A Look Back at the Lean 5.0 Introductory Workshop

EuraMaterials was pleased to organize, in collaboration with the Lille branch of ICAM,an introductory morning session on Lean 5.0forits member industrial SMEs on February 12.
The goal? To enable participating SMEs to gain hands-on experience with Lean principles, discover its fundamentals, and experiment with flow through an immersive serious game.

But what exactly is Lean 5.0?

Lean 5.0 is part of Industry 5.0, which places people at the heart of industrial transformation. More than just a method, it is an approach that combines performance, quality, and employee well-being, while incorporating the benefits of future-oriented industrial technologies.

In practical terms, Lean 5.0 enables companies to focus on what truly creates value for their customers, optimize their workflows and processes, and build their teams’ resilience in the face of operational challenges. It is a powerful tool for improving productivity, quality, and efficiency, while embedding continuous improvement as a core part of the company culture.

Did you know?
Lean actually has its roots in the textile industry! Thanks to Sakichi Toyoda, inventor of the first loom capable of stopping automatically if the thread breaks, embodying the concept of Jidoka (“automation with a human touch”). This fundamental principle now serves as the foundation for Lean 5.0, reminding us that performance and quality begin with attention to every step and to the human element.

A morning focused on hands-on practice

Following opening remarks by Johann Leost, Executive Director of ICAM Lille, Anne-Sophie Desjours, a Black Belt trainer and head of the Lean School, led the morning’s session. She guided participants through the core principles of Lean 5.0, combining theory with practical application to make the approach both tangible and inspiring.

This morning gave participants the opportunity to explore Lean 5.0 in all its aspects:

• Understanding how it acts as a driver of productivity,
• Mastering the fundamentals of Lean: performance, quality, and the distinction between value-added and non-value-added activities (Muda, Muri, Mura),
• Explore the importance of executive leadership’s commitment to getting managers and the executive committee on board,
• Experience the optimized production line firsthand through an immersive serious game.

Participants were thus able to familiarize themselves with the Excellence 5.0 platform and its digital tools, before sharing their feedback and questions during the closing session.

This morning provided an opportunity for everyone to share their experiences, reflect on how to engage their teams, and recognize that a Lean initiative isn’t limited to a single person or department, but rather represents a genuine culture that needs to be fostered throughout the company.

    “Implementing Lean without considering employee well-being is pointless.”

And if all of this could be experienced in such a tangible and inspiring way, it is thanks to the Lean School at ICAM Lille. Its role? To support companies in their pursuit of continuous improvement and to train teams to create more value with less stress and fewer resources.

The Lean School: Training and Supporting Businesses

🔎The ICAM Lille Lean Schoolsupports companies in implementing continuous improvement and offers practical, hands-on training to create more value with less stress, effort, and resources. Its mission is to train employees and support executive committees in their Lean transformation, with the vision of becoming a leading player in Operational Excellence 5.0. Its values—listening, high standards, boldness, respect, and kindness—guide all its initiatives.

The training takes place in a dedicated 200-square-meter space equipped with a Lean 5.0 excellence platform—the only one of its kind in the Hauts-de-France region—and a digitized production line. The facility, which is CTI- and QUALIOPI-certified, guarantees quality, professionalism, and total immersion in the world of Lean 5.0.

What’s next?
Did you miss this first session? No worries! If you’d like to learn about Lean 5.0 or train your employees in it, let our teams know!
We’re planning a second session in June, and you’ll be the first to know as soon as the date is set. Don’t want to wait? Contact Anne-Sophie DESJOURS, head of the Lean School, directly. 
With EuraMaterials and ICAM, continue to boost your company’s performance, engage your teams, and make concrete progress toward operational excellence—all while putting people at the heart of your projects.