Focus and Leverage Part 314

In this posting we will look at Step 2 of the Ultimate Improvement Cycle and discuss how to implement specific actions and which tools that I recommend.  We are progressing around the improvement cycle one step at a time.

 

Step 2: Define, Measure, and Analyze

In step 2a, you formally develop your plan on how to exploit the current constraint, and as such, you spend time developing the specifics of your attack plan. Your plan will include what to attack, when to attack it, and how to attack it, identifying the resource requirements and understanding how your actions help you move closer to your goal of making more money now and in the future.

 

Your plan will include identifying sources of waste and how best to eliminate them, understanding the priority order of which defect problems to resolve, eliminating chronic downtime problems, reducing process variation, and reducing processing and cycle time variation. In so doing, you will use all the Lean, Six Sigma, and Theory of Constraints tools and techniques at your disposal, but remember that step 2a deals exclusively with the development of your improvement plan and not the execution of it.

 

The central theme of the Ultimate Improvement Cycle is the main focusing steps from the Theory of Constraints: identify, exploit, subordinate, and elevate. (The continuous arrows highlight the realization that improvement is a never-ending, ongoing effort, which is Goldratt’s fifth step.) In steps 2b and 2c, your objective is to execute your improvement plan, and in so doing, you will be reducing non-value-added waste, variation, and defects in the current constraint.

 

You are now taking definitive actions by executing the plan you developed in step 2a. Because you want these steps to complement each other, you will carry them out in a concurrent manner. The plan that you developed in step 2a will guide you through these two steps and will provide you with not only an automatic throughput gain, but also reductions in operating and inventory expenses. In these two steps, you should see many things happening in the constraint operation. Examples include:

• All forms of waste being removed
• Variation (PTV and PPV) being reduced
• Defects being reduced or eliminated
• Processing and cycle times being shortened
• Lead times being reduced
• Manufacturing cells being developed
• Standardized work methods developed
• Process controls being implemented
• Error-proofing devices being added to the process
• Changeover times being reduced
• Travel times and distances being shortened
• Downtime being reduced
• On-time delivery being improved

The impact of these improvements will translate into more productive capacity in the constraint operation, which will then be converted into improved throughput, higher revenues, and increased margins. Remember, all this will be taking place primarily in the constraint operation for now, unless an upstream process is starving the constraint operation or a downstream process is scrapping the constraint’s output. It is absolutely imperative that there is constant and synergistic collaboration between the resources focused on the waste reduction activities and the resources focused on the variation and defect reduction activities, because both sets of resources will be making process changes that could impact each other’s activities.

 

I cannot emphasize the communication piece enough. If yours is a company in which Lean and Six Sigma are being implemented by the same person, you will automatically consider all changes together. But if they are being done by two groups, they must communicate. Planning is critical to the success of the improvement initiative, so proposed changes should be fully discussed up front before they are actually implemented, and this dialogue should take place in step 2a if the proposed changes are known.

 

Before going any further, I want to reinforce an important point regarding improvements in nonconstraint operations. Because the constraint operation dictates the throughput rate of the plant (or a specific process), you must do everything possible to protect the output of the constraint operation. Protection, in this sense, includes problems occurring both in downstream operations that could be negatively impacting your total throughput (e.g., scrap, rework) and in the upstream processes that could starve the constraint. It would make little sense to make significant quality improvements in the constraint operation, only to have the constraint products scrapped in a downstream non-constraint process step. Likewise, it would equally make little sense to make processing time reductions in the constraint operation only to have the constraint starved by an upstream process. For this reason, part of your analysis and action plan must also include downstream and upstream opportunities if they are seen as potential threats to the constraint. Remember, throughput is not achieved unless new money enters the company, so if you are losing or scrapping even a single product in a downstream operation, your throughput and corresponding profits will be limited by the amount of the loss. The same can be said of an upstream process starving a constraint due to unplanned downtime, quality problems, and so on.

 

So far, your improvement initiative has identified your value stream, the area of focus within the value stream, and waste and variation improvement opportunities, and you have begun implementing improvements that ultimately will increase your system throughput. In order for your efforts to be considered successful, you must be making decisions and taking actions that move you closer to the realization of your goal of making more money now and in the future—that is, simultaneously increasing throughput, while reducing inventory and operating expense.

 

In this step, you will also be implementing a new scheduling system referred to as drum-buffer-rope (DBR). If you have read The Goal and Goldratt’s boy scout analogy, you will immediately recognize and understand the meaning of this name.

