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Sustainment- The Path to Self-Sufficiency
Sustainment- The Path to Self-Sufficiency 150 150 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense
Submitted By: Dr. Bahadir Inozu

Below is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of our recently published book, Performance Improvement for Healthcare: Leading Change with Lean, Six Sigma, and Constraints Management

In today’s competitive and highly volatile economic environment, change is the rule while the steady-state is momentary and uncertain. Change management must be embedded in the technical transformation that is taking place—a process within a process. Successful continuous performance improvement deployments must address change management throughout the deployment process. The devil is in the dynamic details. How to implement a change program successfully is critical when dealing with another confounding variable: the erratic changes of human behavior reacting to changes. The most successful organizations have people who must learn to continuously adapt to change.

Change happens, unabashedly. Whether it is planned or unplanned, positive or negative, change is the new norm. In healthcare, change has transmuted to an oxymoron, a constant: technological changes, regulatory changes, legislative changes, economic changes, demographic changes. Sometimes these changes are not incremental, but are revolutionary, affecting every part of the system. Change is either imposed or it is proactive. When W. Edwards Deming cynically said that “change is not necessary, survival is optional,” it was never more true than it is of healthcare today. When asked to describe the pace of change in healthcare today, a nurse wearily replied, “Change is all there is.”

Proactive change, such as a Performance Improvement for healthcare deployment, is intended to move the organization in a positive direction. Performance Improvement, by design and by definition, is a change initiative. While all change does not lead to improvement, performance improvement inevitably requires change. With the barrage of change that is already pummeling healthcare, performance-improvement initiatives may be perceived by overworked and overwhelmed staff as the next last straw. Thus, change management skills and methods are fundamental to any performance-improvement endeavor. Performance-Improvement practitioners are expected to act as change agents and change leaders. They need to be equipped, empowered, and trained to facilitate and manage change. Any successful performance-improvement deployment will be founded on change management principles and methods.

Click here for a free download of Chapter 1 of our book, Performance Improvement for Healthcare: Leading Change with Lean, Six Sigma, and Constraints Management.

Business Leaders Counting on New Best-Selling Book ‘Epiphanized: Integrating Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma’ to Improve Their Profitability
Business Leaders Counting on New Best-Selling Book ‘Epiphanized: Integrating Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma’ to Improve Their Profitability 150 150 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense

Mar 5, 2012

Business Leaders Counting on New Best-Selling Book ‘Epiphanized: Integrating Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma’ to Improve Their Profitability

‘Epiphanized’ by Bob Sproull and Bruce Nelson quickly landed on Amazon’s Best Sellers List as national executives and managers search for professional guidance on how to survive and operate a profitable business in a tumultuous economy.

New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) March 05, 2012 — NOVACES process improvement consultant and business turnaround expert Bob Sproull recently released his newest book to industry acclaim, ‘Epiphanized: Integrating Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma.’ The book quickly landed on Amazon’s Best Sellers List as national executives and managers search for professional guidance on how to survive and operate a profitable business in a tumultuous economy.



“I wrote this book for the same reason I wrote my other two books. Because I believe that I had a valuable message to share with businesses to make them more profitable. In this economy, companies need an edge to become profitable or more profitable. This latest book shows companies how to do just that,” says Sproull.



‘Epiphanized’ follows the journey of a fuel tank manufacturing company, Barton Enterprises, struggling to meet customer demands without sacrificing profit margins. It begins with an ultimatum given to the company’s vice president of operations: “fix the problems or lose your job.” Joe Pecci, a performance and continuous process improvement expert, is hired to transform Barton Enterprises by integrating Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma process improvement methodologies. Throughout the book, Pecci meets other characters and one by one they each realize epiphanies of their own.



Sproull and co-author Bruce Nelson have incorporated a meticulous Appendix for the readers who want a more technical know-how and details for how the various tools and principles woven into the storyline work. Sproull says, “I especially want American businesses to grow and flourish and I believe if they follow the guidelines in ‘Epiphanized,’ they will. I also wanted to introduce some new tools that I’ve used in recent years and writing a book provides me the opportunity to do that.”



‘Epiphanized’ is available now on Amazon.com.



