About this Presentation
“Guararapes” is the largest fashion group in Brazil and the parent company of the “Lojas Riachuelo” retail chain, with 222 stores nationwide and turnover of more than $2 Billion. About 3 year ago, Riachuelo started a new initiative called “Fast Fashion”. The objective of this major strategic initiative was to develop a mode of operation that will serve them as a firm competitive advantage in the fast growing Brazilian fashion market. One of the fundamental conditions of the mode of operation to be developed is high scalability in order to support the aggressive growth strategy of the company. Using the TOC application for Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Retail in a very creative way, Riachuelo has been successful to gain a unique mode of operation. This mode of operation enables the company to present breakthrough results, together with advanced and powerful position in the traditional fashion industry. For the TOC community, this implementation opens a few new dimensions of the TOC application for Retail. The presentation will share the Fast Fashion initiative, together with the challenges the company needed to overcome along this journey.
What Will You Learn
To help you get the most value from this session, we’ve highlighted a few key points. These takeaways capture the main ideas and practical insights from the presentation, making it easier for you to review, reflect, and apply what you’ve learned.
Instructor(s)
Jennifer Eckman
Ms Alka Wadhwa
Alka Wadhwa is an experienced consultant and process improvement expert with over 24 years of expertise in the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Six Sigma, and organizational performance optimization. She has successfully led projects in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, driving significant improvements such as a 67% boost in hospital operations and a 140% increase in outpatient visits.
Previously, Alka Wadhwa spent 17+ years at GE Global Research Center, where she led initiatives to enhance various GE businesses through advanced technologies, process redesign, and system optimization. Founder of Better Solutions Consulting, LLC, she specializes in using TOC, Six Sigma, and data analytics to streamline operations and build high-performance teams.
Her work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Empire State Award of Excellence in healthcare.
Dr Gary Wadhwa
Dr. Gary Wadhwa is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive experience in the field. He completed his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training at Montefiore Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, and has served as an Attending at prestigious institutions like St. Peters Hospitals, Ellis Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital in NY. With a career spanning over two decades, he was the former CEO and President of a group specialty practice in NY from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Wadhwa holds an MBA from UT at Knoxville, TN, and has undergone additional training in System Dynamics at MIT, Health System Management at Harvard Business School, and Entrepreneurship and healthcare innovations at Columbia Business School. Committed to expanding access to Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery care, he is currently engaged in a meaningful project to provide healthcare services to underserved populations in inner city and rural areas through non-profit Community Health Centers.