Why LeanSuite
Why LeanSuite instead of spreadsheets, homegrown tools or a big suite
Short answer
LeanSuite is one place to run improvement projects, audits, daily issues, skills and KPIs in a plant, and it runs any method (DMAIC, PDCA, A3, 8D or your own) and any project type. Spreadsheets and paper work for one team, a tool built in-house depends on the person who built it, and an ERP or MES covers orders, inventory and machines, not the improvement work around them. You can test LeanSuite on your own lines first: we set it up, and you decide at day 90.
What makes LeanSuite different
These are the points that decide it for most plants. Each one links to the 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 softwareAny type of project, not only kaizen
One visual hub runs a small kaizen event, a full DMAIC project, an engineering or capital-expenditure project, or a project outside manufacturing, each through the workflow built for its type.
One hub for every projectEngineering 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 CapExImprovement 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.
How the modules connectBuilt for the people on the floor
Web, iOS and Android apps. Operators sign in with an employee ID, so no company email is needed, and pricing is per facility with unlimited users.
The connected worker platformA 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
Spreadsheets, homegrown tools, big suites and LeanSuite
Each option fits some plants. The table says when, and each comparison page goes through the detail with its sources.
| Option | It fits when | LeanSuite is the better fit when | The detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheets and paper | One team or area, one person owns the file and everyone can see the board. | There is more than one copy of the tracker, actions have no owner, operators cannot reach the file, or the weekly report is built by hand. | LeanSuite vs spreadsheets and paper |
| Access, SharePoint lists or Power Apps built in-house | A development team, not one person, will own the tool for years, and the scope is small and stable. | One person built it and maintains it, changes wait in their queue, operators cannot use it on the floor, or a second shift or plant wants it. | LeanSuite vs homegrown software and LeanSuite vs Power Apps |
| A big suite (ERP, MES or an enterprise platform) | You need orders, inventory, machine data or finance in the same system. | The work is people and process: kaizen, audits, daily issues, skills and ideas. LeanSuite does not run orders, inventory or finance and works alongside those systems. | How LeanSuite compares |
| Another lean or CI tool | Its strengths match your biggest need. Each comparison lists where that tool fits, from public vendor information. | You want any method and any project type, the shop-floor tools next to improvement work, and one flat price per facility. | Best continuous improvement software |
When a spreadsheet is still the right answer
We would rather you stay on a good paper process than buy a tool you will not use. Stay where you are if:
- You have one area or a small team, one person owns the file and everyone can see the board.
- You are still working out what to track. A sheet is faster to change than any software.
- Nobody outside the room needs the numbers: there is no roll-up across shifts or sites, and no auditor asking for evidence.
The free templates cover most of what a small team needs. When the copies multiply and the actions go stale, that is the time to look again.
Try it on your own lines first
The 90-day pilot costs $3,000 per facility. Our team sets it up and trains your core team, your first module is live in under a week, and at day 90 you decide with your own results.
$3,000
per facility for the 90-day pilot
Under a week
to your first live module
Day 90
you decide, with your own results
The fee covers the pilot and is separate from the annual plan, which is one flat price per facility with unlimited users. Vision AI is priced separately and is not part of the pilot. See pricing.
How to decide for your plant
Six checks you can run this week, whichever way you are leaning.
Count the copies
How many versions of each tracker exist, and does anyone know which one is current?
Follow one action
Take one audit finding and find out how long it stayed open and who chased it.
Ask who changes it
When the process changes, who edits the tool, and how long does that take?
Check the floor
Can an operator without a PC or a company email use it on their shift?
Check the methods
Does it run the method you actually use, including your own, and the project types you run, such as CapEx?
Test it on real work
Run one process for 90 days and compare audit completion, action close times or ideas answered with where you started.
The CI software evaluation scorecard turns these into a score you can compare across tools.
From our co-founder
“I didn't build a software company because I love code. I built it because I hate waste.”
What happens after you say yes
Onboarding
Our team sets LeanSuite up, trains your core team online and checks in every two weeks.
What the first days look likeMoving from spreadsheets and paper
Upload your own checklist, bulk upload your people and connect the files your KPIs come from.
How the move worksSupport and service levels
99.5% monthly uptime with service credits, a help desk 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, and response times by priority.
The service termsImplementation
The five steps from assessing your needs to expanding one module at a time.
How implementation works
Keep reading
- What is continuous improvement software?What the category is, what it replaces and how to choose.Open
- Continuous improvement softwareThe LeanSuite product page: projects from idea to verified savings.Open
- Compare LeanSuiteNamed vendors, alternatives pages and buyer's guides.Open
- PricingOne flat price per facility, unlimited users.Open
- 90-day pilotTest it on your own lines before you commit.Open
- SecuritySOC 2 Type 1 report, encryption and single sign-on.Open
FREE RESOURCES
Free templates and tools
Not ready for software yet? Start with these free resources.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask when they compare
See it on your own problem
Bring the process that hurts most. We will show you how LeanSuite handles it, or you can start a pilot and set it up with our team.