top of page
hero-5S-course.jpg

Online Area Patrol Training Course 

Master the ability to spot and solve issues before they become costly problems with this hands-on Lean course. 

 

Catch abnormalities early and prevent downtime 

✓ Solve problems fast, stopping them from escalating 

✓ Foster a culture of continuous improvement 

✓ Develop practical, shop-floor skills you can use right away 

✓ Learn from real-world examples taught by industry experts 

✓ Equip yourself with essential skills for long-term career growth

Price:          £419*

Duration:   4 hours

 

*Multi-seat and annual subscriptions available

Silver Award winner at the 2022

What is Area Patrol?

Area Patrol can broadly be broken down into three key areas:  

  1. Routine Inspection - Area Patrol is all about regular walkarounds where team leaders check out key areas, equipment, and processes to spot any issues or abnormalities early on. 

  2. Problem Solving - It gives your team the power to not just notice problems, but jump in and fix them on the spot with quick actions. 

  3. Sustained Improvement - Area Patrol helps build a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging everyone to tackle small issues before they turn into bigger headaches.

area-1.png

Why Area Patrol matters

Area Patrol isn’t just about inspections—it’s a proactive approach that focuses on preventing issues before they escalate and empowering your team to take ownership in keeping operations running smoothly.

Prevent downtime 

Area Patrol acts as an 'early warning system,' catching small issues before they become major problems that disrupt production

By spotting wear and tear, unusual noises, or overheating during patrols, you can schedule maintenance before a breakdown happens

Improve efficiency 

Identify bottlenecks causing employee 'wait’ time

Spot an increase in excess inventory

Running regular checks helps maintain consistent standards

Empower your teams 

Help team leaders stay in control with less need for crisis support

Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team

Enhance Safety Procedures 

Quickly address safety issues like blocked exits, spills, or improper PPE use

Reinforce safety as a daily priority with consistent Area Patrol checks

Identify where SOPs are not being followed leading to inefficient workflows

area-2.png
area-3.png

Always stay one step ahead with our Area Patrol course

In the SempaiGuide Area Patrol course, we bring the gemba to life, showing you how to improve safety, boost quality, ensure on-time delivery, and reduce costs—right on the shop floor. 

This course is structured into 9 interactive, bitesize sections that are easy to fit into your workday. Throughout the course, you’ll: 

  • Sharpen your ability to spot and respond to issues before they escalate 

  • Master the art of running balanced patrols across safety, quality, delivery, cost, people, and the environment (SQDCPE) 

  • Empower your team to actively identify and address abnormalities 

  • Cut costs by tackling inefficiencies and potential problems early 

  • Maintain high standards and continuously improve your operations

Area Patrol Course Outline

With real-world examples, expert insights, and hands-on exercises, this course equips you with the tools and confidence to quickly identify and address problems directly on the shop floor.

 

It’s designed to fit right into your workday, so you can start, pause, and pick up whenever it works best for you.

01.

Area Patrol Introduction

watch_edited.png
watch_edited.png
read_edited.png

What’s in it for me? 

The Shopfloor Leaders Job 

The 4 control skills of Shopfloor Leaders 

What's the point of patrolling your area? 

The 4 Core Skills of a Shopfloor Leader 

S&E Download

test_edited.png
watch_edited.png
read_edited.png

02.

Problem v Abnormality 

watch_edited.png

Problem or Abnormality 

Spot the Abnormality 

Abnormality or problem? 

Looking but not seeing 

question-icon_edited.png
question-icon_edited.png
question-icon_edited.png

03.

Your Patrol Before 

Walk your patch 

Diagnosing where your eye balance is

test_edited.png
bar_edited.png

04.

The Top 1% Safety & Environment 

read_edited.png
read_edited.png

An effective Area Patrol 

Safety 

Safety: Problems to look out for 

Environment 

Environment: Problems to look out for 

Walk your patch: S & E 

S & E Diagnosing where your eye balance is 

test_edited.png
read_edited.png
read_edited.png
bar_edited.png
read_edited.png

05.

The Top 1% Quality & Delivery 

read_edited.png
read_edited.png

Quality 

Quality: Problems to look out for 

Checking an Actual Part 

Checking an Actual Part: Problems to look out for 

Monitoring Defect Bins/Boxes 

  Delivery 

Plan v Actual Progress: Problems to look out for 

Delivery: Inventory Levels 

Inventory Levels: Problems to look out for 

Walk your patch: Q & D 

Q & D Diagnosing where your eye balance is 

Q&D Download  

test_edited.png
read_edited.png
watch_edited.png
read_edited.png
read_edited.png
read_edited.png
read_edited.png
read_edited.png
test_edited.png
bar_edited.png

06.

The Top 1% Cost & People 

read_edited.png

Cost 

Cost: Problems to look out for 

People 

People: Problems to look out for 

Walk your patch: C & P 

C & P Diagnosing where your eye balance is 

C&P Download

test_edited.png
read_edited.png
read_edited.png
read_edited.png
bar_edited.png
test_edited.png
test_edited.png

07.

Your Patrol After 

Duration: 3 mins

read_edited.png

Walking your patch 

Walking your patch round-up 

Walk your patch: SEQDCP  

A full SEQDCP Patrol 

Before vs After 

watch_edited.png
bar_edited.png
test_edited.png

08.

Handling Abnormalities

09.

