By James Purse, Director at Project7 · Last reviewed 13 November 2026 · 3 minute read
Short answer. A Lean simulation workshop fits three common formats: a 75-minute session that demonstrates one idea, a half-day session that runs the full six-shift journey, and a full day that adds time to apply the lessons to your own process. In every format, each shift is about ten minutes on the clock with a briefing and debrief around it.
Key facts
- 75 minutes: a two-shift journey, Batch Size Impact or Layout and Flow.
- Half day (about 3.5 hours): the induction and all six shifts.
- Full day: the six-shift journey in the morning, applying it to your own work in the afternoon.
- Group size: four to eight per game; start a second game for larger groups.
The timings below are suggested plans built around the simulator’s ten-minute shifts. Adjust the debriefs to your group: groups that connect the game to their own work need more time, not less.
75 minutes: one idea
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Welcome, aims and joining the game |
| 0:10 | Shift 0 induction |
| 0:20 | Round 1 and debrief |
| 0:40 | Round 2 and debrief |
| 1:00 | Wrap-up: one change each person will look for at work |
Half day: the full journey
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Welcome, aims and joining the game |
| 0:15 | Shift 0 induction |
| 0:30 | Shift 1: Push and Batch, then debrief |
| 0:55 | Shift 2: Layout and Flow, then debrief |
| 1:20 | Shift 3: Pull with Kanban, then debrief |
| 1:45 | Break |
| 2:00 | Shift 4: One-Piece Flow and Quality at Source, then debrief |
| 2:25 | Shift 5: Balance the Line, then debrief |
| 2:50 | Shift 6: Takt and Levelled Scheduling, then debrief |
| 3:15 | Journey summary and action planning |
Full day: journey plus application
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Morning | The half-day journey above |
| After lunch | Walk or map one of the group’s own processes, looking for the wastes they saw in Shift 1 |
| Mid-afternoon | Choose one lever from the journey to test on that process |
| Close | Action plan: owner, first step and date for each improvement |
Planning checklist
- Book a facilitator seat and test the host sign-in the day before.
- Send players the date, the Join Game link and a note to bring a laptop or tablet.
- Prepare two or three examples of waste from the group’s own workplace.
- Decide how much Evan leads and how much you add.
- Plan how you will capture actions at the end.
Frequently asked questions
From about 75 minutes for a single idea to a half day for the full six-shift journey. A full day adds time to apply the lessons to your own process.
Yes. Run shifts 1 to 3 in one session and 4 to 6 in the next, starting the second with a short recap of the first.
Run a second game alongside the first, then bring both groups together to compare results in the debrief.
Try it before you run it
Work one shift on the line with Evan guiding you. It needs only your email address: no card and no contract.
Related guides
About the author
James Purse is a Director at Project7, a UK operational transformation consultancy whose approach is grounded in Toyota thinking, and has nearly 20 years of practitioner experience in Lean, leadership and performance improvement. He works with manufacturing, engineering and infrastructure organisations to find what is really limiting performance and to fix it alongside their own teams. James Purse on LinkedIn