The frameworks, diagnostic instruments, and execution models behind intelligent transformation. Refined across decades, deployed in production environments, measured in value created.
Theory of Constraints, flow analysis, dynamic bottleneck detection
Gemba observation, decision pathways, actual vs. documented process
Operating model design, workflow architecture, decision rights
Stabilization → Synchronization → Performance shift
The first and most important step: locating the system's limiting factor
Constraints aren't found in data charts-they are found in flow behavior.
Full diagnostic frameworks, tools, and implementation guides available to engagement clients.
Five Focusing Steps:
Most organizations violate Step 3-they optimize local efficiency instead of system throughput. Result: inventory pileup, schedule chaos, margin erosion.
The constraint sets the pace. Schedule the constraint first-everything else follows. Maximize constraint uptime and productivity.
Time buffer (not inventory) protects the constraint from upstream variability. Typically 3-5 days of work-in-queue at the constraint.
Pacing mechanism-release material to the system based on constraint consumption rate. Prevents WIP explosion.
Constraint is NOT where you think: Leadership assumes Equipment X is the bottleneck. Data shows it's actually quality release cycle or planning instability.
Policy constraints dominate: 60-70% of constraints are behavioral/policy-based, not physical capacity. Example: batch-and-queue policies, approval delays, functional silos.
Efficiency theater: Non-constraints run at 95% utilization (local efficiency), creating WIP chaos. Correct answer: intentional idle time at non-constraints.
Operating reality ≠ documented process
The truth emerges from behavior.
Behavioral mapping frameworks, gemba observation protocols, and R/E/A diagnostic tools available to engagement clients.
Who Actually Decides? Not what the org chart says-what actually happens.
Classic dysfunction: R sits in one department, E in another, A in a third. Coordination breaks down. Decisions drift. Accountability evaporates.
Go See: Spend 3-5 days on the shop floor, in planning meetings, in quality huddles. Observe handoffs, escalations, workarounds.
What to Track:
Map Decision Pathways: For critical decisions (schedule change, quality deviation, supplier substitution), map:
Result: "Schedule change takes 6 hours minimum, requires 4 approvals, touches 9 people." This latency kills agility.
Track how often routine issues escalate to management. High escalation rate = authority misalignment or lack of standard response protocols.
Systems don't support actual work. People bypass them. Gemba reveals the shadow process-the real workflow vs. documented workflow.
Critical data lives in spreadsheets, emails, tribal knowledge. Not in systems. Creates brittleness and single-person dependencies.
Architecture design without behavioral understanding = failure. You'll build systems that optimize documented processes, not actual behavior. Result: expensive systems nobody uses. Start with gemba. Let reality inform design.
Creating the structural model that synchronizes value creation end-to-end
This step replaces siloed improvements with true operating architecture.
Operating architecture blueprints, decision-rights frameworks, and workflow design templates available to engagement clients.
Decision Rights Matrix: Explicit mapping of R/E/A by decision type (planning, quality, procurement, production). Eliminates ambiguity and coordination delays.
Workflow Architecture: Define process boundaries, handoff protocols, and escalation triggers. Event-driven where possible, batch where necessary. Optimize for flow, not local efficiency.
Governance Structure: Steering committees, tier-1/2/3 huddles, exception handling protocols. Clear accountability and rapid problem resolution mechanisms.
Target State Architecture: Visual blueprint showing systems, data flows, decision points, and accountability. Implementation roadmap with 90-day increments.
Transition Plan: Phased migration from current state. Identifies quick wins, critical dependencies, and risk mitigation strategies.
Architecture without a migration plan = shelf-ware. Every design includes the path to implementation.
Fast, structured execution that builds new habits and measurable outcomes
This is NOT a project plan.
This is a performance engine.
90-Day execution playbooks, cadence design templates, constraint KPI frameworks, and value council operating models available to engagement clients.
Long enough to deliver measurable business value. Short enough to maintain urgency and avoid scope creep.
\nCadence creates momentum. Teams see results quickly. Reinforces new behaviors. Builds confidence in the approach.
\nMultiple cycles compound value. Cycle 1: $2-5M. Cycle 2: $3-7M. Cycle 3: $5-10M. Each constraint lifted creates platform for next improvement.
\nTraditional 18-month transformation programs fail because value arrives too late. 90-day cycles deliver value early, often, and visibly. CFOs and PE partners love this.
\nThese aren't theoretical frameworks. They're production-tested tools deployed in manufacturing, pharma, and PE portfolio companies where failure isn't an option.
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