About the Author

Bob Sproull is a senior business consultant for NOVACES and a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Theory of Constraints Jonah. He has an extensive performance and continuous process improvement consulting background in manufacturing, healthcare and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and focuses on teaching companies how to maximize their profitability through an integrated Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma (TLS) improvement methodology. Prior to his position with NOVACES, he served as manager of the Office of Continuous Improvement for Army Fleet Support and the vice president of quality, engineering and continuous improvement for two different manufacturing companies. Sproull is a nationally known speaker and author of three different books. He resides in Kennesaw, Ga. and has been married for almost 44 years.



About NOVACES

NOVACES is a management consulting firm that provides continuous process improvement programs and project management services to both public and private sector organizations. Headquartered in New Orleans, LA, NOVACES helps clients build capabilities in today’s most effective methodologies to achieve breakthrough operational and financial results. More information can be found at http://www.novaces.com or by calling 1-855-NOVACES.



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Profit Improvement Expert and Author Bob Sproull to Speak At 2012 Continuous Process Improvement Symposium
Profit Improvement Expert and Author Bob Sproull to Speak At 2012 Continuous Process Improvement Symposium 150 150 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense

Feb 24, 2012

Profit Improvement Expert and Author Bob Sproull to Speak At 2012 Continuous Process Improvement Symposium

Bob Sproull, an author, executive and business turnaround expert, to present at the 2012 Continuous Process Improvement Symposium based on his recently released book “Epiphanized: Integrating Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma.” Sproull’s presentation will include a case study of an initiative to improve aircraft availability and mission readiness using the strategy he advocates in his book.

New Orleans, LA (Feb. 24, 2012) – In this seventh year of the annual Continuous Process Improvement Symposium, the committee has developed an agenda with a mission to propagate largely unknown management methods that, if adopted by U.S. companies, can transform the economy and restore competitiveness. One of this year’s key speakers is Bob Sproull, an author, executive and business turnaround expert, who recently released his book “Epiphanized: Integrating Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma.”





Sproull is to give two presentations that derive from his current work in the manufacturing and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industries. “The Importance of Knowing Where to Hammer” is discussion of systems and interconnectedness, the shortcomings of local improvements or improving processes in isolation from a business context. “The importance of knowing where to hammer… the reality that every system has a weakest link that must be identified, exploited and leveraged must be top-of-mind for every leader,” says Sproull.





The first presentation will be followed by an aviation maintenance case study that will show the results of an initiative where Lean Six Sigma and Theory of Constraints were applied together. Sproull’s most recent work in aviation MRO allowed for these methods to be applied and fine tuned to achieve extraordinary improvements in mission readiness and aircraft availability that are not commonly achieved with traditional process improvement approaches in the MRO environment.





The symposium is being held at California State University North Ridge on February 24-25 and will focus on management methodologies including Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, and Critical Chain Project Management. For those who cannot travel to the site, a live video feed is available during the show and recordings will be available afterwards at the symposium’s website: www.cpi-symposiums.com.





About Bob Sproull


Bob Sproull is a Senior Business Consultant for NOVACES since 2011 and former Manager of the Office of Continuous Improvement for Army Fleet Support. Bob is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and a Theory of Constraints Jonah. Bob is an experienced manufacturing executive who has served as a Vice President of Quality, Engineering and Continuous Improvement for two different manufacturing companies, has an extensive consulting background in Manufacturing, Healthcare and MRO and focuses on teaching companies how to maximize their profitability through an integrated Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma (TLS) improvement methodology. Bob is a nationally known speaker and author of three different books. Bob resides in Kennesaw, GA and has been married to his lovely wife Beverly for almost 44 years.

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NOVACES to Showcase “Performance Improvement for Healthcare” Book at HIMSS12 in Las Vegas
NOVACES to Showcase “Performance Improvement for Healthcare” Book at HIMSS12 in Las Vegas 150 150 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense

Feb 20, 2012

NOVACES to Showcase “Performance Improvement for Healthcare” Book at HIMSS12 in Las Vegas

NOVACES, a leading consulting firm for healthcare IT performance improvement, will showcase its new book “Performance Improvement for Healthcare” at the 2012 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas on Feb. 20-24. Recognized as one of the world’s largest conferences in the healthcare industry, HIMSS12 brings together global healthcare information technology (IT) and management systems consultants and professionals.



