Who this course is for
Plant Managers, Operations Managers, Functional Managers and OpEx Leaders who want to move from blame and firefighting to systemic improvement and cross-functional collaboration.
Why this course matters
When something goes wrong in a factory, the default response is to find who is to blame. But most operational problems are caused by system design, unclear standards or cross-functional gaps — not individuals.
What you will learn
- What is a system — interdependencies and interactions
- Ackoff's principle: system performance is the product of interactions
- Deming's System of Profound Knowledge
- Understanding variation — common cause vs special cause
- Theory of knowledge and mental models
- From blame to systemic action
- Cross-functional problem solving and system maps
- Leadership behaviours for system improvement
Course structure
- Module 1: Systems thinking principles — seeing the whole
- Module 2: Ackoff and Deming — foundational frameworks
- Module 3: Common cause vs special cause variation
- Module 4: System maps — visualising interdependencies
- Module 5: Cross-functional problem solving
- Module 6: Leadership behaviours for system improvement
- Module 7: Application — mapping your operational system
What you will be able to do after this course
Distinguish between people problems and system problems, map operational interdependencies, apply common vs special cause thinking and lead cross-functional improvement.
Duration and format
13–18 hours over 2–3 weeks
Leadership workshop — theory, system mapping exercise, cross-functional discussion.