Goldratt Schools in Brazil

Brazil has been an active TOC region for the last 20 years. And since the launch of the Viable Vision program Goldratt Schools has participated actively in training and supporting people, promoting knowledge transfer and helping spread out TOC in general. Currently the Goldratt Schools activities in Brazil are lead by Humberto R. Baptista, see below some activities carried out here:

  • AEP-09 – One of the first Application Expert Program conducted in the world. Conducted in the city of São Paulo with participants from all over the country it started in 2005 and finished in early 2006. Seven weeks in duration and covered Fundamentals, Operations, Distribution, Finance, Sales, Thinking Processes, Marketing, Project Management and Strategy. The aim was to train people to be Application Experts in TOC Logistics (operations and distribution) and certified by TOICO to allow them to participate in Viable Vision Projects. 16 people finished this program.
  • AEP-22 – The second AEP conducted in the country. Conducted in the city of Joinville with participants from several states in the country this program was run in 2006 and aimed to produce Application Experts in TOC Logistics to work on their own projects and in Viable Vision ones. This program incorporated the Strategy and tactics trees as a too to guide implementations and to facilitate communication and synchronization in the projects. 8 people finished this program.
  • Support for TOCEs – 2 people attended the first TOC Expert program in India and a 8 more were trained locally by Goldratt Consulting and Goldratt Schools supported them locally in TOC project related or not to Viable Vision
  • S&M AEs Training – In 2006/07 Goldratt Schools conducted a Sales and Marketing TOC Application Expert training in São Paulo. This included the preparation to an upcoming Viable Vision project (Ramp-up Preparation) and extensive role play and study of TOC concepts for Sales and Marketing. 6 people completed this program.
  • Proctoring TOCICO certification exams – all the TOCICO exams offered in Brazil (2005-present) so far were proctored Goldratt Schools. We’ll continue to support TOCICO certification locally.
  • Webcast Facilitator Training – In 2008 the first CCPM Webcast Facilitator training was conducted in São Paulo by Goldratt Schools on behalf of Goldratt Marketing Group. 2 people finished this program.
  • Translations & Localization – All material used in the above mentioned, the TOC Insights, Eli Goldratt letters and articles and the Strategy and Tactics trees were translated by or under the coordination of Goldratt Schools.

Future activities include proctoring TOCICO exams and supporting new partnerships between GMG and GS like the continuation of the Webcast Series.

Goldratt Schools in Colombia

TOC dissemination in Latin America started in Mexico, leaded by Dr. Donn Novotny, AGI Partner, and Dr. Oscar Morales. From there in 1993 it moved to Colombia, throughout the work done by Alejandro Fernández, initially working at Universidad Politecnico Grancolombiano, as Research Director and later as Business Dean. In 1994 Piensalo Colombia was created, and since then for the last 15 years Dr Eli Goldratt has been to Colombia at least 10 times promoting TOC, and lately the Viable Vision projects.

Goldratt Schools and Piensalo Colombia together with Externado University established the first TOC School in Colombia – Escuela TOC – that in the period of 2003 to 2008 conducted more than thirty 2-day TOC training programs run by TOC educators from all around the world, for more than 400 local managers, teachers and students. Within this joint venture, in 2005-2006 Escuela TOC facilitated training of 40 people in the TOC Consultant Program, the AEP-5, during 12 months, one week per month, taught by Goldratt Schools teachers that came to Colombia to share their knowledge.

Goldratt Schools have links with several Universities in Colombia:

  • ICESI University, based in the city of Santiago de Cali. In 1996 Piensalo trained all the management team as Jonahs.
  • LaCordoba University, based in the city of Montería, got a teacher’s training in CCPM, and in 2009 will run a Postgraduate TOC Program. See more Here (in Spanish). The Creative Team for the Study and Teaching of the applied Industrial Engineering (ECIEA) of the Cordoba University occupied the third place in Latin America at the XVII Latinamerican congreso of Industrial Engineering Students, in Honduras, 2008, as the only Colombian university attending, with the research work entitled: “Throughput Accounting, Decision Making Simulation on a Manufacturing Plant using two Management approaches”.
  • Rosario University, where Rafael Conde has promoted the consultancy services together with the Business Faculty and the External Education Department.
  • Javeriana University, has a 40-hour TOC course as an Elective in the Engineering Operations for Manufacturing and Services. Goldratt Schools have also offered three 40-hour courses oriented to train teachers in the TOC Solutions for Operations, Finance, Project Management and Effective Thinking Processes. For 2009 we will promote the training for the administrative and academic team of the Productive Processes Department based on the CCPM Goldratt Webcast Program.
  • Norte University, we are working with the External Education Program and the Consultancy Department to train the Quality and Improvement Department of the Cerrejon coal mine, the biggest open coal mine in the world, as well as a CCPM training for the superintendent team of each link of the coal chain of the company.
  • ICESI, a private organization that promotes the ISO certification. We will start with them the marketing and sales of the CCPM Goldratt Webcast Program.
  • For August 2009, we are working with Externado University, in collaboration with Javeriana University and Norte University, to organize the II Latin American TOCICO Conference.

Goldratt Schools in Venezuela

TOC in Venezuela is used successfully by many companies and many case studies exist. This started with those companies that are connected to the automotive industry, located in the city of Valencia, Venezuela. From this start many other companies began to hear about TOC. The knowledge was transfered to these companies and many university students by Maria Cristina Sierraalta, who is a member of Goldratt Schools faculty, through programs conducted in-house and in leading universities. Maria Cristina is currently based from the Goldratt UK office. She visits Venezuela at least three times a year conducting open programs as well as in-company workshops covering the areas of Operations, Supply Chain and Project Management. Working in close association with CEPROCA, Centro de Calidad y Productividad del Estado Carabobo, (local Quality and Productivity Center in Valencia), they jointly promote TOC to a diverse customer base through open programs and workshops. Open programs are an ideal way for managers to start to understand TOC and to decide if an in-house training session or a consulting support assignment is the most appropriate way forward.