• The drum is the schedule for the resource with the most limited capacity, the constraint
• The buffer is the protective device (a combination of parts, capacity, and time) used to protect the constraint from starvation
• The rope is constraint management’s safeguard against overproducing at the non-constraint operations. In effect, it is a material release schedule that prevents work from being introduced into the system at a rate faster than the consumption rate of the constraint.

In this step you will design the correct DBR system to ensure that you do not starve the constraint, assembly (if assembly uses product from the constraint),or shipping.

In my next posting we will dive into Step 3 of the Ultimate Improvement Cycle referred to as Improve and discuss just what’s involved in completing this step.

 

Bob Sproull

Focus and Leverage Part 313

Continuing on with my series on The Ultimate Improvement Cycle, in this posting we're going to take a look at the recommended tools and actions need to successfully implement this integrated improvement methodology which is your first of 4 steps.

 

Accomplishing Each Step of the UIC

So just how do you accomplish each of the steps in the Ultimate Improvement Cycle? You do so by using all the tools and actions that you would use if you were implementing Lean and Six Sigma as stand-alone improvement initiatives, but this time, you focus most, if not all, of your efforts primarily on the constraint operation. In the figure below I have layed out the tools and actions you will use and perform at each step of the UIC. As you can see, there are no new or exotic tools that I am introducing. Instead, in creating the Ultimate Improvement Cycle, one of my objectives was to keep things simple, and I think you will agree that the tools I have laid out are all basic and time tested. For example, in step 1a, you are creating a simple current state value stream map (VSM) to analyze where the excess inventory is, what the individual processing times are, and what the cycle times and the overall lead times are within the process. You use this tool to identify both the current and next constraint.

You are also looking at the current process, information flow, and performance metrics to make certain that the metrics stimulate the right behaviors, and that they will in fact track the true impact of your improvement efforts.  Likewise, in steps 1b and 1c, you will be analyzing your process by using simple tools like Pareto charts, run charts, spaghetti diagrams, time and motion studies, cause-and-effect diagrams, causal chains, and so on. Keep in mind that these are by no means the only tools you can utilize, just a few of the more common ones. In each phase of the UIC, you will use tools to perform the tasks at hand; all the subsequent chapters of this book explore these tools and actions in a bit more detail.

 Step 1: Identify

In the first step of the Ultimate Improvement Cycle, I have combined identification of the value stream from the Lean cycle, identification of performance metrics from Six Sigma, identification of the current scheduling system used to schedule the plant, and identification of the current and next constraint from the TOC cycle. In some respects, this first step is the single most important one, because it forces you to view and evaluate the entire value stream to locate the area, policy, or process step (the system constraint) that is preventing you from reaching your full financial potential. The first step focuses resources where they will do the most good and is the basis for continuous improvement. In addition, you need to not only measure your progress toward improvement, but also reinforce your efforts. To this end, you need to select performance metrics that drive the right behaviors. The metrics you choose can actually motivate behaviors that are counter to what you are trying to accomplish.

 

Lean teaches you to first identify and map the value stream as it exists today.  A value stream is defined as all the actions, including both value-added and non-value-added ones, that are required to receive the order, schedule it, obtain necessary raw materials, produce it, and deliver it to the customer. A value stream map helps you to see and understand the flow of material and information as a product or service makes its way through the value stream. Included in the value stream map are methods for receiving orders, communicating information about production requirements (i.e., scheduling system), the locations and amount of inventory, the current processing and cycle times for all process steps, the distance traveled between process steps, and so on. All this information will be used to facilitate the identification of the current constraint, which will

 

become the focal point of your improvement activities.  Without this focusing step, it is possible to make improvements in both quality and productivity that end up having minimal impact on bottom-line profits because they may be in nonconstraint operations. It is important to understand that unless you improve the total system throughput, any improvement in a non-constraint is just really an illusion. It is an illusion because people mistakenly believe that improvements anywhere in the process will translate to system-wide improvements. If you are not careful, you may end up building excess or un-needed inventory somewhere in the process and inflating cycle times. At the end of the day, this excess inventory serves only to increase costs (i.e., holding or carrying costs, unneeded labor to produce it, and so on) and jeopardize due dates at the expense of revenue gains. This misplaced or misguided focus is one of the primary reasons why many improvement initiatives fail.

 

It should be said that there are other things to consider when attempting to identify the constraint operation or system constraint. According to Standard and Davis, “Often bottlenecks are not obvious.  Although the most straightforward way is to look for excessive WIP, there are many other reasons why WIP might accumulate between processes.” Standard and Davis give, as an example, that a performance measure, such as equipment utilization or manpower efficiency, might encourage production of items regardless of whether or not a downstream operation needs them. In this case, your constraint might be the performance metric itself!

