About this Presentation
In 2003, Nikkei Computer, the most popular IT industry magazine in Japan, reported that 2/3 of the business applications do not meet business expectations. Many professionals in this industry identified that the most important issue must be the lack of appropriate knowledge for requirements definition and design process. The number of projects held by various companies and organizations generates a certain contribution, however, the aforementioned magazine reported similar result in 2008. It means we could not find a meaningful breakthrough by our traditional “functional approach.” In 2008, Hitachi started to investigate the root cause of this problem to find a meaningful breakthrough using TOC. Immediately after this initiative started in examining their learning process by using the TOC thinking processes (TP), Hitachi identified some wrong assumptions, a flawed paradigm, and a dilemma in these processes. The TOC TP and other various knowledge lead Hitachi to develop a new paradigm, policies and processes. The new methodology “Ex-Approach” is the comprehensive body of knowledge and consists of TOC as foundation, and various frameworks, tools and techniques specific to these processes. “Ex-Approach” contributes to realize collaboration / harmony by and between business users and system engineers and supports them to focus on “needs, not wants”, “what, not how”, “flow, not functionality.” The new paradigm and process are highly welcomed and utilized in various industries including financial services, manufacturing, retail and public sector. Most of the deliverables / outcome of more than 100 system planning, requirement definition and design projects conducted based on this body of knowledge are described as “meet or exceed business expectations” by the clients. These significant results represent that we established actual and robust win-win relationships by and between the “IT user” and the “IT service provider”, which we were longing for but never realized. The presentation will provide: our industry background, our learning process, the wrong assumptions, the flawed paradigm and dilemma, and the “new paradigm, policies and processes” followed by our high level explanation of the new methodology and several proven results in various industries. 3 Learning objectives. -Flawed paradigm vs new paradigm. -The methodology “Ex Approach” body of knowledge for Information system contents design. -Results & actual cases applied. Through the above information, the audience will be able to apply or design to fit their own situation. 3 Questions expected. “ Show further potential” using questions such as; - Is there any specific area where we cannot apply this methodology? -How do we realize the Win-Win relationship? Is there any impact on the clients’ IT user and its IT service division? -Do you have any failure case? What was challenges? What is your next challenge or next stage?
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)
Kaoru Watanabe
Kaoru Watanabe led Hitachi Limited's TOC initiatives from 2010 through 2021. Hitachi received “The TOC Company of the Year Award” in 2018. Immediately after his retirement from Hitachi Limited, Kaoru started new TOC consultant career at the consulting organization lead by Mr. Satoru Murakami, Recipient of the Regional Achievement Awards 2019. His consultation service is not an implementation of TOC. He supports POOGI that realizes immediate and continuous results not only by TOC but also lessons learned from failure, various knowledge about Operations Research, Project Management, Marketing and Sales. Current his focus area is “Product & Service Development” and “Smart Manufacturing”. His clients include mid-range to very large-scale technology companies (Manufacturing and Information Services) in Japan.
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.