The New Beginning A Business Novel on How to Successfully Implement the Combination of The Theory of Constraints, Lean, and Six Sigma to Drive Profit Margins

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Tom’s New Beginning

Chapter 2 The Phone Call

Chapter 3 The Meeting

Chapter 4 A New Direction

Chapter 5 Maximo Health Center Complex

Chapter 6 Simpson’s New Beginning

Chapter 7 Maximo Health Center Complex’s New Beginning

Chapter 8 Simpson Water Heater’s Next Meeting

Chapter 9 The Next Step at Maximo Health Center Complex

Chapter 10 Drum Buffer Rope at Simpson Water Heaters

Chapter 11 Maximo’s Goal Tree

Chapter 12 Developing an Improvement Plant at Simpson

Chapter 13 The Expanded Case Study at Simpson Water Heaters

Chapter 14 Maximo’s Improvement Plan

Chapter 15 More Training at Maximo

Chapter 16 Simpson Water Heater’s Goal Tree

Chapter 17 The Board Meeting

Chapter 18 Maximo’s Improvement Effort

Chapter 19 Drum Buffer Rope at Maximo

Chapter 20 Simpson Water Heater’s New Initiative

Chapter 21 The End of the New Beginning

Chapter 22 The Virus

Chapter 23 The Webinar

Biography

Bob Sproull is an Independent Consultant and the owner of Focus and Leverage Consulting. Bob is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and a Theory of Constraints Jonah. Bob has served as a Vice President of Quality, Engineering, and Continuous Improvement for two different manufacturing companies, was General Manager for a manufacturing company, has an extensive consulting background in Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO), and focuses on teaching companies how to maximize their profitability through an integrated Lean, six Sigma, and Constraints Management improvement methodology. Bob is an internationally known speaker and author of numerous white papers and articles on continuous improvement. Bob’s background also includes 9 years with the Presbyterian University Hospital complex in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he ran the Biochemistry Department at Children’s Hospital, performed extensive research in breakthrough testing methods and assisted with the development of organ transplant procedures. Bob completed his undergraduate work at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Rochester with a dual Math/Physics major. A results-driven Performance Improvement Professional with a diverse healthcare, manufacturing, MRO and technical background, he has significant experience appraising under-performing companies, developing and executing highly successful improvement strategies based upon the integration of Lean, Six Sigma, and Constraints Management methodology. Bob is the author of four books, including, The Focus and Leverage Improvement Book, CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, 2018; The Problem-Solving, Problem-Prevention, and Decision-Making Guide - Organized and Systematic Roadmaps for Managers, CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, 2018; The Ultimate Improvement Cycle: Maximizing Profits Through the Integration of Lean, Six Sigma and the Theory of Constraints, Productivity Press, 2009; Process ProblemSolving: A Guide for Maintenance and Operation’s Teams, Productivity Press, 2001; and Theory of Constraints, Lean, and Six Sigma Improvement Methodology: Making the Case for Integration, Productivity Press, 2019; and co-author of Epiphanized: Intergrading Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma, North River Press, 2012; Epiphanized: A Novel on Unifying Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma, 2nd Edition, and Focus and Leverage: The Critical Methodology for Theory of Constraints, Lean, and Six Sigma (TLS). Degrees, Certifications, and Memberships: Bachelor of Science Equivalent in Math and Physics, University of Rochester Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Kent State University Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, Sigma Breakthrough Technologies, Inc. TOCICO Strategic Thinking Process Program Certificate TOC Thinking Processes (Jonah Course) L-3 Communications Critical Chain Expert Certificate, Realization Technologies Lean MRO Operations Certificate, University of Tennessee Bob resides in Prattville, Alabama

This book delivers insight into how to rapidly help organizations become much more effective and profitable. Through an engaging story about a year in the life of a consultant, they demonstrate how the synergistic combination of Lean, Six Sigma, & Theory of Constraints (known as the Ultimate Improvement Cycle or UIC) can help quickly drive the performance of organizations from mediocre to record setting levels. As a consultant, I truly appreciate and relate to the realistic scenarios and levels of achievement presented in this book. These results are more than possible with the UIC; they’re repeatable and reproducible. Now, more than ever, would be a great time to read this book and learn how to apply it for anyone passionate about improving their organizations…especially consultants, plant managers, organizational leadership, as well as board members of companies and equity groups. It works.

• Michael Asbury, founder, Elevate Coaching & Consulting

The strongest parts of this book are the intuitive illustrations and explanations of the basic principles of Theory of Constraints that will hold the hand of a newcomer and serve as training material for the professional. This book contains inspirational and hands on examples of how to systematically walk an organization through empowering its employees, forming independent teams of subject matter experts and with only a little injection of new knowledge and perspective setting them loose on the core problems of the organization.

• Rasmus Hammer, process consultant -- Theory of Constraints, Frederiksberg Forsyning A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark

This book takes the reader from the cost-accounting world of saving money to the throughput world of making money. Utilizing theory of constraints, this book illustrates a methodology enabling cross-functional teams to define and implement their goals.

• Steve Schmidt, founder and owner, ISWW Solutions, LLC