 

Standard and Davis also tell you that bottlenecks tend to wander around the factory because of things like product mix and even managerial decisions.  An example of this is a decision to run large batches of product so as to avoid or minimize the perceived setup costs, when in reality reduction in setup times (and costs) can be minimized through the application of SMED or rapid changeover techniques. The point here is that when attempting to identify the constraint operation, you must also search for and analyze the real reasons why the constraints exist. If there is excessive inventory, you must determine why it exists before you take actions to reduce it. Keep in mind that simply reducing inventory without understanding the root cause for its existence could be disastrous.

 

Note: One of the primary reasons companies have excess inventory on hand is to compensate for hidden problems—a kind of safety net, if you will. For this reason, some people advocate a radical inventory reduction to force the problems to the surface, but I adamantly disagree. The reason I disagree with this strategy is because most organizations are not prepared to tackle the problems that have been covered up for so long. As inventory is reduced, these problems will surface, and if the organization is not prepared or capable of solving these problems, not only will improvements not happen, but chaos will reign. You will get there eventually, but for now, do not worry about excess inventory.

 

You will notice in this first step, step 1a, that I am recommending that you identify not only the current constraint, but also what you believe could or would be the next constraint, once the first constraint is broken. Why do I recommend identifying the next constraint in this first step? Because in too many instances, companies attempting to implement the Theory of Constraints and constraints management fail to look forward and predict where the next constraint will be.

 

As you identify the current constraint, ask yourself the following question: What will be the effect, or where will the next constraint be, when I break the current constraint? You must remember that when you break your current constraint, another will appear almost immediately, and unless you prepare in advance, you will spend needless time searching for something that you probably could have predicted in advance. In addition, the apparent gains in throughput when the current constraint is broken will be limited by the throughput of the next constraint. In so doing, you can begin planning and identifying resources that will be needed when the next constraint appears. You can use the value stream map that you created to assist with the identification of the next constraint you will be dealing with. You will usually be looking primarily at where the inventory is and how long it takes a part to pass through a process step (i.e., processing time).

 

Also included in step 1a is the need to review the current method that you employ to schedule production within the plant. Why is this an important thing to know? The fact is, there is a right way and a wrong way to schedule a production facility. If you schedule it the wrong way, you will see excessive amounts of inventory, extended lead times, and late delivery dates. If you schedule it the right way, your throughput, inventory, and operating expenses will be optimized, and you have a much better chance of delivering products on time.

 

In steps 1b and 1c of the improvement cycle, you are attempting to define, measure, and analyze non-value-added waste and variation in the current constraint.  It is important to understand that in this step, you are interested only in defining, measuring, and analyzing the waste and variation that exists, not removing it yet. Some will argue that unnecessary waste and variation should be removed immediately, but I disagree. In my opinion, it is this compulsion or urge to do everything right now that causes some companies’ improvement initiatives to fail. Effective waste elimination and variation reduction are not effective without a systematic plan that ties together both steps 1b and 1c. You want waste and variation to be attacked concurrently to ensure that any changes associated with reducing waste (i.e., Lean) are not interfering with changes related to variation and defect reduction (i.e., Six Sigma), and vice versa. Too many companies are engaged in the “fire, ready, aim” scenario that typically results is chaos, confusion, and sometimes even competition between the two initiatives.

 

Using the tools of Lean (e.g., waste walks, time studies, spaghetti diagrams, flow diagrams, and so on), you identify all existing forms of waste (e.g., downtime, unnecessary travel time, wasted motion, inventory, equipment changeover time, and so on), but for now, do so only within or in front of the constraint.  Waste in nonconstraint operations is certainly important, and you are not ignoring it forever, but remember, you are focusing your resources on improving only the constraint right now, because the constraint dictates the system’s throughput, and throughput, above all else, dictates profits. Notice in steps 1a to 1c that you are using the elements of the typical Six Sigma road map (DMAIC) to evaluate your improvement options.

 

It is my belief (and that of others like Goldratt and Dettmer) that improving throughput provides the opportunity for maximum return on your investment. The figure below is a graphical comparison of throughput, operating expense, and inventory as they relate to profitability contribution. I have not attempted to insert numbers into each piece of the profitability pie simply because it is situation dependent—that is, it is dependent upon the current state of the process, company, or organization you are improving. But generally speaking, the order in which these three profit components impact profitability is throughput (by a wide margin), inventory, and then operating expense. For any given company, however, depending on the circumstances, operating expense and inventory could be reversed, but it is clear that throughput is king.

