What does each one focus on?

iObeya focuses on digital visual management: boards, Obeya rooms and tier reviews that replace physical whiteboards. LeanSuite focuses on the shop-floor workflows behind them: issues flagged by QR code and routed to an owner, scheduled audits, ideas and kaizen, skills and training, and Lean Studio boards for tiered meetings. Those workflows are built to each plant's own steps and approvals, and one issue stays linked from its tag to the root cause analysis, work order, kaizen and best practice, entered once.

How does pricing compare?

iObeya publishes Team at €3,780 per room per year, with up to 50 users and 200 editors; Enterprise is quoted, with a 10-room minimum. LeanSuite is one flat price per facility with unlimited users, with a quote on request, and offers a 90-day pilot for $3,000 per facility.

Can either one run on-premises?

iObeya offers SaaS, private cloud and on-premises deployment. LeanSuite is a cloud service; you can choose a hosting region, such as the United States or Europe, for data residency.

How do security and sign-in compare?

iObeya states ISO/IEC 27001 certification and supports SAML 2.0 and LDAPS single sign-on in both plans. LeanSuite has a SOC 2 Type 1 report, is hosted on secure cloud infrastructure with a 99.5% monthly uptime commitment, and supports SAML 2.0 or OAuth single sign-on with Microsoft Entra ID and Okta. Frontline staff can sign in with an employee ID, no company email needed.

Compare

LeanSuite vs iObeya

Short answer: iObeya fits organizations that want digital visual management: Obeya rooms, tier boards, A3s and Hoshin on a whiteboard-style canvas, across manufacturing, pharma, aerospace and other sectors, with on-premises hosting available. LeanSuite fits plants that want structured shop-floor workflows behind the boards: issue tagging, audits, ideas, kaizen, skills and training, and video-based studies. Its improvement projects run any method (DMAIC, PDCA, A3, 8D or your own) and any project type, from a kaizen event to an engineering or CapEx project.

Last updated October 31, 2026. Vendor facts last reviewed October 2026. LeanSuite publishes this page and competes with iObeya, so read it with that in mind. Every iObeya statement comes from public pages listed under Sources; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.

At a glance

LeanSuite's whole platform next to each product, capability by capability. A question mark means the vendor does not publish it or we could not verify it, not that the product lacks it; the detailed table below has the specifics.

Yes, on the vendor's own site
Partial, limited or a paid add-on
No, outside the product's published scope
Not published, or we couldn't verify it

Swipe sideways to see every product.

At a glance: LeanSuite vs iObeya
Capability	LeanSuite	iObeya
Continuous improvement
Any method: DMAIC, PDCA, A3, 8D or your own	Yes: Incl. your own	Yes: A3, PDCA, 8D, configurable
Engineering and CapEx projects with stage-gates	Yes:Four stage-gates	Not published
Non-manufacturing teams and projects	Yes: Any project type	Yes: Finance, HR
Ideas and suggestions with configurable approvals	Yes:Approvals per idea type	Partial: Kaizen on boards
Savings verified before they count	Yes:Finance signs off	Not published
Share what worked across sites (yokoten)	Yes:Best Practice Management	Not published
Your own workflow per record, with stage rules: who moves it, what must be valid, what updates, who is told	Yes: RCA, kaizen, work orders, tags, best practices	Partial: Configurable templates and escalation levels
AI
AI root cause analysis	Yes:RCA Agent	Not published
AI time and motion study from video	Partial:Vision AI, priced separately	Not published
Video to SOP	Yes:SOP from one video	Not published
AI one-point lessons (OPLs)	Yes:OPL from before-and-after photos	Not published
AI drafts checklists and forms	Yes:Lean Creator AI drafts	Not published
AI sorts and triages ideas	Yes:Lean AI	Not published
Frontline operations
Daily issue management with tier escalation	Yes:F-Tags, escalation	Partial: Issue cards on boards
Tiered meetings and huddle boards	Yes:Lean Studio	Yes
Audits and checklists (5S, LPA, CILR), scheduled	Yes:Daily Standard Work scheduling	Not published
Breakdown reporting and maintenance work orders	Yes:EWO; works alongside a CMMS	Not published
Skills and training
Live skills matrix	Yes:Competency Management	Not published
Job cover matrix: who can cover each job	Yes:Job Cover Matrix	Not published
Training (LMS): courses, quizzes, learning plans	Yes:Trainings (LMS)	Not published
SOP and OPL sign-off per person	Yes:Signed on a tablet	Not published
Data and platform
KPI dashboards	Yes:KPI Dashboards	Yes
One issue linked from tag to RCA, work order, kaizen and best practice, entered once	Yes: Enter it once; paperwork stays linked	Partial: Tier reviews linked to KPIs and issue boards
SSO and a security certification	Yes:SOC 2 Type 1; Entra ID, Okta	Yes: ISO 27001
Operator sign-in with an employee ID, no email	Yes:Employee ID	Not published
Free plan or published prices	Yes:Free plan for ideas	Yes: Per room
Mobile app (iOS and Android)	Yes:iOS and Android	Yes

Based on each vendor's public website, reviewed October 2026; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.

