About Lean IT Certification
Overview
Lean IT Training and Certification
Certify your ability to:
Benefits of Lean IT Certification
For Individuals
- Gain knowledge of Lean principles and how to apply them in IT contexts.
- Develop skills in using Lean IT analysis tools.
- Increase ability to identify and eliminate waste in processes.
- Enhance professional credibility through a recognized certification.
- Broaden career opportunities in IT service management, governance, and operations.
- Acquire insights into how Lean IT can drive customer value, making your role more strategically important.
For Organizations
- Eliminate wasteful practices across IT operations, improving efficiency and Return on Investment (ROI).
- Drive IT’s transformation from a support function to a central role in delivering customer value.
- Increase customer satisfaction and retention by improving service delivery.
- Achieve greater strategic and financial value through streamlined processes.
- Encourage a culture of continuous improvement (Kaizen) in IT.
- Align IT operations more closely with business goals and governance standards.
- Strengthen organizational capability to compete and innovate in a digital economy.
Documentation
Documentation
Success in 1 2 3
Over 2.6 million people in 192 countries have an APMG certification. Our certifications are used by 80% of the FTSE 100 and a third of the Fortune 500 and S&P 500, and are proven to deliver better outcomes.
Select your certification
APMG certifications can advance your career, build your confidence and help you transition into a new field. Browse our careers section for inspiration or visit our certification pages for details of what you’ll learn and how you will benefit from certification.
Choose your learning style
APMG is not a training provider. Please contact accredited training organization's listed on our website for prices and dates. Alternatively, you can self-study for an exam directly through APMG.
Pass the exam & receive a certificate
When you are ready to take your exam, book an online timeslot yourself with APMG, or your training organization may organize this for you. If you pass your exam APMG will issue you with a digital badge for you to share!
Lean IT Certification levels
Ready to start your learning journey?
Choose a Training Organization
APMG accredits Training Organizations (ATOs) to make sure they are delivering our products and certifications to high standards.
Buy a training course and exam through one of our Training Organizations below.
Self-study
Buy your book and exam from APMG
Training organizations for Lean IT Certification
Testimonials
Videos
Videos
Lean IT - If there is a problem, solve it. Midday Mentors with Niels Loader from Quint
SFIA

This APMG certification has been informally mapped against the SFIA Framework to indicate the skills that are addressed and referenced by the certification. Although it is not yet possible to claim this digital badge, the indicative skills can be used to plan your professional development through assessing the skills you have and the skills you need for the role you want.
knowledge
Foundation
Generic attribute Knowledge up to level 3
Same as above plus Organisational Change Management up to level 4
knowledge
Kaizen
Generic attribute Knowledge up to level 3, Organisational Facilitation level 4
Same as above plus Organisational Change Management up to level 4
knowledge
Leadership
Generic attribute Knowledge up to level 3
Same as above plus Organisational Change Management up to level 4, Business Process Improvement level 5
FAQs
Lean IT is a way of thinking and acting, and applying Lean principles to IT service management practices. Its central premise is the delivery of value to customers, whereby the employees are the ones actually delivering the value on a daily basis and identifying roadblocks and solutions. Managers ensure that employees are facilitated and encouraged in their quest to deliver customer value.
Essentially, Lean IT is about building a customer and value-oriented culture in which managers and employees engage in removing waste, inflexibility and variability from the organization and its services. It is not focussed on technical aspects of IT.
Supporting publications, and any available supporting material, can be obtained from your Accredited Training Organisation (ATO) or from APMG International.
The APMG Lean IT Foundation examinations are available in English, European Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and Japanese.
Kaizen is available in English, Spanish and Japanese.
Leadership is currently available in English only.
The 2011 version of the Lean IT Foundation examination is currently still available in French and Dutch.
The supporting publications are currently available in English only.
Training courses delivered by ATOs are generally delivered over 2 days, however it is well worth investigating with individual providers, as many will offer tailored and blended learning solutions. Courses are likely to involve a degree of pre-course work and homework during the course.
For individuals self-studying we recommend 12 - 16 hours of study per certification.
Candidates must achieve a score of 26/40 to pass both the Foundation and Kaizen examinations.
Candidates must achieve a score of 39/60 to pass the Leadership examination.
The qualification and certification is valid for life, with no expiry or requirement for re-qualification applicable.
- Provisional results: After completing the Foundation examination, candidates may receive provisional results either orally from the invigilator or on-screen at the end of an online exam.
- Official results: Once processed, official results, including a PDF breakdown of marks by syllabus area, are available in the APMG Candidate Portal. Results are issued as the total number of marks achieved.
- Processing time: Exam papers are usually marked immediately after the exam. APMG formally processes and confirms results via the Candidate Portal within 2 working days of receiving completed papers.
- Outstanding payments: In exceptional cases, results may be withheld until full payment has been received.
Once you’ve been notified that you’ve passed your exam, you will have the option to create a digital badge in APMG's Candidate Portal.
Visit APMG's Candidate Portal, view your exam results and select 'Create Badge'.
This takes you to the Credly website where the digital badges are hosted. You will be guided through the Credly account creation process.
Once you have created an account with Credly, log into the account and accept your pending badge.
Candidates will be able to claim their digital badge and electronic certificate from the APMG Candidate Portal within two business days of their exam result being issued.