In step 1c, your efforts are aimed at defining, measuring, and analyzing variation and defects in the current constraint. Like step 1b, you are interested only in defining, measuring, and analyzing the sources of variation and defects, but not acting upon them just yet, for the very same reason you are not yet acting on sources of waste. You want to maximize the utilization of your human resources, and you simply will not do that effectively without taking the time to develop an attack plan. So, in this step, you use the Six Sigma tools and techniques (e.g., Pareto charts, run charts, check sheets, cause-and-effect diagrams, causal chains) to identify the sources of variation and defects within the constraint operation.

 

In my next posting we will continue moving around the Ultimate Improvement Cycle and look at Step 2.

Bob Sproull

Page views top 40,000!!

Last month I sent out a thank you post when my blog topped 25,000.  This month, even though it's a short month, I am amazed that the number of page views just went over 40,000 for February and there are still 3 days remaining in the month.  I want to thank everyone who viewed my blog this month and every month.......I just never dreamed that such a high number could be achieved!

Bob Sproull

Focus and Leverage Part 312

In this posting I'm going to demonstrate how I integrate Lean, Six Sigma and the Theory of Constraints as described in The Ultimate Improvement Cycle – Maximizing Profits Through the Integration of Lean, Six Sigma and the Theory of Constraints.

 

Identify, Define, Measure, and Analyze the Process

The actions in steps 1a to 1c, in the figure below, serve to characterize the process value stream by identifying which step is limiting the full potential of the process (the constraint operation), defining value, pinpointing the potential sources of waste, and locating and measuring potential sources of defects and variation. There will be a compelling urge to make changes during this phase, but resist this temptation! In this phase of the improvement cycle you are simply trying to define, analyze, and understand what is currently happening in your process. Taiichi Ohno used a technique known as “standing in the circle,” which emphasized going to the process to observe and understand. It was not uncommon for a person to have been left standing for eight solid hours or more before Ohno was satisfied that he or she had seen the waste in the process and the reasons why the waste exists.  During this standing in the circle exercise, I believe it is best to simply acknowledge that the waste exists without trying to eliminate it just yet.

 

 

By the same token, you are also looking for sources of variation within the process. What is preventing your process from being consistent and stable? Keep in mind that the next phase deals with stabilizing the process by reducing both waste and variation in the constraining operation. So it is important, for now, to remember that you are simply trying to understand what is happening in your current process and, more specifically, in your constraint operation.  Although you will be focusing your attention primarily on the operation that is limiting your throughput, because the upstream and downstream process steps could be contributing to this limitation, they must be observed as well.  For example, if an upstream process consistently stops the flow of product to the constraint, you cannot ignore it. Conversely, if a downstream operation is consistently losing constraint output to scrap, it cannot be ignored either. In both cases, the result would be less than optimal throughput.

 

Create Stability

Before any process can be improved, there must be a focused plan developed or improvement efforts will be disjointed. In steps 2a to 2c in the above figure, you are attempting to simultaneously stabilize and improve your process. What does stabilize actually mean? Quite simply, stabilizing means that you are attempting to make your process more predictable, reliable, and consistent. In this sense, the actions in steps 2a to 2c serve primarily to reduce waste and variation within the constraint operation so that a new level of consistency and reliability are achieved. What you observe in the analysis phase will form the basis for your plan to achieve stability.

 

It is important to remember that true and lasting improvement will never occur unless and until the process is consistent and stable over time. You will use a variety of tools and techniques during this phase of the Ultimate Improvement Cycle to accomplish this end. In order to achieve improved process flow, you must be patient and deliberate when reducing waste and variation.

 

Create Flow and Pull

The actions in steps in the 3a to 3c are intended to optimize flow. Flow in this phase includes the flow of materials, information, and products through the process.  Although you are seeking to create flow, creating it will also bring to the surface any problem that inhibits it. So, in order to sustain flow, you must stop and solve these problems. Because of your past experiences, you might be tempted to fix these problems on the fly, but do not do it. You must begin to view problems as opportunities for long-term improvement and not as a failure.

Control the Process to Sustain Gains

The actions in steps 4a to 4c serve to both increase constraint capacity, if you need to, and ensure that all the changes made and improvements realized will not be squandered. What a shame it would be to make big improvements that you cannot sustain. Sustaining the gains is a hallmark of great organizations.

 

The Objectives of UIC

The Ultimate Improvement Cycle accomplishes five primary objectives that serve as a springboard to maximizing revenue and profits:

 

1. It guarantees that you are focusing on the correct area of the process or system (i.e., the constraint operation) to maximize throughput and minimize inventory and operating expense.
2. It provides a road map for improvement to ensure a systematic, structured, and orderly approach to ensure the maximum utilization of resources to realize optimum revenue and profits.
3. It integrates the best of Lean, Six Sigma, and the Theory of Constraints strategies, tools, techniques, and philosophies, to maximize your organization’s full improvement potential.
4. It ensures that the necessary, up-front planning is completed in advance of changes to the process or organization so as to avoid the “fire, ready, aim” mindset.
5. It provides the synergy and involvement of the total organization needed to maximize your return on investment.

