| While it’s
neither a dot-com IPO nor a Fox TV game show, constraints management
-- and especially
Theory of Constraints (TOC)-- has its own share of buzz. Anybody
concerned with the bottom line (and with having too few resources)
can appreciate why this approach stirs passion among its believers.
Yet even with its highly logical underpinnings and proven results,
there’s debate – Can you apply TOC effectively beyond the factory
floor? Are the claims of gargantuan profit and productivity
increases for real? What about the alternatives to TOC? If the
product pipeline is like a funnel, where should the widest part be?
How do traditional product development portfolio management
approaches compare? How do TOC and lean thinking fit together?
The upcoming conference in
Chicago will tackle these questions and more in a no-holds-barred
panel session to be led by well-known product development expert
Preston Smith
(co-author of the acclaimed best-seller
Developing Products in Half the Time).
The session "TOC
and Alternative Constraints Management Approaches," will be held
April 4, from 5:00-5:45 pm, followed by an informal reception and
dinner. Panelists include
Rick Mueller of
Ford (who thinks TOC isn't necessarily the only way), Bob
Schroer of Hi-Stat
(a lean advocate), Guy Merritt of Tellabs (who’s used
several TOC techniques),
Tony Rizzo of Lucent
(a TOC evangelist), Dick Franks (a Goldratt affiliate) and
Chad Smith of the
Constraints Management Group (also a Goldratt affiliate).
Preston plans to get to
the bottom of the TOC/product development controversy.
Conference participants
will be encouraged to ask questions and challenge the panelists.
(This will all take place after a half-day session with Eli Goldratt
and four industry case studies so it ought to be meaty). If you’ve
been wondering whether TOC is right for your organization and/or how
to get to the next level, this day will offer solid answers. |
