Education and Training

 

Afinitus delivers many of the following courses routinely as a part of client implementations, but each of these are available a la carte by special arrangement.  Please contact us if you have an interest in holding any of the following training and education courses at your location, or in joining a course previously scheduled at another location.

 

NEW!  AFINITUS OFFERS TOCICO CERTIFICATION PREP COURSES

Afinitus is pleased to announce we will be offering a full slate of Theory of Constraints International Certification Organization (TOCICO) examination preparation courses:

  • TOC Consultant
  • TOC Fundamentals
  • Supply Chain Logistics
  • Project Management
  • Financial Management
  • The TOC Thinking Process
  • Business Strategy

 If you are a consultant or TOC practitioner looking for education to prepare you for official TOCICO recognition, Afinitus is the right place.  Classes will be offered based on level of interest. 

 

 

AFINITUS BASIC COURSES

   

 

Introduction to the Theory of Constraints (1 day)

 

This course covers the basic, foundational knowledge of TOC required by any organization that wishes to embark on a TOC-based Process of On-Going Improvement. Students will be given a brief history of TOC and its developments and advancements over the past two decades.

 

Students will also be introduced to the basic ideas of TOC, including the importance of the organization's goal, a systemic approach to improvement, local optimization vs. global optimization, the Five Focusing Steps, time buffers, protective capacity, and constraints management.

 

 

Critical Chain Project Management Workshop (2 days)

 

This program is for organizations looking to improve reliable delivery of projects while meeting budget, quality and original scope requirements. Utilizing a combination of exercises, interactive discussions and simulations, participants reach an understanding on the current problems within the multi-project environment.  Participants then discover the few key changes that will significantly improve the performance of an organization.

 

 

Drum Buffer Rope Production Management Workshop (2 days)

Drum-Buffer-Rope is the TOC Solution for scheduling in a repetitive or job-shop manufacturing environments.  During the two day course the student will learn the answers to the questions, "What is Drum-Buffer-Rope and why do we need it?"  "How do I create a DBR schedule?"   "What will I have to do differently from today?" and, "How can I make DBR work with my current business systems?"  The classroom environment replicates a generic organization by the use of computer simulations to illustrate DBR concepts

TOC Measurements & Metrics (incl TOC Financial Management Overview) (1 day)

 The Measurements and Metrics course, compares and contrasts the various types of management accounting, such as ABC, EVM, DoD accounting, and traditional cost accounting, and introduces the organization to Throughput Accounting.  This course also introduces the TOC solution for aligning all measurements and metrics in the organization towards meeting its goal.  Lively and eye-opening interactive discussions cover all areas: financials, budgets, operational, performance and conformal metrics and more.

  

TOC Replenishment & Distribution (Supply Chain Management) Overview (1 day)

 

This course introduces the student to methodologies and approaches for managing inventories from distribution warehouses to raw materials stores to components stores and more in an MRP II environment.  It shows how a TOC approach helps solve the dilemma of knowing how much inventory to keep on hand and where, and when it is appropriate to reduce inventory levels to best control carrying costs.  Also shown is the importance of integrating replenishment methodologies with local applications such as Critical Chain or Drum-Buffer-Rope, creating a truly integrated scheduling system.

  

 The TOC Thinking Processes Course (aka "Jonah" Certification (8 days)

This program is for organizations that want to address their toughest problems, but have so far failed to resolve them even after years of effort.  The Thinking Processes Program is based on the Theory of Constraints suite of tools and applications, and is aimed at solving an organization's core problems and all its derived symptoms.

 

The student will learn to use cause-and-effect logic in this journey.  Some of the cause-and-effect tools he or she will learn include the Current Reality Tree, the Evaporating Cloud, the Future Reality Tree, the Prerequisite Tree, and the Transition Tree.

 

This program is designed to give a thorough understanding of the TOC Thinking Processes and how to apply them to ANY problem. As part of the course, the student will address one of his/her actual problems - preferably one in which no solution is currently apparent.

