News from the TOC-Lean Institute

~ DDMRP Webinar presented by Chad Smith, Tuesday 22nd November, 3.00 pm GMT: Improve your Customer Service levels, compress your lead times and reduce inventory through the application of Demand Driven Materials Requirement Planning (DDMRP) tactics and Replenishment+®

Following his recent successful UK seminar, Chad Smith, co-author of the new edition of Orlicky’s Material Requirements Planning, will be presenting a webinar - offered by Demand Driven Technologies - to allow a wider audience to appreciate the benefits of applying DDMRP to their organisation.
Chad will take the audience through the basic concepts of DDMRP and some early adopter results. Demand Driven Technologies will then demonstrate what their fully compliant DDMRP technology, Replenishment+® looks like.

~ UK MRP Seminar presented by Chad Smith, co-author of the 2011 edition of Orlicky's Material Requirements Planning: I & J Munn Ltd, in association with Nottingham University Business School and Rolls-Royce Plc have invited Chad Smith to the UK to give a 2.5 hour seminar detailing a revolutionary formal planning approach that is producing staggering results in early adopters.
The seminar will describe and clarify the poor business results embedded in most of today’s demand and supply planning systems; discuss the core problems causing the results; present and detail an alternative demand driven structure for planning and controlling materials flow; and present initial results from actual implementations.

Date: Friday 11th November 2011
Venue: Nottingham University Business School
Time: 10.00 am
Places are limited, so pre-booking is essential - please download a flyer for more information and booking details.

I would like to share this official news release with all my friends and colleagues:

“Sixty-four years ago a giant was born.

Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt spent his entire adult life fighting to show that it is possible to make this world a better place. We must have the honesty to see reality as it is, we must have the courage to challenge assumptions, and above all, we must use the gift of thinking. Having applied these principles to various management fields, he created the Theory of Constraints. His concepts and teachings have expanded beyond management and are being used in healthcare, education, counselling, government, agriculture and personal growth - to name a few fields using TOC. His legacy is invaluable.

On June 11th, 2011 at noon, Eli Goldratt passed away at his home in Israel in the company of his family and close friends.

The strength and passion of Eli allowed him to spend his last days sharing and delivering his latest insights and breakthroughs to a group of people who have committed to transfer this knowledge to the TOC Community during the upcoming Theory of Constraints International Certification Organization Conference in New York.

It was Eli's last wish for us to take TOC to the next level - truly standing on the shoulders of the Giant he was.

"I smile and start to count on my fingers: One, people are good. Two, every conflict can be removed. Three, every situation, no matter how complex it initially looks, is exceedingly simple. Four, every situation can be substantially improved; even the sky is not the limit. Five, every person can reach a full life. Six, there is always a win-win solution. Shall I continue to count?" "

I owe a great deal to Eli. Through his time and patience I learned a great deal about myself and my own journey in life. He guided me when I asked, and then left me alone to make my own mistakes. He gave me the confidence to use the tools he developed for all manner of applications, and that part of my journey is not yet complete. His legacy is not just through what he did himself, but how he challenged others to pick up the baton and go our own way, taking the TOC to places, geographically and philosophically, it had never been before.
His own work is now complete; we now have the challenge to continue his work as our own work. I know that in the years to come I will never forget this man and what he stood for. I will never forget the times we spent together and what he was able to teach me. For me, helping people achieve their goal in life has been a passion for some time, a passion that was lit by Eli. This remains my goal in life and in this way his legacy will continue to grow.

Thank you Eli.

~ Latest TOC-Lean Institute Newsletter: The importance of coaching & mentoring for those in positions of leadership is highlighted in the latest edition of the TOC-Lean Newsletter. Also in this edition - former MD Prof. Dave Stevens explains why it’s best to seek business assistance sooner rather than later!
A copy can be downloaded here.

~ DO YOU NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR EVENT?: Many professional associations and societies hold regular evening events or conferences with guest speakers. Dr Ted Hutchin is an experienced and very popular presenter at such events and can entertain your members with his insights on a number of business and TOC-related topics.
Find out more here.

