Villanova

Six Sigma and TQM At least that was my search query. However, the link returned the course offering "Six Sigma and Lean." Stranger yet, the only mention of Lean was in the course title. Nowhere to be found in the course description? Reminder: All three of these tools bring a lot of value to the table. However, without a systems orientation, you cannot achieve breakthroughs in throughput. Until 2003, I would have suggested that everyone investigate Eli Goldratt's TOC (Theory of Constraints) to gain the proper holistic vantage point. Today, TOC has evolved into the Constraints Management Model (CMM), whereby H. William Dettmer has turbocharged TOC with John Boyd's OODA Loop. OODA, as in Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act. Whatever your results with Six Sigma or Lean (TPS) or even TQM (Total Quality Management, or the U.S. Marine Corps variation, TQL: Total Quality Leadership), those results would and always will pale by comparison. By using CMM's call for action to determine strategy, any and every organization must exceed all expectations. A recap of a recent APICS magazine article got the headline wrong (it is not about one over the other, it is about the synergy of using TOC to guide the other efforts), but still highlights much of the good news. With CMM, I am convinced the results would have been significantly higher. As in triple digits. Now, if Villanova were to offer such a course... Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah www.ThroughputPress.com tag: Villanova