 

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AFINITUS ADVANCED COURSES AND

PREPARATION FOR TOCICO CERTIFICATION EXAMINATIONS

 

The following courses are intended for creating local subject matter experts in the TOC disciplines, and also serve as preparation courses for those interested in taking the TOCICO certification examinations.

 

 

Critical Chain Project Management Advanced Education and/or

Preparation for TOCICO Project Management Certification Exam

 

This program is designed to educate and train participants on the methodology for implementing and sustaining Critical Chain Project Management within an organization. This Critical Chain methodology has been proven by Afinitus to significantly transform the performance of an organization. By going through this program participants will receive education, training and implementation experience by an Afinitus Critical Chain implementer.

Program deliverables are, that within their organization, participants will be able to:

  • Identify and explain the cause of the common problems experienced in today's project environment
  • Create advanced level competence in Critical Chain
  • Create self sufficiency with using Critical Chain
  • Be able to train others in the Critical Chain methodology
  • Able to implement the Critical Chain solution the throughout company
  • Determine when to release projects
  • Create Critical Chain schedules
  • Customize Critical Chain for their particular environment
  • Identify and overcome obstacles in the way of achieving results
  • Obtaining buy-in and support to adopting the Critical Chain methodology 

                                                                                                                

Supply Chain Logistics Advanced Education and/or

Preparation for TOCICO Supply Chain Logistics Certification Exam

 

Supply Chain Logistics Advanced Education is intended for the organization that desires to develop its own implementation specialists, thus having home-grown TOC, Replenishment and DBR expertise for the long haul. To this end Afinitus has developed an extensive 8-day course, covering Drum-Buffer Rope and Distribution & Replenishment in great detail. Upon completion of the course the graduate will be licensed by Afinitus to use our presentation materials within the organization for their upcoming implementations.

During the eight days, the student will learn:

  • To fully understand Traditional Drum-Buffer-Rope and its applications
  • To understand Simplified Drum-Buffer-Rope (S-DBR) and when to use it
  • How to teach the 2-day DBR User Training Workshop
  • How to lead an implementation of DBR or S-DBR
  • How to implement TOC Distribution & Replenishment
  • How to use legacy systems such as MRP II in concert with DBR and Replenishment

The student will learn to use and teach computer simulations in detail in order to gain an even deeper understanding of DBR concepts. Supply Chain Logistics Advanced Education is an excellent foundation for developing the true DBR and supply chain specialist. The student will also understand how to identify and correct the misalignment of policies, measurements and behaviors that is prevalent in most organizations. This is a train the trainer course.

From supplier to factory, factory to distributor, distributor to reseller, reseller to consumer — regardless of the link in the supply chain, the right materials, parts, products or services must be available at the right place at the right time. TOC methodology can be used to optimize the movement and availability of materials along the entire supply chain, thus keeping inventories to a minimum while keeping response to customer orders at a maximum. TOC provides the best answer to supply chain questions because it focuses on the constraints, or limiting factors, in the chain.

 Preparation for TOCICO Fundamentals Certification Exam

This course combines elements of the Critical Chain Project Management Workshop, the Drum-Buffer-Rope Production Management Workshop, TOC Measurements & Metrics, and the TOC Replenishment & Distribution Overview, and explains how all the applications can be tied together to produce a Synchronized Enterprise, where all schedules, whether from Projects, Production, or the Supply Chain are synchronized and buffered against disruption.  Excellent for mid to senior level managers.

 

Synchronized Enterprise Advanced Education (10 days)

 

This course combines elements of the Critical Chain Project Management Advanced Course, the Drum-Buffer-Rope Production Management Advanced Course, TOC Measurements & Metrics, and the TOC Replenishment & Distribution Overview, and explains in depth how all the applications can be tied together to produce a Synchronized Enterprise, where all schedules, whether from Projects, Production, or the Supply Chain are synchronized and buffered against disruption.  This course is geared for the management and leadership of implementations and local implementation experts.

 

 

Information coming soon on Business Strategy and Financial Management TOCICO Certification courses.  Check back later, or contact us for more information.

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