If you are seriously committed to following the steps of the Ultimate Improvement Cycle, in the sequence illustrated, I am convinced that you will see bottom-line improvements that far exceed what you have experienced using stand-alone initiatives. Just like any new initiative, it requires the entire organization’s focus, discipline, determination, and a little bit of patience. This is new territory for you, so follow the path of least resistance that I have provided for you—it truly does work.

 

In my next posting, I will demonstrate which tools and/or techniques used to facilitate your implementation of the Ultimate Improvement Cycle.

 

Bob Sproull

A Great Article!!!

I wanted to share an article published in Industry Week by Reza (Russ) M. Pirasteh, iTLS-ISO Group and Eng. Celso G. Calia, Goldratt Associados on TLS.  This was the very first study ever conducted comparing the financial impact of TLS to both Lean and Six Sigma.  It represents compelling evidence from a financial perspective on the power of TLS which Russ refers to as iTLS.  Here is the link to this article:  http://www.industryweek.com/companies-amp-executives/integration-lean-six-sigma-toc-improves-performance

Bob Sproull     

One more airline fiasco......

Several posts back I told you about a problem I had with Delta Airlines and then one of my readers told us of his flight problems with Delta.  Delta isn't the only airline that has a problem with satisfying passengers as is related by Jim Obrien with US Airways in an email sent to me yesterday.  As you will see, clearly the airlines aren't focused on the customer!  I want to thank Jim for sharing his latest experience in flying.

Bob Sproull

Bob, 

Amusing follow up to our earlier emails on Delta. 

Unknown to me, last night the US Airways flight to MOB had to divert (again due to fog just like the earlier Delta flight). As this is the origin of the flight, my 'crack of dawn' flight was canceled...last night. As usual, I awake at 3:45 am, check emails texts and phone calls for delay/cancellation notices...none. Arrive at airport. Check monitors for delays/notifications...none. Go to gate. Overheard others discussing cancellation. I go back through security, again checking the monitors. Get to ticket counter. "Yes, we canceled the flight last night. I'm sorry I do not know why you weren't notified." The earliest flight I could get was 7:00pm tonight from any one of the 3 nearest airports. 

Fine, so I arranged my day and work week. I went home and checked my USAirways account to be certain the contact information was there. In fact it was. 

When traveling as much as this, a person gets to see many variations of customer service. Without a doubt in my mind, the airlines are the worst in customer service among non-governmental organizations. The fact that things go wrong is to be expected. To me the organizations I feel the most loyal to are the ones who get customer service right when things go wrong. 

Jim O'Brien

A Great Paper by Dr. Eli Goldratt

My good friend, Philip Marris who owns Marris Consulting in Paris, France, owns a LinkedIn Groupd called TLS (Theory of Constraints, Lean, Six Sigma), published a link to a paper written by Dr. Eli Goldratt.  The paper is so very good that I decided to post that same link here on my blog.  Enjoy!!
Bob Sproull
http://www.toc-goldratt.com/content/My-Saga-to-Improve-Production

Updated Blog Index

Good morning all.  I'm getting requests to update and post my index of blog postings, so here it is.

Bob Sproull

Post #                    Subject Discussed

Each of the following postings can be reached by searching for the number designation below.  For example:  1 is Focus and Leverage or 2 is Focus and Leverage Part 2 and so forth.  The link to the first blog posting is:

http://focusandleverage.blogspot.com/

 

 

1. Introduction to TOC – Lean – Six Sigma

2. Why Improvement Initiatives Fail

3. The Basic Concepts of TOC

4. Throughput Accounting

5. The Process of On-Going Improvement (POOGI)

6. The 3 Cycles of Improvement

7. Combining TOC, Lean and Six Sigma Graphically

8. Step 1a Performance Metrics

9. Planning Steps 1b and 1c Reducing Waste and Variation

10. Developing a Constraint’s Improvement Plan

11. This number was skipped

12. Steps 1b and 1c Reducing Waste and Variation plus an intro to DBR

13. Drum-Buffer-Rope

14. The Final Steps of UIC

15. How do I start the UIC?

16. The 10 Prerequisite Beliefs

17. Comparing Lean, Six Sigma and TOC

18. Types of Constraints

19. The Logical Thinking Processes

20. Undesirable Effects (UDE’s)

21. Categories of Legitimate Reservation

22. Current Reality Trees

23. Constructing Current Reality Trees

24. Conflict Diagrams Basic Principles

25. Constructing Conflict Diagrams

26. Intro to Future Reality Trees

27. Constructing Future Reality Trees

28. Prerequisite Trees

29. Constructing Prerequisite Trees

30. Transition Trees

31. Constructing Transition Trees

32. Book Announcement

33. Project Management Failures

34. Project Management Negative Behaviors

35. Critical Path Management (CPM)

36. Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)

