About this Presentation
Dr. Curt Carlson and Dr Alan Barnard are both pioneers in developing, applying and teaching a systematic process to create new innovations. They share insights from their 30+ years experience in the field of innovation and show examples of how a new hybrid approach to systematic innovation which combines the benefits of their own unique approaches with the creativity of OpenAI’s ChatGPT can result in incredible breakthroughs.
What Will You Learn
To help you get the most value from this session, we’ve highlighted a few key points. These takeaways capture the main ideas and practical insights from the presentation, making it easier for you to review, reflect, and apply what you’ve learned.
The presentation highlights how farming systems often suffer from recurring bottlenecks — such as resource limitations, seasonal variability, and logistical constraints — that undermine performance and sustainability.
It shows how TOC principles can be applied to identify system constraints in agricultural processes (e.g., planting, harvesting, supply chain flow) rather than treating symptoms like yield or cost alone.
The session illustrates that focusing on the constraint and managing flow at key points in the production and distribution cycle can lead to more predictable outcomes and better resource utilization.
It emphasizes that integrating TOC with agricultural decision-making encourages a shift from reactive problem solving to proactive, constraint-based planning, which can improve resilience in the face of environmental and market uncertainties.
Instructor(s)
Curtis R. Carlson
Dr Curt R. Carlson
Dr Curt Carlson: The legendary ex-CEO of Stanford Research Institute (SRI International) from 1998 to 2014. Under his leadership, during this time, SRI’s revenue tripled and SRI became recognized as one of the world’s most productive innovation enterprises, having helped create Siri, HDTV, Robotic Surgery, and many other world-changing innovations.
Dr Alan Barnard
Dr. Alan Barnard is a leading decision scientist and Theory of Constraints (TOC) expert with almost 20 years of experience working directly with Dr. Eli Goldratt, the creator of TOC. As the CEO of Goldratt Research Labs (USA), Alan focuses on using advanced technologies and decision sciences to develop Apps and Decision Support methods, enabling organizations to achieve more with less time. Under his leadership, Goldratt Research Labs has collaborated on innovation and research projects with renowned Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, Cargill, BHP, Tata Steel, Amazon, and others, along with public sector organizations like Utah Governor's Office and UN WFP. Alan has held prominent roles in various organizations, including past-President of the South African Supply Chain Society SAPICS and past-President of TOCICO. His significant contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards, including inclusion in the 2020 Marquis Who's Who Global Listing, membership in the Forbes Technology Council, and the TOCICO Lifetime Achievement Award. He is an accomplished author and frequent presenter on Decision Making in a Complex World and Theory of Constraints at international conferences. Alan's latest book, "The Bottleneck - How to resolve our attention crisis," is currently in progress. As the chief architect of the award-winning HARMONY Decision Maker, Change Simulator, and Change Maker series of Decision Support Apps, Alan continues to shape the landscape of decision science and TOC. Please let me know if you need any further information or details.