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Goldratt Research Labs

Our History

Goldratt Research Labs (GRL) was founded in 2007 by Dr. Alan Barnard, on request of Dr. Eli Goldratt, the creator of Theory of Constraints and best-selling author of The Goal, to create a research organization that would be a spearhead for developing new knowledge and new applications of Theory of Constraints to help organizations and individuals make better faster decisions when it really matters.

Today, Goldratt Research Labs is the world’s leading source of Theory of Constraints based research and innovation services, as well as a provider of strategic and tactical decision support technologies.

GRL works with customers from both the private and public sector, typically through joint-research projects, to design, validate, plan, execute and operationalize solutions that help them overcome constraints to Growth.

Our customers include some of the world’s largest organizations within manufacturing, distribution, mining, high-tech and publishing, as well as government agencies and NGOs.

We offer customers access to field tested Theory of Constraints best practices and solutions across a wide range of applications as well as advanced analytics and decision support technologies that has been proven to deliver step-change improvements in operational and financial results in a low cost, low risk and sustainable way.

Our Approach

To help organizations and individuals achieve and sustain a step-change in their operational and/or financial performance, GRL employs a robust research methodology to help organizations answer two simple but important questions.

  1. How much better can we do?
  2. What is the simplest, fastest, low cost and lowest risk way of doing it?

Our Robust Research Approach typically include the follow steps:

  • Validating the importance of a problem/opportunity by quantifying the extent and system wide consequences to all stakeholders if this problem is not resolved or the opportunity cannot be capitalized on.
  • Identifying and validating root cause hypotheses and/or, developing viable win:win:win solutions in collaboration with key stakeholders.
  • Developing a detailed Strategy and Tactic Tree to answer all the Why, What and How questions related to all the necessary and sufficient changes and the sequence of their implementation to achieve the desired level of performance
  • Testing these solutions through low cost/low risk “proof-of-concept” pilots using dynamic simulation models.
  • Auditing the implementation and pro-actively identifying and overcoming unexpected implementation obstacles; and
  • Assisting organizations and their IT partners in implementing these solutions within their IT systems.


About Alan

There is no such thing as ‘Best’ … only ‘Better’… so rather than aiming to develop a ‘Best Practice… just develop a “Better Practice”.

​– Dr. Alan Barnard

OUR FOUNDER AND CEO – DR ALAN BARNARD

Dr. Alan Barnard is one of the world’s leading Decision Scientist and Theory of Constraints’ experts. Alan is the CEO of Goldratt Research Labs, a company he co-founded in 2008 together with Dr. Eli Goldratt, creator of Theory of Constraints. After their first meeting in 1993, there was an immediate connection between Alan and Eli. Alan and Eli were both curious about understanding why good people make and often repeat bad decisions within their life and in managing organizations and also were passionate about applying a robust science and an holistic approach to developing new Thinking & Decision making methods and advanced Technologies to help people make better faster decisions – decisions that move them closer to their goals.

Today, Alan works as a Strategy advisor, Researcher and Theory of Constraint (TOC) expert and educator with both Fortune 500 companies as well as NGO’s and Government Agencies. His clients include Microsoft, Cargill, Tata Steel, Nike, ABB, BHP, Cisco, South32, SAP, Intel, Penguin Random House, BC Rail, Larsen & Toubro, Premier Foods, Fujitsu, Habitat for Humanity, UNDP, UNWFP and Utah Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.

Alan holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering (Cum Laude, 1991) and MSc and PhD in Management of Technology & Innovation (MOTI). His PhD thesis was titled “How to identify and unlock inherent potential within organizations (private & public) and individuals?”.

Alan is very active in a number of Non-Profit Professional Organizations and Universities within his fields of interest. Alan is the former President of SAPICS (www.sapics.org) and former chairman of TOCICO (www.tocico.org). Alan is also the Chairman of Odyssey Institute (www.tocoydssey.org), a Non-Profit organization he co-founded with Dr. Eli Goldratt in 2005 and also serves as external board member of BHP’s Science and Innovation Council (www.bhp.com). Alan is also a frequent supervisor of PhD students and guest lecturer at the DaVinci Institute and Duke University.

