change" (Lean Agent), acquiring the skills necessary to manage continuous improvement initiatives and innovation of processes and services, in various business areas: administration, human resources, quality, purchasing, marketing & sales, technical office, assistance & customer service, information systems.
Syllabus:
MODULE 1: Lean Management: organizations with "high speed of improvement" (4 hours)
The first part of the module is dedicated to the presentation of the model of the 4 fundamental organizational skills that characterize lean organizations and that outline a well-defined "organizational culture". The second part is focused on the "as is" analysis of the organizational culture of a company/office, and the difficulties and strategies useful for managing cultural change, a critical issue in many Lean Transformation projects.
MODULE 2: Visual tools and methods to improve processes in offices (20 hours)
The module is dedicated to the presentation of tools and methods to map, analyze and improve processes in offices: Value Stream Mapping, Swim Lane/Makigami, Skill Matrix, Job Mapping, Work Sampling, Visual Management, Change Management techniques
MODULE 3: Problem solving techniques and improvement management with the A3 method (16 hours)
The logic and the A3 method for the management of problems and the process of improvement and learning are deepened:
- Four Types of Problems
- The A3 methodology
- Root cause analysis tools
- Selecting Countermeasures
MODULE 4: Lean Office Simulation (12 hours)
Lean Office Simulation is an experiential training that offers participants the opportunity to experiment with the use of some important business improvement tools and to verify, through direct practice, the power of applying the principles of Lean Thinking in the redesign of a (transactional) office process.
MODULE 5: Business Process Management & Automation: Lean thinking in the era of Digital Transformation (12 hours)
Digital technologies are rapidly becoming more effective and simple in modeling, analyzing, measuring, and improving/automating business processes. In this module, business Process management software tools will be examined in order to understand the potential and the correct methods of implementation; Process Mining, Process Modeling & Simulation, Process Automation (digital workflow automation) tools will be tested.
MODULE 6: Service Design Thinking & Innovation (16 hours)
In this module, the methodology of Design Thinking and the principles that underpin it to innovate in the world of services will be explored and tested, and the typical tools of Service Design such as: Personas, Journey Map, Service Blueprint, System Map, Service Ecosystem will be explored
MODULE 7: Creative Thinking: Beyond Continuous Improvement (8 hours)
The dynamics of creative thinking and the fundamental rules in the management of creative problem-solving sessions will be explored.
The value of some highly effective creative techniques will also be experienced live:
- The Breaking of the Paradigm
- The Search for Paradoxes
- The 10 verbs
- Commodity sectors
- multilevel production
Teachers:
- Stefano Biazzo, Department of Industrial Systems Technology and Management, University of Padova
- Roberto Panizzolo, Department of Industrial Systems Technology and Management, University of Padova
- Ilaria Bruni, Senior Partner, Considi Spa
- Roberto Ronzani, Delegate and President, Lean Management Institute
- Federica Lago, Senior Consultant, FLConsulenza
- Alessandro Garofalo, Senior Consultant, Garofalo & Idee Associate
- Serena Leonardi, Senior Service Designer & Founder, Amploom
- Luciano Balzarini, Managing Director, Horsa Flow
- Gianpaolo Lazzer, Senior Consultant, Strategy Innovation
Registration and payment methods:
Write to stefano.biazzo@unipd.it, attaching the Curriculum Vitae and the enrolment form
The instructions for the payment of the enrolment fee will be communicated at the time of confirmation of the activation of the course.
Registration deadline: 13 October 2025
For information:
stefano.biazzo@unipd.it
Lifelong Learning Courses