Lean manager to manufacturing manager
A lean manager already meets 16% of what the manufacturing manager role asks for. The move turns on 17 required skills not yet in the profile.
86/ 100
1 How much of what a manufacturing manager is expected to do is already part of a lean manager’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the manufacturing manager role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A manufacturing manager role treats 4 of its required skills as things a lean manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- analyse production processes for improvement
- lean manufacturing
- production processes
- schedule production
What stands in the way is 17 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A manufacturing manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a lean manager background worth leading with.
- already held production engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held lean manufacturing business, administration and law
- already held schedule production management skills
- already held leadership principles generic programmes and qualifications
- already held industrial research and development engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held identify process improvements management skills
All 12 carried skills, including the 4 the manufacturing manager role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 70 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn define manufacturing quality criteria required
- still to learn manage production systems required
- still to learn optimise production required
- still to learn coordinate manufacturing production activities required
- still to learn create manufacturing guidelines required
- still to learn develop manufacturing policies required
- still to learn manage budgets required
- still to learn manage production enterprise required
- still to learn manage staff required
- still to learn manage supplies required
- still to learn meet deadlines required
- still to learn plan manufacturing processes required
- still to learn strive for company growth required
- optional, not held manage factory operations optional
- optional, not held perform product planning optional
- optional, not held adapt production levels optional
- optional, not held adjust production schedule optional
- optional, not held check material resources optional
- optional, not held control production optional
- optional, not held cope with manufacturing deadlines pressure optional
- optional, not held develop staff optional
- optional, not held disaggregate the production plan optional
- optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
- optional, not held ensure equipment maintenance optional
- optional, not held ensure finished product meet requirements optional
- optional, not held evaluate employees work optional
- optional, not held improve business processes optional
- optional, not held oversee logistics of finished products optional
- optional, not held oversee production requirements optional
- optional, not held perform project management optional
- optional, not held plan shifts of employees optional
- optional, not held recruit employees optional
- optional, not held recruit personnel optional
- optional, not held schedule regular machine maintenance optional
- still to learn adhere to organisational guidelines required
- still to learn follow company standards required
- optional, not held ensure compliance with environmental legislation optional
- optional, not held ensure compliance with safety legislation optional
- optional, not held oversee quality control optional
- still to learn manufacturing processes required
- still to learn sustainable manufacturing required
- optional, not held good manufacturing practices optional
- optional, not held engineering principles optional
- optional, not held environmental management standards optional
- optional, not held maintain relationship with customers optional
- optional, not held advise on sustainable management policies optional
- optional, not held align efforts towards business development optional
- optional, not held communicate production plan optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
- optional, not held implement strategic planning optional
- optional, not held liaise with quality assurance optional
- optional, not held manage workflow processes optional
- optional, not held negotiate terms with suppliers optional
- optional, not held negotiate with stakeholders optional
- optional, not held optimise production processes parameters optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- optional, not held keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes optional
- optional, not held analyse supply chain strategies optional
- optional, not held inspect quality of products optional
- optional, not held manage manufacturing documentation optional
- optional, not held manage stocked company material optional
- optional, not held monitor manufacturing quality standards optional
- optional, not held monitor plant production optional
- optional, not held report on production results optional
- optional, not held innovation processes optional
- optional, not held investment analysis optional
- optional, not held business management principles optional
- optional, not held quality standards optional
- optional, not held risk management optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a manufacturing manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 define manufacturing quality criteria practise this
- 02 manage production systems practise this
- 03 optimise production practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 12 skills that carry over
- already held analyse production processes for improvement skill
- already held lean manufacturing knowledge
- already held production processes knowledge
- already held schedule production skill
- already held analyse business plans skill
- already held identify process improvements skill
- already held industrial research and development knowledge
- already held leadership principles knowledge
- already held liaise with managers skill
- already held perform data analysis skill
- already held production engineering knowledge
- already held supply chain management knowledge
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held use IT tools optional
53 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held good manufacturing practices optional