37. Tracking Projects In CCPM

38. Final Posting on CCPM

39. Intro to the TOC Parts Replenishment Model versus the Min/Max System

40. The TOC Parts Replenishment Model

41. Interview with Joe Dager from Business901

42. Deming, Ohno and Goldratt Commonality

43. Dedication to Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt

44. How processing time, cycle time, throughput and WIP are interrelated

45. Little’s Law

46. Batch and queue production system and the fallacy of a balanced line

47. Why an unbalanced line is better.

48. What prevents me from making more money now and more money in the future?

49. More on the 10 Prerequisite Beliefs

50. Motivating a work force to actively participate in improvement initiatives

51. Re-Introducing the Intermediate Objectives Map

52. Introducing Be Fast or Be Gone: Racing the Clock with CCPM

53. Parkinson’s Law, The Student Syndrome, Cherry Picking and Multi-Tasking

54. Overcoming the four negative behaviors in Project Management

55. Intro to combining the Interference Diagram (ID) and the IO Map

56. The Simplified Strategy

57. The Interference Diagram

58. Interference Diagram for Strategy

59. The ID/IO Simplified Strategy

60. Preface Part 1 for Epiphanized©

61. Preface Part 2 for Epiphanized©

62. CHAPTER 1 Part 1 for Epiphanized©

63. CHAPTER 1 Parts 2 and 3 for Epiphanized©

64. CHAPTER 1 Part 4 for Epiphanized©

65. CHAPTER 1 Part 5 for Epiphanized©

66. Focused Operations Management For Health Service Organizations by Boaz Ronen, Joseph Pliskin and Shimeon Pass

67. Marketplace Constraints

68. A Discussion on Variability

69. More Discussion on Variability

70. Still More Discussion on Variability

71. Paper from the International Journal of Integrated Care

72. Value Stream Mapping

73. Paths of Variation

74. Step 3, Subordination

75. The Key to Profitability: Making Money Versus Saving Money

76. My First Experience With TOC

77. TOC in Non-Manufacturing Environments

78. Deborah Smith’s Excellent Chapter in the TOC Handbook (i.e. Chapter 14)

79. More on Performance Metrics

80. Efficiency, Productivity, and Utilization (EPU) ©

81. Productivity as a Performance Metric

82. Utilization as a Performance Metric

83. What the Dog Saw –Malcolm Gladwell

84. Speaking at the CPI Symposium – Cal State, Northridge

85. NOVACES– A Great Young Company

86. NOVACES’SystemCPI©

87. Problems With My Publisher

88. The Why? – Why? Diagram

89. Experience With the Integrated Methodology

90. A New Piping Diagram

91. The Healthcare Industry

92. More Bad News From the Publisher

93. A Message from the CPI Symposium

94. Multiple Drum-Buffer-Rope

95. Problem Solving Roadmap

96. Problem Prevention Roadmap

97. Improving Profitability

98. More on Throughput Accounting

99. More on Parts Replenishment

100. TLS

101. Engaging the "Money Makers" in Your Company

102. A Conversation on the Theory of Constraints

103. The Key to Successful Consulting Engagements

104. The Three Basic Questions to Answer

105. A Problem With the Airlines

106. A Better Way to Improve Processes and Systems

107. The Problem With Project Management

108. Critical Path Project Management Revisited

109. Critical Chain Project Management Revisited

110. The Fever Chart

111. Comparing CPM and CCPM

112. Performance Improvement for Healthcare – Leading Change with Lean, Six Sigma and Constraints Management

113. More on Performance Improvement for Healthcare

114. Even more on Performance Improvement for Healthcare

115. Still One More on Performance Improvement for Healthcare

116. The Final One on Performance Improvement for Healthcare

117. The Real Final One on Performance Improvement for Healthcare

118. Focused Operation's Management for Health Services Organizations.

119. Focused Management Methodology

120. The Clogged Drain

121. The “Soft” Tools of Improvement

122. More on TOC’s Distribution/Replenishment solution

123. Still More on TOC’s Distribution/Replenishment solution

124. Amir Schragenheim’s Chapter 11 entry in the TOC Handbook

125. Comparison of Lean, Six Sigma and TOC

126. A Simple Lesson on Applying TLS to Your Processes

127. A Historical Index of Blog Postings

128. Mafia Offer Part 1

129. Mafia Offer Part 2

130. Mafia Offer Part 3

131. Airline Problems

132. A YouTube Interview with Bob Sproull and Mike Hannan

133. Active Listening

134. Viable Vision

135. Throughput Accounting

136.  Performance Metrics

