About this Presentation
In this presentation, Douglas McKinnon, senior director of IT Project & Production Management, will describe how Charles River Laboratories used Critical Chain in the management of their extensive portfolio of IT projects. Despite far-from-ideal circumstances, and significant inertia and resistance, implementing Critical Chain helped deliver significant value to the organization. Before Critical Chain, about 55% of IT projects were delivered on time. Within a year of implementing Critical Chain this rose to over 90%, and has remained at over 90% for the past 2 years. At the same time end-user satisfaction with the delivered solutions rose. But the measure Douglas is most proud of is the increase in the employee engagement scores amongst the IT project delivery teams. From below average before they switched to CCPM, this has risen to one of the highest ratings in the company. He believes that ... A system that helps staff focus on the right things; Not having unnecessary bureaucracy; And an integrated approach to projects... was instrumental in this improvement in engagement and job satisfaction.
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.
Charles River Labs successfully implemented Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) to improve project delivery reliability from 55% to 92%.
The company also saw improvements in customer satisfaction and employee engagement, with the latter being a key driver of successful project delivery.
Combining Agile methodologies with CCPM can be beneficial, as they share principles such as eliminating bad multitasking and focusing on essential tasks.
Instructor(s)
Douglas MacKinnon
Douglas MacKinnon is the Sr Director IT Project & Production Management at Charles River Laboratories
Douglas oversees IT projects at Charles River Laboratories. Prior to his current role he was head of IT PMO Operations. Charles River is a $2.6B company that supports the life science sector, helping with the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies Douglas's expertise lies in: Program Management, Critical Chain Project Management, Purchasing, Six Sigma, Project Management, eSourcing, Lean, Sourcing, Change Management.
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.