Where each tool fits

How far LeanSuite and iObeya go in seven areas of plant work, from what each publishes.

Machine data and OEE
LeanSuite
Also covered. KPIs and OEE from ERP, MES or forms, not machine signals
iObeya
Not published. Not published on the pages we read
Maintenance and work orders
LeanSuite
Also covered. Work orders for kaizen and EWO; sits next to a CMMS
iObeya
Not published. Not published on the pages we read
Audits and checks
LeanSuite
Core. Audits, CILR checks, schedules, actions
iObeya
Not published. Not published as a dedicated module
Daily issues and andon
LeanSuite
Core. Daily Issue Management, tier escalation, no hardware andon
iObeya
Also covered. Issue cards and actions on boards, escalated between tiers
Ideas and improvement projects
LeanSuite
Core. Any method, any project type, CapEx stage-gates, ideas
iObeya
Also covered. A3, PDCA and 8D templates; no idea module published
Skills, training and instructions
LeanSuite
Core. Skills, training (LMS), SOPs signed per person
iObeya
Not published. Not published on the pages we read
AI help and video studies
LeanSuite
Core. AI root cause, SOPs from video; Vision AI priced separately
iObeya
Not published. Not published on the pages we read

Full bar: a headline area. Half bar: covered in part, or as an add-on. Dashed: not published, which is not the same as missing.

What iObeya is

iObeya is a digital Obeya and visual management platform. Teams run tiered meetings and performance reviews on digital boards with 50+ visual management tools and 200+ templates (tier boards, A3, 8D, Hoshin), pull in KPIs and track actions. It runs as SaaS, in a private cloud or on-premises.

What LeanSuite is

LeanSuite is lean manufacturing software for frontline operations: daily issue management, tiered meetings, audits, ideas and kaizen, skills and training in one platform, at one flat price per facility with unlimited users. Its improvement projects run any method, including DMAIC, PDCA, A3, 8D or your own, and any type of project, from a kaizen event to an engineering or CapEx project. Vision AI adds industrial engineering studies from a single process video.

LeanSuite and iObeya side by side

What each vendor publishes about the capabilities plant teams ask us about most. "Not published" means we could not find it on their public pages, not that the product lacks it.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

LeanSuite vs iObeya capability comparison
Capability	LeanSuite	iObeya
Daily management
Frontline issue capture and tracking	Yes. Daily Issue Management: operators scan a QR code, add a photo and a category, and the issue goes to the right owner with a due date and reminders.	Issue cards and action tracking on boards, with escalation between tiers.
Tiered meetings and huddle boards	Yes. Lean Studio runs tiered meetings on live, cascaded SQDCM boards; red metrics become tracked actions.	Yes. Tier 1, 2 and 3 reviews on digital performance boards and Obeya rooms.
KPI dashboards	Yes. KPI Dashboards, plus Loss & Cost Management to put a cost on losses.	Yes. Live KPIs on boards from ERP, MES and BI sources.
Continuous improvement and ideas
Employee idea management	Yes. Idea Management takes an idea from capture to review to project, with custom multi-stage approval workflows per idea type and Lean AI that summarizes and prioritizes submissions. Free for teams of 25 and under.	Kaizen is a supported practice. A dedicated idea management module is not published.
Kaizen and improvement projects	Yes. Kaizen & Projects runs any method (DMAIC, PDCA, A3, 8D or your own) and any type of project, from a kaizen event to engineering and CapEx projects through stage-gates, including projects outside manufacturing. A DMAIC project can't close until Finance verifies the savings.	A3, PDCA and 8D templates, and Kanban flow management.
Sharing best practices across sites	Yes. Best Practice Management.	200+ board templates. A best-practice library is not published.
Audits and checklists
Audits and layered process audits	Yes. Audit Management and CILR Checklists; build and schedule anything from a Gemba walk to a layered process audit.	Not published as a dedicated module.
Digital checklists and forms	Yes. Document Builder (Lean Creator) for checklists, inspections, surveys and trainings.	Board templates. A checklist or form builder is not published.
Training and skills
Skills matrix and competency	Yes. Competency Management with required skills per job, levels that move up automatically as documents and on-the-job checks are signed off, and a Job Cover Matrix.	Not published.
Training delivery (LMS)	Yes. Trainings (LMS), linked to each skill: courses, on-the-job assessments, self-assessments, SOPs and OPLs all count toward a person's skill level.	Not published in the product; the iObeya Academy trains users on iObeya itself.
Work instructions and SOPs	Yes. Digital Work Instructions; Create with AI drafts SOPs from a process video and OPLs from before-and-after photos, and comes with the facility plan.	Not published.
AI and video
Video-based time, motion and ergonomic studies	Yes. Vision AI turns one process video into time and motion, line balancing, ergonomic (REBA/RULA), value stream and SMED studies, and SMPs. Priced separately from the facility plan.	Not published.
Other AI features	AI Root Cause Analysis; Lean AI writes an issue description from an operator's photo.	Not published.
Pricing, rollout and security
Pricing	Per facility, unlimited users; quote on request. $499 per month for smaller teams. Suggestions module free for teams up to 25.	Published: Team at €3,780 per room per year (1-room minimum, 50 users, 200 editors). Enterprise by quote, 10-room minimum.
Pilot or trial	90-day pilot at $3,000 per facility.	Free trial rooms for 30 days are mentioned in the release notes (versions 4.37 and 4.40); demo on request.
Time to go live	First module live in under a week.	Not published.
Security and hosting	SOC 2 Type 1 report; hosted on secure cloud infrastructure; 99.5% monthly uptime commitment in the LeanSuite service agreement.	ISO/IEC 27001. SaaS (single tenant on AWS), private cloud or on-premises.
Sign-in and SSO	SAML 2.0 / OAuth SSO with Microsoft Entra ID and Okta. Frontline staff can sign in with an employee ID, no company email needed.	SAML 2.0 and LDAPS SSO (Azure AD, Okta, Google and others), in both plans.
Apps	Web, iOS and Android.	Web, iOS and Android; tablets and touchscreen monitors.

