About this Presentation
The TOCICO Dictionary (2012, 2nd Ed. Cox, Boyd, et al., 45) defines the theory of constraints (TOC) as “A holistic management philosophy developed by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt that is based on the principle that complex systems exhibit inherent simplicity, i.e., even a very complex system made up of thousands of people and pieces of equipment can have in any given time only a very, very small number of variables – perhaps only one (known as a constraint) – that actually limits the ability to generate more of the system’s goal.” The term, theory of constraints, was coined by Dr. Goldratt in 1986 with his realization that his OPT philosophy applied to more than the management of bottlenecks in production. He realized that his concepts also applied to projects with the ‘bottleneck’ being the critical path (better described as a critical chain); hence the new name ‘theory of constraints’. The evolution of TOC started much earlier in the late 1970’s with the development of Goldratt’s OPT software and later the OPT principles. In 2010, Dr. Goldratt in ‘Chapter 1 What is TOC? My perspective’ (of the Theory of Constraints Handbook) wrote that TOC could be described by one word: ‘focus’. In the chapter Goldratt describes redefining the term ‘focus’ to solve each new problem blocking achieving the system goal and in each instance of solving the new problem he expands the scope to several organization functions (production, accounting, marketing, sales, distribution, retail, human relations, engineering and projects, business strategy, etc.) and increases the performance of the system significantly. This workshop answers the first two change questions of ‘what to change?’ and ‘to what to change to’ for organizations and for various organization functions. (1 hour, 43 minutes).
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.
Instructor(s)
James F. Cox III
James F. Cox III Professor Emeritus, Management Dept. Terry College of Business, University of Georgia, Athens, GA. 30602 James F. Cox III, Ph.D., TOCICO certified, CFPIM, CIRM, JONAH’s JONAH, Professor Emeritus, was the Robert O. Arnold Professor of Business at the University of Georgia. Before an academic career of over 30 years, he held industry and military positions. He taught Jonah workshops and numerous TOC workshops and programs. Dr. Cox’s research has centered on TOC for over thirty-five years. He co-edited (with John Schleier) the TOC Handbook. He has written three books on TOC and has authored/co-authored over 100 articles in top academic and practitioner journals, including Decision Sciences, the Academy of Management Review and Journal, Production/Operations Management Journal, MIS Quarterly, International Journal of Production Research, Production and Inventory Management Journal, and Industrial Engineering. He was the co-editor of the APICS Dictionary (five editions with John Blackstone) and the TOCICO Dictionary, 2nd edition. Dr. Cox, an APICS member for over 40 years, held numerous chapter, regional, and national offices (BODs for 4 years, VP-Research for 2 years, APICS E&R Foundation BODs for 9 years including 4 as president). He also served on the founding TOCICO Board of Directors and as its first director of certification. He has spoken at over 50 APICS and other professional organization chapter meetings, regional seminars, and international conferences on TOC. He has received the APICS Voluntary Service Award and the TOCICO Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the field. His research interest for 13 years has been the application of TOC in healthcare.
Ms Alka Wadhwa
Alka Wadhwa is an experienced consultant and process improvement expert with over 24 years of expertise in the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Six Sigma, and organizational performance optimization. She has successfully led projects in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, driving significant improvements such as a 67% boost in hospital operations and a 140% increase in outpatient visits.
Previously, Alka Wadhwa spent 17+ years at GE Global Research Center, where she led initiatives to enhance various GE businesses through advanced technologies, process redesign, and system optimization. Founder of Better Solutions Consulting, LLC, she specializes in using TOC, Six Sigma, and data analytics to streamline operations and build high-performance teams.
Her work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Empire State Award of Excellence in healthcare.
Dr Gary Wadhwa
Dr. Gary Wadhwa is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive experience in the field. He completed his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training at Montefiore Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, and has served as an Attending at prestigious institutions like St. Peters Hospitals, Ellis Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital in NY. With a career spanning over two decades, he was the former CEO and President of a group specialty practice in NY from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Wadhwa holds an MBA from UT at Knoxville, TN, and has undergone additional training in System Dynamics at MIT, Health System Management at Harvard Business School, and Entrepreneurship and healthcare innovations at Columbia Business School. Committed to expanding access to Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery care, he is currently engaged in a meaningful project to provide healthcare services to underserved populations in inner city and rural areas through non-profit Community Health Centers.