~ CRITICAL CHAIN PROJECT MANAGEMENT: We are pleased to announce that we are now able to supply Critical Chain "CCPM+" software from Advanced Projects in the USA to clients in the UK. Advanced Projects' President, Larry Leach, is a longstanding colleague and friend and we are delighted to be able to create this new partnership. Larry has written a number of key books in this field and is a highly capable project professional, with many successful implementations to his credit.
The fee for the CCPM+ is £ 350 (ex VAT) for each licence. We are of course able to provide the necessary training in both Critical Chain Project Management and the use of the CCPM+ software, to ensure that great results are achieved.
If you would like to learn more about CCPM+, please contact Ted Hutchin.

~ We have added a gallery of Recommended TOC Books for you to browse.

~ LEAN: We are pleased to announce the launch of our Lean Leaders Programme. The aim of the Programme is to develop within your organisation people who can both lead and sustain lean interventions and rapid improvement events.

This is a unique programme in that it is the only UK Lean Leader course to combine both Lean and TOC.
To find out more and discover just why this combination is so powerful, please click here.

~ MONTHLY SUPPORT: We know that many organisations would appreciate regular access to TOC-Lean expertise without having to make a large initial investment. We are therefore offering Business Support 'Bite Sized', whereby we visit your company one day a month to assist with leading and sustaining your projects, strategies and implementations.
Find out more here.

~ HOSPITALS: With the current NHS spend under fierce pressure and the situation unlikely to change in the future, managing a hospital effectively has never been more important - or challenging.
TOC principles have been applied in hospital settings for some while now - with outstanding results. We offer senior NHS managers a variety of training programmes tailored specifically to their needs and drawing on our own experience of working within the NHS.
Further details can be found here.

~ We would like to announce the creation of a new 2-day TOC Lean Six Sigma Experts Workshop.
Aimed at Senior Managers, Lean and/or Six Sigma Belts and Operational Managers who are disatisfied with the results of their current Continuous Improvement projects, the workshop will show how TOC can give real focus to Lean and Six Sigma initiatives, resulting in greatly enhanced bottom-line results.
Please Click here for more information.

~ Also new is our Executive Decision Making Workshop, which is aimed at those who have implemented TOC applications and wish to maximise the benefits by proactively taking control of production capablilites and market opportunities. The Workshop comprises 3 days training plus 2 days of in-company support.
Further details can be found here.

~ In times of recession, it often becomes imperative to streamline one's business operation and cut back on waste. It is precisely at times such as these - when belts are tight and nothing can be wasted - that the tools and techniques of TOC become even more important for implementing business improvements. TOC can make sure that you are not tightening your business belts because you’re getting thin and frail, but because you’re getting fit and healthy.
One of our recent Newsletters looks at these issues and introduces our 8-day intensive course, "Breaking the Cash Constraint", which is aimed at top managers and their teams.
Please click here to download the Newsletter.

~ A DAY WITH JONAH! Those of you who have read Dr Goldratt's 'The Goal' will remember how Alex Rogo's old professor, Jonah, is instrumental in changing Alex's thinking, setting him on the path to success. Well, now you can have Jonah visit your own plant! We are offering the opportunity to have a TOC expert "troubleshooter" come to your company, to look at things with a fresh eye and ask questions - at times very searching questions - about how things are running and what could be done to make an improvement in your business operations. Click here to find out more.

~ WHAT COULD 'THE GOAL' DO FOR YOU? We have launched a new 'Goal' on-site training package, aimed at bringing the Theory of Constraints fundamentals as set forth in Dr Eli Goldratt's book 'The Goal' right to the heart of your company. At £250 per morning or afternoon session (not per person), this is a great value opportunity. Please click here for more information.

~ Dr Eli Goldratt published a new book last autumn. 'The Choice' reveals how it is possible, by examining causal relationships and removing root conflicts, to change the damaging yet prevailing mindset that assumes complex problems must require complex solutions. Click here to read a review.

~ We have also added an in-depth overview of 'The Goal'. Join fictional plant manager Alex Rogo on his now famous journey to success here.

The unique 'process flow' principles of TOC - the Theory of Constraints - can be enormously beneficial when applied to both manufacturing and service industries where the efficient flow of goods, services - or people - is crucial to the success of the organisation.

Please contact us if you would like to find out more:
Telephone: 01664 502860
Email: tedh@toc-lean.com