NOVACES has established itself as one of the industry’s top healthcare performance improvement consulting firms. It has partnered with healthcare administrators, medical staff and IT departments at private and military hospitals, healthcare systems and medical campuses around the world. The firm’s “Performance Improvement for Healthcare”, published by McGraw-Hill Professional, presents proven strategies to improve the adoption of transformational change, such as the implementation of new technology and information systems.



NOVACES offers its clients expertise in solving a wide array of healthcare IT challenges, a team of healthcare and MIS experts and proven methodologies for process improvement. Together, these assets produce a high return on investment and empower healthcare organizations to affect sustainable business process changes that positively impact patient outcomes, operational efficiencies, data integrity and resource allocation.



Healthcare information technology is the future for patient care delivery. In order for that to be successful, ensure efficiency and effectiveness, well defined processes and systems need to be designed. Providers want to practice medicine and have the best technology to support patient care with safe clinical outcomes.



The 2012 HIMSS annual conference is expected to attract about 30,000 attendees. The event features more than 400 educational sessions on topics including accountable care organizations (ACOs), meaningful use, clinical engineering, RFID, RTLS, EMR and EHR, value-based healthcare purchasing, mobile health, clinical and business analytics and intelligence, medical cloud computing and ICD-10 conversion and compliance and the secondary use of medical data.



Copies of the book will be available for sale at the NOVACES booth #113 in the exhibition hall.



About NOVACES

NOVACES is one of the industry’s leading healthcare performance improvement consulting firms. The company specializes in healthcare performance improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and quality management consulting and training services to hospitals, health systems, large physician networks, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. The firm’s book, “Performance Improvement for Healthcare,” provides healthcare organizations with a framework to deploy a best of breed performance improvement program that yields sustainable change and an outstanding annual return on investment. For more information, visit www.novaces.com/healthcare or call 1.855.NOVACES.

Healthcare Change Leader Deborah Smith Takes the Helm of Healthcare Services for NOVACES
Healthcare Change Leader Deborah Smith Takes the Helm of Healthcare Services for NOVACES 150 150 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense

Jan 31, 2012

Healthcare Change Leader Deborah Smith Takes the Helm of Healthcare Services for NOVACES

Smith to drive Lean healthcare, Six Sigma and Constraints Management services to streamline flow, improve quality and safety, and eliminate constraints in healthcare processes.

New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) January 31, 2012 — NOVACES, a leading management consulting firm that helps healthcare organizations implement performance improvement strategies, announced today that Deborah Smith, Ph.D. has taken the new position of Senior Vice President of Healthcare Services with the company.





The post-reform environment has created an urgent need for transformational change and Ms. Smith’s background in championing progressive strategies for large health systems throughout her career related to performance improvement, strategic planning, organizational culture, leadership and technology puts her in a unique position to meet the needs of the company’s healthcare clients.





“Healthcare leaders have some of the most complex challenges,” says Deborah Smith. “Working with NOVACES allows me to provide strategic guidance, performance improvement solutions and the development of true partnership that designs the best decisions to transform healthcare.”





NOVACES services, such as the use of a blended performance improvement toolset consisting of Lean healthcare, Six Sigma and Constraints Management, provides the most effective tools needed to streamline flow, improve quality and safety, and eliminate constraints in healthcare processes. Healthcare Lean Six Sigma performance improvement consultants play a pivotal role in executing the changes necessitated by healthcare reform.





CEO Dr. Bahadir Inozu stated “With the company’s quickly growing market share of performance improvement services to hospitals, health systems, military healthcare and the VA, we knew that NOVACES needed a visionary leader with a proven track record of implementing progressive ideas in the healthcare industry. We quickly recognized that Deborah had just the kind of inspirational leadership and vision that our clients are looking for.”





Ms. Smith takes the helm of healthcare services as publisher McGraw-Hill Professional has released the company’s new book, Performance Improvement for Healthcare: Leading Change with Lean, Six Sigma, and Constraints Management. The book highlights how performance improvement tools apply to major needs in the hospital C-suite including strategy alignment, project prioritization and management, leadership development, information system workflows, and healthcare facility modernization.





