LITA Lean IT Foundation

The LITA Lean IT Foundation certification helps candidates in building the fundamental knowledge required for supporting a Lean strategy in IT organizations. In this, candidates will learn and understand the Lean philosophy, how Lean looks at processes to reduce waste, measuring performance and more. However, the Lean IT Foundation also helps IT organizations, ensuring to provide their customers with the best possible services. With understanding customer value, the processes delivering value, managing performance, organizing, and the required attitude and behaviour, IT organizations are helping to develop a continuous improvement mind-set.

Prerequisites for the Exam

Lean IT Foundation exam is designed for managers or IT professionals working in organizations that would benefit from adopting a Lean approach. Moreover, it is recommended that the candidates should have a background of 2 to 3 years’ experience in the field of IT service management.

Learning Objectives: LITA Exam

For the LITA Lean IT Foundation exam learning objectives are provided to understand the concepts for the exam. However, a classification that is widely used when designing assessments for certification and education is Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. This categorizes the learning objectives into six ascending learning levels defining a higher degree of competencies and skills.

Generic Definition from Learning Outcomes

Knowing about the key facts, terms, and concepts from the manual/ guidance
Understanding key concepts from the manual/ guidance
Applying key concepts relating to the syllabus area for a given scenario
Analyzing and distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate use of the method/ guidance for a given scenario situation

Qualification Learning Outcomes

Knowing facts, including terms, concepts, principles, tools and techniques from the Lean IT Foundation curriculum
Understanding the concepts, principles, and dimensions of Lean IT and can explain how these are applied.

Exam details

For the LITA Lean IT Foundation exam questions, there will be 40 multiple-choice questions that have to be completed in a time duration of one hour. This exam is a foundation level exam in which candidates have to score a minimum of 65% to pass the exam. This exam will provide 2 ECTS credits. However, the exam can be given in English, Japanese, Spanish, Brazilian, Portuguese and Chinese languages. The exam will cost 207$ USD.

Taking the LITA Exam: EXIN Anywhere

For taking the LITA Lean IT Foundation exam candidates can use EXIN Anywhere. This is an online exam service that lets you save time and effort by not having to travel to an exam center. That is to say, you can sit your exam at home, at the office or any other space where you will not be disturbed.

Course Structure

The LITA Lean IT Foundation certification exam covers the following topics:

Topic 1: Introduction

1.1 knowing about the historical development of Lean, the key principles underlying Lean and the dimensions for structuring Lean IT.

development of Lean and the importance of the Toyota Production System.
key principles underlying Lean like customer value, value stream, flow, pull, perfection
concepts of waste (muda), variability (mura) and overburden (muri)
explaining activities like Value-Add, Necessary Non-Value-Add, Non-Value-Add, particularly related to specific IT activities like solving incidents, developing applications, testing
Planning-Do-Check-Act cycle as the generic method for quality improvement
Definition of Lean IT
Dimensions of Lean IT such as Customer, Process, Performance, Organization and Behavior & Attitude
Key ‘players’ Shingo Prize, Lean IT Association, author community

1.2 Understanding the following aspects dealt with in the Introduction

Lean principles
identifying types of waste within an IT organization or process
Price of poor quality and reasons for using Lean Principles for improving performance
Types of activities like ability to define what IT activities fall into which category
ability to explain how the PDCA cycle works on the most basic level
understanding where Lean IT differs from and complements other methods. The connection of Lean IT with IT service management is specifically investigated.

Topic 2: Customer

2.1 Knowing the key components of the Customer dimension

Voice of the Customer (VoC) and the types of customers
Types of customer value
concept of Critical to Quality (CTQ)
Ways for analyzing the Voice of the Customer
Sources of continuous improvement opportunities such as Voice of the Customer, Voice of Business, Voice of the Process, Voice of the Regulator

2.2 Understanding the following aspects related to the Customer

Types of customer value and the factors that influence customer value
The link between the Voice of the Customer and Critical to Quality
constructing a Critical to Quality tree

Topic 3: Process

3.1 Knowing the key aspects of the Process dimension

Definition of process and the basic processes in an organization
Key components of a process like goal, result, input, throughput, output, customer,
concepts of Push and Pull, including justifiable inventory to ensure reduction of variation
SIPOC model
The key aspects of a Value Stream Map (VSM), including the identification of waste in the VSM and adding metrics to the VSM
The most important metrics in a process: Cycle time,Takt time, Lead time, Waiting time, Changeover time, Work in Progress, Parallel Lines, Throughput, Capacity
Value improvement in processes: possible sources of improvements including specifically heijunka and 5S
The concepts of value demand and failure demand and the related value and failure streams

3.2 Understanding the following aspects of the Process dimension

Relationship of process (Value stream) with the other Lean principles
The difference between Push and Pull systems
The steps for creating a Value Stream Map, using SIPOC and Value Stream Map
Waste in a Value Stream Map, ability to identify the symbols for the TIMWOOD waste
Explain the SIPOC and VSM using IT examples
The difference between value and failure demand within IT

Topic 4: Performance

4.1 Knowing the key aspects of the Performance dimension

Definition of performance, as compared to a result
Definition and requirements for a key performance indicator (KPI)
The concept of Process Cycle Efficiency (PCE) as a method for understanding time usage.
understanding the availability of skills and knowledge.
The combination of Performance indicators, Time and Skills & Knowledge to steer performance