- optional, not held innovation processes optional
- optional, not held investment analysis optional
- optional, not held keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes optional
- optional, not held maintain relationship with customers optional
- optional, not held manage factory operations optional
- optional, not held perform product planning optional
- optional, not held adapt production levels optional
- optional, not held adjust production schedule optional
- optional, not held advise on sustainable management policies optional
- optional, not held align efforts towards business development optional
- optional, not held analyse supply chain strategies optional
- optional, not held business management principles optional
- optional, not held check material resources optional
- optional, not held communicate production plan optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
- optional, not held control production optional
- optional, not held cope with manufacturing deadlines pressure optional
- optional, not held develop staff optional
- optional, not held disaggregate the production plan optional
- optional, not held engineering principles optional
- optional, not held ensure compliance with environmental legislation optional
- optional, not held ensure compliance with safety legislation optional
- optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
- optional, not held ensure equipment maintenance optional
- optional, not held ensure finished product meet requirements optional
- optional, not held environmental management standards optional
- optional, not held evaluate employees work optional
- optional, not held implement strategic planning optional
- optional, not held improve business processes optional
- optional, not held inspect quality of products optional
- optional, not held liaise with quality assurance optional
- optional, not held manage manufacturing documentation optional
- optional, not held manage stocked company material optional
- optional, not held manage workflow processes optional
- optional, not held monitor manufacturing quality standards optional
- optional, not held monitor plant production optional
- optional, not held negotiate terms with suppliers optional
- optional, not held negotiate with stakeholders optional
- optional, not held optimise production processes parameters optional
13 further entries not listed here
44 held skills the manufacturing manager role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role 5S methodology knowledge
- not needed by the target role Agile project management knowledge
- not needed by the target role SMED knowledge
- not needed by the target role accounting knowledge
- not needed by the target role act reliably skill
- not needed by the target role adjust priorities skill
- not needed by the target role advise on efficiency improvements skill
- not needed by the target role analyse business processes skill
- not needed by the target role analyse internal factors of companies skill
- not needed by the target role apply change management skill
- not needed by the target role assess quality of services skill
- not needed by the target role consult information sources skill
- not needed by the target role consumer goods industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role continuous improvement philosophies knowledge
- not needed by the target role create a work atmosphere of continuous improvement skill
- not needed by the target role define organisational standards skill
- not needed by the target role develop corporate training programmes skill
- not needed by the target role hire human resources skill
- not needed by the target role hoshin kanri strategic planning knowledge
- not needed by the target role identify necessary human resources skill
- not needed by the target role identify processes for re-engineering skill
- not needed by the target role international business knowledge
- not needed by the target role lead process optimisation skill
- not needed by the target role logistics knowledge
- not needed by the target role make data-driven decisions skill
- not needed by the target role manage a team skill
- not needed by the target role manage corrective actions skill
- not needed by the target role manage medium term objectives skill
- not needed by the target role manage personal professional development skill
- not needed by the target role manage production changeovers skill
- not needed by the target role manage resources skill
- not needed by the target role management consulting knowledge
- not needed by the target role mass customisation knowledge
- not needed by the target role motivate employees skill
- not needed by the target role operations management knowledge
- not needed by the target role project management knowledge
- not needed by the target role report on overall management of a business skill
- not needed by the target role revise quality control systems documentation skill
- not needed by the target role root cause analysis knowledge
- not needed by the target role set quality assurance objectives skill
4 further entries not listed here
10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn manufacturing processes required
- still to learn sustainable manufacturing required
- optional, not held good manufacturing practices optional
- optional, not held innovation processes optional
- optional, not held investment analysis optional
- optional, not held business management principles optional
- optional, not held engineering principles optional
- optional, not held environmental management standards optional
- optional, not held quality standards optional
- optional, not held risk management optional
Common questions about this move
Can a lean manager become a manufacturing manager?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A lean manager already covers 16% of what a manufacturing manager is expected to do: 12 skills carry over, 4 of which the manufacturing manager role treats as required.
What skills does a lean manager need to become a manufacturing manager?
17 required skills are missing, plus 53 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by management skills. The single most important is define manufacturing quality criteria.
How hard is the move from lean manager to manufacturing manager?
Its learning distance is 86 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.