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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 reviewed October 2026. Based on each vendor's public information; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.
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.
Swipe sideways to see every product.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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.
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.
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.
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.
| 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; AI drafts SOPs and SMPs from a process video and OPLs from before-and-after photos. | 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. 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. Free Starter plan for idea management (25 users and under). | 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. | 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. |
The specifics, each linked to the LeanSuite page that shows it.
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 softwareEngineering 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 CapExA 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 ROIBuild 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 ManagementIssues, 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.
How the modules connect$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“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“The Project Tracking System generates significant savings while ensuring seamless delivery... The Global Kaizen Power Pitch completely transformed our ability to share best practices.”
Ramsey AljahmiSr. Director of NAR Operations Excellence, Whirlpool CorporationNext step, if you want one
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Last reviewed October 2026. Based on each vendor's public information; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.
A 45-minute demo: bring the process you want to fix, and we will show how LeanSuite handles it and what a 90-day pilot would cover.