4.2 Understanding the following aspects of the Performance dimension

Relationship of performance with the PDCA cycle
The key aspects of a KPI
Why time is the most important production factor within IT
The relationship of PCE with VSM
The role of skills and knowledge in ensuring performance

Topic 5: Organization

5.1 Knowing the key aspects of the Organization dimension

Organizational requirements for Lean IT structuring for customer orientation, empowerment of frontline to act in delivery of value to customers and speed of communication through the organization
customer orientation and speed of communication
Goal of management to empower employees
Concept and components of the performance dialogue
Concept and goals of visual management including use of boards\
Explain the concept of Kanban and its role in visual management

5.2 Understanding the following aspects of the Organization dimension

Why organizations need to be customer-oriented
What is the goal of a performance dialogue
using each of the visual management boards– day board, week board and Kaizen/improvement board

Topic 6: Behavior & Attitude

6.1 Knowing the key aspects of the Behavior & Attitude dimension

Characteristics of the Lean mindset, Empowerment of the individual to stop the production line (Jidoka/Andon)
Types of Lean behavior, Quality at the source
role of managers within a Lean environment
Lean Leadership
Valley of despair in relation to people’s expectations over time (Kubler-Ross)

6.2 Understanding the following aspects of the Behavior & Attitude dimension

The difference between behavior and attitude 10.1
The difference between traditional management and Lean management
The behavior and attitude required for successful use of Lean
Behavior and Attitude in relation to expectations surrounding a change in way of working

Topic 7: Problem Solving / Kaizen

7.1 Knowing the key aspects of Problem Solving / Kaizen

Definition of Kaizen and Kaikaku as the two forms of improvement within Lean
Overview of steps in the DMAIC method
Define phase: Definition of a problem
Definition of a Pareto chart and its use
Definition of an Ishikawa (Fishbone) diagram and its use
Why method for root cause analysis
Improve phase: inputs for future state: VoC (Voice of the Customer), VoB (Voice of the Business), VoP (Voice of the Process), VoR (Voice of the Regulator)
explain Poka Yoke as a way to stop mistakes from happening
A3 method

7.2 Understanding the following aspects of Problem Solving / Kaizen

Which tools from the other dimensions are used in which phase of the DMAIC cycle
Prioritization of improvement candidates through feasibility and impact in determining both which problems to solve with a Kaizen and which solutions to implement at the Improve step of the Kaizen

Exam Reference: LITA Lean IT Foundation Study Guide

Exam Policies

EXIN is a driver for professional growth that aspires to continually evolve and develop as an organization. However, being a leading provider of certification programs, it provides exam policies to ensure that potential candidates are able to derive a positive outcome. The vendor makes sure that candidates are familiar with the exam procedures and policies before the actual exam.

For More Visit: LITA Lean IT Foundation Certification Exam FAQs

Preparation guide for LITA Lean IT Foundation Exam

LITA Lean IT Foundation Preparation guide

Exam Training

Candidates who want to get certified with EXIN for the Lean IT Foundation exam can choose from several different ways to pass this certification exam. EXIN helps candidates to find the right way to earn the certification by offering various ways that include:

LITA Lean IT Foundation Training and Exam
eLearning and Exam
Virtual Classroom Training and Exam
Self-study and Online Exam
Exam Only

Study Guide

There is a study guide provided for the Lean IT Foundation exam to understand the basics concepts and other details involved with the exam. However, the LITA Lean IT Foundation study guide documents the learning outcomes of the Lean IT Foundation and describes the requirements a candidate is expected to meet for demonstrating that these learning outcomes have been achieved. The target audience for this document is:

Lean IT Association Exam Board
Accredited Training Organizations
Persons seeking Lean IT Foundation certification

Exam References

For the Lean IT Foundation exam, various exam references are provided to help candidates during the exam preparation. However, it is recommended that the candidates who study the reference to create a more fundamental and deeper understanding. The references include:

For detailed understanding of Lean Six Sigma tools:

Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook (chapters 1-4, 9) by Michael L. George et al

For understanding how Lean can be applied within the IT environment:

Lean IT, Enabling and sustaining Your Lean Transformation by Steven C. Bell and Michael A. Orzen

To get deeper understanding of Flow

This is Lean Authors by Niklas Modig & Pär Åhlström

For background on the origins of Lean

The Toyota Way by Jeffrey K. Liker

Detail on the behavioral aspects of Lean

Creating a Lean Culture by David Mann

Online Study Groups

One thing that will be beneficial during the exam preparation time is to join study groups. As these groups will help you to stay connected with the other people who are on the same pathway as yours. Moreover, here you can start any discussion about the issue related to the exam or any query. By doing so, you will get the best possible answer to your query.

Practice Tests

This can be a very essential part that can help you to prepare better for the exam. That is to say, LITA Lean IT Foundation practice exam tests are important as by assessing yourself with these tests you will know about your weak and strong areas. However, by practicing you will be able to improve your answering skills that will result in saving a lot of time. Moreover, the best way to start doing practice tests is after completing one full topic as this will work as a revision part for you. So, make sure to find the best practice sources. Try Free LITA Lean IT Foundation Practice Exam Test Now!