137.  On-the-Line Charting

138.  Comment on Epiphanized from a reader in the US Marines

139.  Active Listening

140.  Healthcare Case Study

141.  Change

142.  Getting buy-in for Change

143.  Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Client Part 1

144.  Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Client Part 2

145.  Continuous Improvement in Healthcare

146.  Using Your Senses in Continuous Improvement

147.  A Video by Phillip Marris on CI

148.  An article about a Construction Company Using the TOC Thinking Processes

149.  Using TOC in Healthcare Part 1

150.  Using TOC in Healthcare Part 2

151.  Using TOC in Healthcare Part 3 Supply Replenishment

152.  Using TOC in Healthcare Part 4 Supply Replenishment (con’t)

153.  Using TOC in Healthcare Part 5 Supply Replenishment (final)

154.  The Sock Maker

155.  The Negative Effects of Using Efficiency

156.  Cost Accounting Part 1

157.  A Political Voting Story

158.  Cost Accounting Part 2

159.  Cost Accounting Part 3

160.  Using TLS for the Affordable Care Act

161.  The System Constraint in Hospitals Part 1

162.  Wait Times in Hospitals

163.  The Oncology Clinic Case Study Part 1

164.  The Oncology Clinic Case Study Part 2

165.  Article: Emergency Department Throughput, Crowding, and Financial Outcomes for Hospitals

166.  Goldratt’s 5 Focusing Steps in Healthcare

167.  My First Experience With TOC Part 1

168.  My First Experience With TOC Part 2

169.  My First Experience With TOC Part 3

170.  My First Experience With TOC Part 4

171.  My First Experience With TOC Part 5

172.  My First Experience With TOC Part 6

173.  Healthcare Case Study Part 1

174.  Healthcare Case Study Part 2

175.  Healthcare Case Study Part 3

176.  TOC in Healthcare

177.  Healthcare Case Study Part 4

178.  My Transition From Aviation Maintenance to Healthcare

179.  Door to Doc Time Case Study Part 1

180.  Door to Doc Time Case Study Part 2

181.  Door to Doc Time Case Study Part 3

182.  Door to Doc Time Case Study Part 4

183.  My White Paper in Quality Forum Part 1

184.  My White Paper in Quality Forum Part 2

185.  My White Paper in Quality Forum Part 3

186.  A Meeting on Epiphanized at the Pittsburgh Airport

187.  Billing for Immunizations Case Study Part 1

188.  Some Thoughts on Performance Improvement Part 1

189.  Some Thoughts on Performance Improvement Part 2

190.  Case Study on Using TOC in Healthcare

191.  IO Map

192.  TOC Thinking Process Tools Part 1

192B.  TOC Thinking Process Tools Part 2

193.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 1

194.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 2

195.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 3

196.  Synchronized and Non-synchronized Production

197.  Competitive Edge Factors

198.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 4

199.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 5

200.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 6

201.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 7

202.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 8

203.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 9

204.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 10

205.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 11

206.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 12

207.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 13

208.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 14

209.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 15

210.  Case Study on How to Use TOC’s Thinking Processes Part 16

211.  The IO Map Revisited Part 1

212.  The IO Map Revisited Part 2

213.  The IO Map Revisited Part 3

214.  The IO Map Revisited Part 4

215.  An Interview About The Ultimate Improvement Cycle by Joe Dager

216.  Healthcare Case Study:  Door to Balloon Time Part 1

217.  More On My First Experience With TOC Part 1

218.  More On My First Experience With TOC Part 2

219.  More On My First Experience With TOC Part 3

220.  More On My First Experience With TOC Part 3

221.  More On My First Experience With TOC Part 4

222.  A Discussion on Constraints Management Part 1

223.  A Discussion on Constraints Management Part 2

224.  A Discussion on Constraints Management Part 3

225.  A Discussion on Constraints Management Part 4

226.  A Discussion on Constraints Management Part 6

227.  How I Present TOC Basics to Students & Teams Part 1 (Most viewed of all posts)

