Systems Improvement (Jonah)
ToC Certification Course 

In light of today's competitive pressures and a rapidly changing environment, many organizations have decided that they must have a process of on-going improvement.   For an organization to have a rapid process of on-going improvement, certain basic questions need to be answered faster and more effectively.   Those fundamental questions are:

• "What To Change?"

• "What To Change To?" and

• "How To Cause The Change?"

Many organizations and managers deal with problems in isolation and subsequently end up dealing with symptoms.   The equivalent of fighting fires on a daily basis and waging the same battles over and over again.   Focusing in isolation results in the following symptoms: 

• A lack of the bigger picture emerging from proposed interventions;
• Dealing with symptoms rather than root causes;
• Interventions not delivering according to expectations; and
• Too many initiatives on the table and nothing being achieved  

The Systems Improvement Course is for individuals and management teams who want to accelerate the improvement process in their area of responsibility or throughout their organization.   It is also for those who want to accelerate the improvement process in a subject matter or specific area of interest.   This ToC Flagship Course focuses participants' common sense and intuition through the Theory Of Constraints (TOC) Thinking Processes.   The results are detailed answers to each of the three questions for the selected subject.   Participants also gain the tools needed to apply the same rigorous process to other subject matter.  

Background
The "Jonah Course" was first conceived when Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt began teaching those interested in learning his "Thinking Processes".  The original courses were taught at the Avraham Y. Goldratt Institute (AGI) in New Haven, CT.
In his book "The Goal", Dr Goldratt introduces the reader to a character by the name of Jonah.  This character is an old Physics Professor of the books main character, Alex Rogo.  Through a series of meetings and discussions, Jonah works with Alex to help turn his ailing company around.  It is in the sprit of the methods used by Jonah to discover; What to change, What to change to and How to cause the change to happen that the Jonah course was born. Much has changed since the creation of the original Jonah Course.  This course and course materials reflect the current and best-known applications from the body of knowledge that is available.  The theory of constraints (TOC), like other sciences, is in a constant state of flux.  New methods and new technology are being discovered, applied and documented almost daily.  
 
 
Thinking Processes
Examples will be presented and discussed that demonstrate the profound impact TOC thinking has had on several types of industries.  Consider what it has done for these companies:

• Profitability improved five fold and then three fold in successive years.
• Profits grew 174% for an Iron Works company in the first year of implementation
• Inventory was reduced 60% and late shipments eliminated for an oil industry company. • Lead times were cut 70% without adding capacity at an International Plastics
• Manufacturing Capacity Increased 100% without additional workers, facilities, or equipment at FMC Sub-sea Systems
• Production Revenue Increased $500M in 3-months time at a Motorola Circuit Board Facility.

Timing
Seven full days of instruction. Each day 8:30 to 4:00 Additional homework involving plant or business activities will require each student to commit more time. Pricing is structured at $4,400, per individual, who attends the modules.

 
Certification
This course includes the complete instruction in the ToC Thinking Processes thereby putting students in excellent position to complete the TOC-ICO certification (but this must be done independently of completion of this course). Control Point technologies and Weber State University have no obligation regarding your certification.
Individuals who complete all of the modules assigned to this course will be issued a certificate of completion for the "Thinking Processes Course".  Those individuals who seek an international certification will be able to challenge the Theory of Constraints International Certification Organization (TOC-ICO) international certification test.

 
Textbook & Prerequisite
The required textbook for this class is:Goldratt, E, & Cox, J. (1992). The Goal. (2nd Revised Ed.). New Haven CT: North River Press. It is recommended that participants complete this reading before engaging in the seminar/workshop activities.  Many concepts outlined in the book will be reviewed and discussed during the training.