The End

Duration: 4 mins

read_edited.png
certificate_edited.png
comment_edited.png

Congratulations 

Certificate 

Let us know what you think

How will you handle it? 

How did they do? 

watch_edited.png
test_edited.png

SempaiGuide Case Studies 

£2.4k labour productivity saving in 1 week 

for Electrical Components Group 
oCnqKm.png

78% reduction in cycle time 

for Japanese Automotive Manufacturer 
HD79d5.png

81% more abnormalities found 

for Medical Products Group 

The SempaiGuide Approach

With 25 years of global Lean experience and insights from today’s industry leaders, SempaiGuide courses are crafted to transform your manufacturing operations and equip you with essential skills for career growth.

Learn 

with real-world examples

We start with why it is vital to spot and respond to issues before they escalate before guiding you through how to run your own Area Patrol.  

Apply

directly on the shop floor 

The simple “give it a try” approach creates a fundamental shift in behaviour, developing sustainable skills for employees and employers to achieve their goals.

Track

the impact in real-time 

In-situ improvements are captured throughout the course with built-in improvement trackers for quantifiable ROI. ​

Why choose an Area Patrol course from Sempai? 

100% of team leaders love or like the courses 

Based on 50 users across 10 businesses in 5 manufacturing sectors  

icon-results.png

Immediate, tangible SQDCPE results

Each course features built-in improvement trackers for immediate, quantifiable results aligned to SQDCPE targets

icon-leaders.png

Building the leaders of tomorrow 

Each course, fosters a culture of continuous improvement whilst embedding essential skills for career advancement

icon-shop-floor.png

Lean learning, on the shop floor 

We understand that shop floor employees face frequent interruptions, so SempaiGuide courses are designed to seamlessly integrate into the natural flow of the working day on the shop floor.

icon-tailored.png

Tailored to unique sector challenges 

Interviews with Team Leaders and other industry experts are used to shape each course and post-course feedback is used for ongoing improvement.

icon-engage.png

Improved course engagement 

Instant feedback loops provide positive reinforcement, improving course completion rates and scores.

Looking for additional support? 

Sempai-guide-plus-logo.png

SempaiGuide Plus is a blended offering, giving you access to an annual subscription of Lean courses plus additional virtual support from our team which includes: 

  • Remote check-ins 

  • Q&A sessions 

  • Guidance on a scenario you want to address 

 

Our customers find that regular check-ins and reviews, with targeted support, help to embed lean habits and sustain great results from the team.  

Sempai-guide-plus-mockup.png
sempai-consulting.png
sempai-consult-logo.png

Sempai consulting is a truly bespoke option where you can draw heavily on our expertise to work alongside you and your team to tackle a range of projects including:

  • Senior management coaching to grow and embed a strong, high performing lean culture throughout your business

  • Support for HR with employee development i.e. performance reviews and talent identification at all levels

  • Development pathways across all levels in Operations Management, from Operator to Operations Director, Materials Management, Engineering, Quality & Maintenance

Achieve more with Sempai 

1,000+ people​ in 100+ businesses 

upskilled in Lean

25
Years

of Lean Transformation Experience

Award Winning Content 

Learning Technologies Awards 2022
  • Q. Can I track my/my employee’s progress?
    A. Yes! You will have a login which provides you an overview of your progress through the course and your score. A certificate is awarded at the end of the course but the focus is centered around the in-built trackers that showcase the real-world results achieved from implementing the 5s principles.
  • Q. How much time am I going to have to invest? 
    A. The course length varies but typically takes 10 hours to complete which includes the practical application. The course heavily focuses on the practical application of the 5s skills. We have designed the courses to work alongside you during the normal working day on the shop floor. It is broken down into bitesize sections, with the added option to pause at any point, making it easier to 'pick up and put down' where you left off.
  • Q. What if I want additional support?
    A. SempaiGuide Plus gives you access to the online course plus additional in-person or virtual support from our team of experts. Over the years we have supported organisations and individuals with a vast array of projects from the creation of employee development pathways to ongoing coaching to develop Lean strategy across the business.
  • Q. Will it deliver sustainable change?
    A. Each course is developed using an active learning approach within a 'micro-learning' framework, proven to deliver tangible, long-lasting results. If unsure if this course is right for you, we offer a free trial of one of the course sections.
  • Q. What if staff leave the business – will I have to start again?
    A. Absolutely not! From a practical perspective, if you've purchased a course for several team members and someone leaves, you can easily transfer the course to someone else. When it comes to making changes, a key part of all SempaiGuide courses is demonstrating how to standardise these improvements so they become a natural part of your business workflow. Additionally, embedding Lean principles across your organisation not only improves workflow and safety but also helps reduce staff turnover. By enhancing work-life balance, involving employees in decision-making, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, Lean practices reduce burnout, increase employee loyalty, and support career development.
  • Q. I’m concerned employees just won’t use the course.
    A. From a study of 50 users across 10 businesses in 5 different sectors, we found a 95% course completion rate, with 100% of team leaders recommending our courses. We offer free demos and trials, so if you're unsure, why not try it out for yourself!
  • Q. How does the cost compare to the results achieved?
    A. Our courses are designed to be flexible, with on-demand courses starting at just £419 with up to 7x ROI achieved often after just one pass of the course. 5s, as part of team leader development, has led to promotion of team leaders to fill the talent pipeline.

Latest news & resources

bottom of page