228.  How I Present TOC Basics to Students & Teams Part 2

229.  YouTube Video on Improving Flow Through a Bottleneck

230.  YouTube Video on Throughput Accounting

231.  YouTube Video on What to Change

232.  YouTube Video on What to Change To

233.  YouTube Video on How to Cause the Change to Happen

234.  A Meeting With an Executive of a Larger Corporation

235.  The Missing Link

236.  You Tube Video by Goldratt on Henry Ford and Taichi Ohno

237.  Prevention Versus Detection – The Bug Guy

238.  An Article by Anna Gorman of the LA Times

239.  TOC’s Solution to Supply Chain Problems

240.  The Nun and the Bureaucrat Part 1

241.  The Nun and the Bureaucrat Part 2

242.  The Nun and the Bureaucrat Part 3

243.  The Nun and the Bureaucrat Part 4

244.  The Nun and the Bureaucrat Part 5

245.  The Nun and the Bureaucrat Part 6

246.  A Healthcare Clinic Case Study Part 1

246B.  An Update to Focus and Leverage Part 246

247,  Drum Buffer Rope in Manufacturing

248.  The Sock Maker Revisited Part 1

249.  The Sock Maker Revisited Part 2

250.  Throughput Accounting Part 1

251.  Throughput Accounting Part 2

252.  Throughput Accounting Part 3

253.  How to Use and Integrated TOC, Lean & Six Sigma Methodology Part 1

254.  How to Use and Integrated TOC, Lean & Six Sigma Methodology Part 2

255.  How to Use and Integrated TOC, Lean & Six Sigma Methodology Part 3

256.  How to Use and Integrated TOC, Lean & Six Sigma Methodology Part 4

257.  How to Use and Integrated TOC, Lean & Six Sigma Methodology Part 5

258.  Critical Path Project Management Versus Critical Chain PM Part 1

259.  Critical Path Project Management Versus Critical Chain PM Part 2

260.  Critical Path Project Management Versus Critical Chain PM Part 3

261.  Critical Path Project Management Versus Critical Chain PM Part 4

262.  Critical Path Project Management Versus Critical Chain PM Part 5

263.  Critical Path Project Management Versus Critical Chain PM Part 6

264.  The Cabinet Maker – A TOC Case Study Part 1

265.  The Cabinet Maker – A TOC Case Study Part 2

266.  The Cabinet Maker – A TOC Case Study Part 3

267.  The Cabinet Maker – A TOC Case Study Part 4

268.  How I Run Improvement Events

269.  Using The Goal Tree vs. the Full Thinking Process Analysis Part 1

270.  Using The Goal Tree vs. the Full Thinking Process Analysis Part 2

271.  Using The Goal Tree vs. the Full Thinking Process Analysis Part 3

272.  Using The Goal Tree vs. the Full Thinking Process Analysis Part 4

273.  Using The Goal Tree vs. the Full Thinking Process Analysis Part 5

274.  Using The Goal Tree vs. the Full Thinking Process Analysis Part 6

275.  An Analysis of Focus and Leverage’s Top Page View Postings

276.  An Index of All Focus and Leverage Blog Posts

277.  Using the Thinking Processes in Healthcare Part 1

278.  Using the Thinking Processes in Healthcare Part 2

279.  Using the Thinking Processes in Healthcare Part 3

280.  The Four Disciplines of Execution Part 1

281.  The Four Disciplines of Execution Part 2

282.  The Four Disciplines of Execution Part 3

283.  The Four Disciplines of Execution Part 4

284.  The Four Disciplines of Execution Part 5

285.  The Goal Tree – A New Way to Make it and Use It Part 1

286.  The Goal Tree – A New Way to Make it and Use It Part 2

287.  The Goal Tree – A New Way to Make it and Use It Part 3

288.  Operation Excellence by Jim Covington

289.  The Saw Mill Assessment

290.  How I present the Theory of Constraints to People Not Familiar With it

291.  David and Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell’s Latest Book

292.  The Basics of TOC

293.  TOC’s Replenishment Model Part 1

294.  TOC’s Replenishment Model Part 2

295.  Blog Posting Index

296.  Overcoming Natural Resistance to Change

297.  Integrating TOC, Lean and Six Sigma Part 1

298.  Appendix 1 from Epiphanized Part 1

299.  The Winter Storm in Atlanta

300.  Appendix 1 from Epiphanized Part 2

301.  Appendix 1 from Epiphanized Part 3

302.  Appendix 1 from Epiphanized Part 4 Final

303.  Bill Dettmer videos on TOC’s Thinking Processes

304.  Queuing Theory Part 1

305.  Queuing Theory Part 2

306.  Delta Airlines Lack of Customer Focus

307.  Bill Dettmer’s Book Strategic Navigation

308.  Excerpts from The Ultimate Improvement Cycle – My second book Part 1

309.  Excerpts from The Ultimate Improvement Cycle – My second book Part 2

310.  Excerpts from The Ultimate Improvement Cycle – My second book Part 3