Which one fits your plant

iObeya or LeanSuite

What does your plant need the software to do first?

iObeya is the better fit when

Your meetings are built around visual boards and Obeya rooms, and you want them digital with the same feel.
Teams beyond the plant floor, such as engineering, supply chain or program management, need to share boards.
You need on-premises or private cloud hosting.
You use Jira, Azure DevOps, SharePoint or Power BI and want the connectors iObeya lists.

LeanSuite is the better fit when

You want frontline workflows behind the board: QR-code issue tagging, audits, checklists and automatic routing.
Ideas, kaizen, skills and training need to be tracked in the same system.
You want video-based time and motion, line balancing, ergonomic and SMED studies.
You want unlimited users per facility and a 90-day pilot at $3,000 per facility.

Read down both sides and count which matches more of your plant. The iObeya side comes from its public pages listed under Sources.

Where LeanSuite is different

The specifics, each linked to the LeanSuite page that shows it.

Any method, including your own
Run DMAIC, PDCA, A3, 8D or your company's own method in the same system. The built-in A3, DMAIC and PDCA templates can be adjusted to fit your process, and each project type gets its own workflow.
Continuous improvement software
Engineering and CapEx projects through stage-gates
Engineering and CapEx projects run through the same four stage-gates (Ideation, Feasibility, Execution and Closure), with a checklist for each stage and an auditable trail for every deliverable and approval.
Stage-gates for engineering and CapEx
Savings that Finance has signed off
A DMAIC project can't close until Finance verifies its savings. Savings are calculated from your own labor, downtime and scrap rates, and a stage-gate can require review above a savings amount you set.
CI portfolio and ROI
An approval path for each type of idea
Build custom, multi-stage approval workflows per idea type: a simple safety suggestion can go straight to the EHS manager, while a large cost-saving idea goes through several levels, including Finance.
Idea Management
Improvement next to the daily work
Issues, audits, tiered meetings, skills and training sit in the same platform. A failed audit question can become a new kaizen, and when you launch a kaizen or engineering project you see who has the skills it needs. Every module is connected to every other: you enter the same information once, and the photos, documents and related work stay linked to each record.
How the modules connect
A 90-day pilot at a published price
$3,000 per facility for 90 days, with the first module live in under a week. Pricing is per facility with unlimited users.
The pilot

What customers say

“Customer support has been exceptional. The team is always available to answer questions and consistently provides prompt responses. I have been working closely with them to set up KPIs and time studies for our company, and their level of support throughout the process has been outstanding”
Luis R.CI Engineer, Tomball Controls
Read on Capterra
“Great user-friendly software! It's covering everything that WCM or similar Lean Programs are asking to do, in a very effective way.”
Elena M.Global Head of Marelli Manufacturing System Automotive, Marelli
Read on Capterra

Next step, if you want one

What the 45-minute demo shows

Comparing with iObeya, the demo shows the workflows behind a tier board: where the items on it come from and where they go.

Bring one process you want to fix, and how you run it today. We show the same job in LeanSuite and answer your questions.

Book a 45-minute demo Try the interactive demo first

In the demo

A Tier 1 huddle on a Lean Studio board, an item escalated to Tier 2 with its photos and history, and the answer sent back down.
An operator scans a QR code and adds a photo, the issue reaches its owner by rule with a due date, and a repeat issue becomes a Kaizen in one click.
A kaizen event, an A3 and an engineering or CapEx project in the same system, each through its own workflow, run as DMAIC, PDCA, 8D or your own method.

Want to run LeanSuite on your own lines instead? The 90-day pilot is $3,000 per facility, set up by our team, with the first module live in under a week.

FAQ