About NOVACES

NOVACES is a leading provider of healthcare performance improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and quality management consulting and training services to hospitals, health systems, large physician networks, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. Employing its SystemCPI roadmap, the company provides a framework to deploy and manage a performance improvement program that enables clients to rapidly achieve return on investment and sustainable change. For more information, visit http://www.novaces.com or call 1-877-577-6888.

Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #3 WIN-WIN
Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #3 WIN-WIN 1656 1158 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense
Submitted By: Brian MacClaren

#3. WIN-WIN

A house divided cannot stand. People want to do good, but sometimes our perspective of the system gets in the way. Constraints Management fosters a scientific, humanistic, win-win approach where all stakeholders benefit. Resistance to change is therefore minimized, speeding up the rate of adoption and improving the likelihood of success for Lean Six Sigma efforts.

12 Days of Constraints Management

That’s another reason and another day closer to the holidays. To get us into the spirit, I have been running the “Twelve Days of Constraints Management.” This holiday series focuses on why integrating Constraints Management (or Theory of Constraints) with Lean Six Sigma can be a force multiplier for your organization. Enjoy!

Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #4 EXECUTION
Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #4 EXECUTION 1656 1158 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense
Submitted By: Brian MacClaren

#4. EXECUTION

Performance improvement initiatives are projects. When projects are poorly executed, benefits are lost and penalties are incurred. This includes opportunity costs associated with wasted resource potential. Critical Chain Project Management, a component of the Theory of Constraints toolkit, accelerates Lean Six Sigma projects and is the gold standard for resource management.

12 Days of Constraints Management

That’s another reason and another day closer to the holidays. To get us into the spirit, I have been running the “Twelve Days of Constraints Management.” This holiday series focuses on why integrating Constraints Management (or Theory of Constraints) with Lean Six Sigma can be a force multiplier for your organization. Enjoy!

Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #5 ANALYTICS
Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #5 ANALYTICS 1656 1158 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense

Submitted By: Brian MacClaren

#5. ANALYTICS

Our current analytics point us in the wrong direction. Constraints Management applies thinking techniques and graphical analytics to harness intuition, solve problems and build rigorous improvement roadmaps aimed at achieving stability, growth, and prosperity – while safeguarding against the Law of Unintended Consequences.

12 Days of Constraints Management

That’s another reason and another day closer to the holidays. To get us into the spirit, I have been running the “Twelve Days of Constraints Management.” This holiday series focuses on why integrating Constraints Management (or Theory of Constraints) with Lean Six Sigma can be a force multiplier for your organization. Enjoy!

Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #6 TOOLSET
Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #6 TOOLSET 1656 1158 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense
Submitted By: Brian MacClaren

# 6. TOOLSET

When you are good with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Let the problem define the tool. Avoid diminishing returns due to an incomplete toolset. Constraints Management includes a range of applications unique to process improvement such as supply chain logistics, finance, strategy, marketing and more.

12 Days of Constraints Management

That’s another reason and another day closer to the holidays. To get us into the spirit, I have been running the “Twelve Days of Constraints Management.” This holiday series focuses on why integrating Constraints Management (or Theory of Constraints) with Lean Six Sigma can be a force multiplier for your organization. Enjoy!

Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #7 MEASUREMENT
Twelve Days of Constraints Management: #7 MEASUREMENT 150 150 Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense
Submitted By: Brian MacClaren

To get us into the spirit of the holidays, I’m running the “Twelve Days of Constraints Management.” This holiday series focuses on why integrating Constraints Management (or Theory of Constraints) with Lean Six Sigma can be a force multiplier for your organization. Here’s another great reason to think about adding Constraints Management to your improvement toolkit.

#7. MEASUREMENT

Tell me how you measure me and I will tell you how I will behave. Align measurements to the organizational goal and harmonize incentives to drive the desired human behavior. Constraints Management provides the system perspective to incentivize behaviors based on global performance measures in any data-driven organization.

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Novaces | Lean Six Sigma Training | Process Improvement | Healthcare | Government | Defense