2025 has been a huge year for the Lean Competency System (LCS). Across our platforms, events, accreditation programmes, and thought leadership, the LCS community has grown stronger, helping practitioners sharpen their skills and deliver real value for organisations around the world.
Here’s a look back at some of the standout moments from the year.
1. Launch of the LCS Community Platform
One of the biggest highlights of 2025 was the launch of our new LCS Community Platform. This central hub was designed to bring improvement practitioners together, make collaboration easier, and provide quick access to tools, learning materials, and development opportunities.
The platform offers:
- Discussion forums and expert groups
- Resource libraries
- Event listings and replays
- Networking features
Already, thousands of practitioners are using the platform to strengthen their practice and connect with peers globally.
Not part of it yet? Sign up for free today.
2. The New LCS 2025 Awards: Celebrating Innovation
2025 saw the launch of the brand-new LCS Awards, shining a spotlight on the creativity and impact within our community.
- 110 entries submitted
- 47 finalists selected
- 10 winners recognised for exceptional impact
From public sector transformation to enterprise-wide Lean adoption, the awards highlighted the diversity, innovation, and excellence of practitioners across industries.
Discover our 2025 winners and look out for the opening of the 2026 awards early next year!
3. The First LCS Conference: The Future of Improvement
2025 marked the inaugural LCS Conference, bringing practitioners from around the world together to explore the evolving landscape of improvement.
Highlights included:
- 2 keynotes on Lean Leadership in the Age of Disruption and winning mindsets
- 1 high-impact panel discussion with industry leaders
- 9 breakout sessions exploring Lean in practice, leadership development, capability building, AI and automation, systems thinking, and strategies for driving sustainable change.
As the first-ever conference, it set the tone for future events.
Missed it? Check out the highlights.
4. Community Events Across the UK and the Netherlands
We hosted 9 in-person events this year, helping practitioners connect and learn from one another in real-world settings. Events were hosted by:
- Computacenter
- Achmea
- NHS Blood and Transport
- Phoenix Group
- Crown Estate
- LCS L3 Event
- University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
- Go Company
- HM Land Registry
Topics ranged from Lean digitalisation and culture change to performance systems and service excellence—sparking open discussions and hands-on learning.
Many thanks to all our hosts in 2025. Could you host a community event in 2026?
Get in touch with our Community Manager Pia Graham to discuss!
5. Growth in Accreditation and Professional Certification
2025 was another strong year for accreditation and certification:
- 19 new organisations achieved LCS Accreditation
- 14 new Level 2 APLE candidates certified
- 5 new Level 3 APLE candidates certified
These numbers underline how widely the LCS framework is being adopted as the global standard for Lean and improvement capability.
Discover how your organisation could benefit from LCS Accreditation.
Are you an individual looking for Lean qualifications, take a look at our APLE routes.
6. New Thought Leadership: Adapt or Be Automated-1.png?width=500&height=443&name=Mockup%20(1)-1.png)
To help practitioners navigate emerging technologies, LCS released a major whitepaper:
Adapt or Be Automated: What AI Means for Improvement Professionals
The paper explores:
- How AI is reshaping the improvement profession
- Which Lean and CI skills remain critical
- The new competencies needed to stay relevant
- Practical guidance for blending human problem-solving with automation
It’s already become one of our most downloaded resources of the year.
Haven’t read it yet? Download it here.
7. Sector Insight Webinar: The M27 Project
In partnership with Morgan Sindall, we delivered a flagship webinar:
Driving Improvement Through Lean – The M27 Project
This session gave a detailed look at how Lean principles were applied in large-scale infrastructure projects, showing measurable gains in safety, productivity, and collaboration.
Missed it? The recording is on the LCS Community Platform here.
If you’re not a member sign up for free!
8. Joint events with accredited partners
Transforming Operations: Simplify, Scale, Succeed and The Next Wave: Reimagining CI for a Changing World
In partnership with Reinvigoration
These flagship events brought together more than 60 Continuous Improvement professionals to exchange real-world insights, challenges, and successes. Speakers from several LCS-accredited organisations — including Veygo, NCSE, Phoenix Group, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, and Computacenter — shared practical stories of improvement in action.
Delivering Transformation for Businesses of the Future
In collaboration with MIGSO-PCUBED
This cross-industry event united leaders from diverse sectors to explore the emerging trends, barriers, and enablers shaping large-scale transformation.
Key highlights included:
- Roundtable discussions and hands-on workshops tackling the building blocks of future-fit transformation.
- Insight validation sessions, expanding on findings gathered through interviews with senior business leaders.
- A keynote from Catrin Archer, outlining the four pillars required to build resilient organisations capable of delivering successful change.
What’s Coming Next
We’re now developing a practical transformation playbook, bringing together the themes and ideas co-created during the session. This will be published before Christmas.
A Year of Impact—and a Foundation for More
2025 has been all about growth, development, and forward-thinking insight. The initiatives we’ve delivered this year have reinforced LCS’s position as the leading global qualification framework and community for improvement professionals.
With a growing membership base, deeper organisational partnerships, and continued investments in capability development, the stage is set for an even more ambitious 2026.