For more information about our Founder and CEO, go to www.dralanbarnard.com


About Team Section

OUR PASSIONATE TEAM

Jaco-Ben Vosloo
Jaco-Ben Vosloo
Jaco-Ben is VP of Technology at Goldratt Research Labs. He has extensive experience in delivering end-to-end supply chain simulation projects to support supply chain and business transformation projects including 5 years of relevant experience in senior positions with BHP Billiton. He brings a deep understanding of simulation modelling and Theory of Constraints best practices in supply chain and operations management. Jaco-Ben holds a BSc in Industrial Engineering and is currently in the process to completing his MSc in Simulation.
Dr. Andrey Malykhanov
Dr. Andrey Malykhanov
Andrey is one of the world’s leading simulation experts that have worked closely with Dr. Alan Barnard over the past few years to develop simulation models for especially large and complex supply chains, project-based organizations, retail and mining environments. Andrey is also managing partner of Amalgama LLC, based in Russia that provides professional services in simulation and simulation-based consulting. Andrey holds an MSc and a PhD in applied computer science – Simulation.
Dr Benjamin Schumann
Dr. Benjamin Schumann
Ben is passionate about simulation and is a recognized thought leader in the community. He delivers innovative keynote speeches, co-hosts a simulation podcast and writes a blog on all things simulation. He joined Goldratt Research Labs in 2018 focusing on productionising simulation models for a broader audience. Ben started his passion for simulation during his PhD in Complex Systems Simulation at the University of Southampton (UK). After that, he worked with decisionLab, a boutique simulation consulting firm in London for three years. Before joining Goldratt, he worked as a simulation consultant with McKinsey & Company, Inc., predominantly in their supply chain and mining practices.
Teo Branzell Team Photo
Teo Branzell
Teo the youngest team member at Goldratt Research Labs, has a passion for finding innovative approaches to problem-solving and developing practical solutions. Since joining the team in 2020, Teo has taken on a range of responsibilities including managing the development of the Harmony Decision Maker app, leading marketing initiatives, overseeing customer support, and more. His dynamic role reflects a commitment to enhancing decision-making processes and contributing significantly to the company’s growth and outreach.
Karini Goosen
Karini Goosen
Karini holds a degree in Industrial Engineering. She has a particular interest in Theory of Constraints, Lean Production, and Continuous Improvement. The manufacturing environment fascinates her, and she aspires to become an expert in this field. She joined the Goldratt Research Labs team in 2022, where she is involved in customer projects, digital marketing, and simulation modeling.
Dr. Curt Carlson
Dr. Curt Carlson
Curt was President and CEO of SRI International in Silicon Valley from 1998 to 2014. During this time SRI’s revenue tripled and SRI became recognized as one of the world’s most productive innovation enterprises, having helped create Siri, HDTV, Intuitive Surgical, and many other world-changing innovations. Curt started his career at RCA and then GE before joining SRI. He has formed a management consulting group, The Practice of Innovation (PoI), to share with companies, governments, and universities what he has learned about innovation, education, and economic development. Curt is an advisor for Goldratt Research Labs.
Danielle Sparrow
Danielle Sparrow
Danielle is an Industrial Engineer who has a passion for waste reduction and system optimization. Currently in her final year of studies to become a paramedic, Danielle holds a keen interest in merging the two fields to contribute to effective disaster management strategies. Danielle is involved in customer projects, digital marketing, and simulation modeling.


About Eli

THE CREATOR OF THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS – DR ELI GOLDRATT

Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt was an educator, author, scientist, philosopher, and business leader.  But he was, first and foremost, a thinker who provoked others to think.  Often characterized as unconventional, stimulating, and “a slayer of sacred cows,” Dr. Goldratt challenged management teams to examine and reassess their business practices with a fresh, new vision.

Dr. Goldratt created and developed the Theory of Constraints (TOC), an overall framework for helping organizations and individuals to determine:

  • What to change—find and use the leverage point
  • What to change to—create the simple, practical solutions
  • How to cause the change—build a secure and stable improvement environment.

Dr. Goldratt was an internationally recognized leader in the development of new business management philosophies and systems.  He was a sought-after educator by many of the world’s largest corporations, including General Motors, Procter & Gamble, AT&T, NV Philips, ABB and Boeing. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Tel Aviv University and his Masters of Science, and Doctorate of Philosophy from Bar-Ilan University.  In addition to his pioneering work in business Management and education, he held patents in a number of areas ranging from medical devices to drip irrigation to temperature sensors.

Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt was the founder of TOC for Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing TOC ideals to teachers. After retiring from the Avraham Y. Goldratt Institute in the mid 90s, he founded Goldratt’s Marketing Group to make the TOC knowledge available to the market in the form of self-learning resources, Goldratt Consulting to bring companies to being ever-flourishing, and Goldratt Schools to teach and train individuals seeking to expand their TOC knowledge — the Goldratt Group was created. He asked Dr. Alan Barnard to create Goldratt Research Labs as an independent company, spearheading the development of new knowledge and applications of TOC through research partnerships.

The TOC concepts were first illustrated in his best-selling book “THE GOAL”, a non-traditional approach to convey knowledge — it is a business textbook written in novel form, disguised as a love story. The books that followed were “THE RACE”, “WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED TOC?”, “THE HAYSTACK SYNDROME”, ”PRODUCTION THE TOC WAY”, “IT’S NOT LUCK”, “CRITICAL CHAIN”, “NECESSARY BUT NOT SUFFICIENT”, “ISN’T IT OBVIOUS”, and “THE CHOICE”.  He was a frequent contributor to scientific journals, magazines and business publications and sat on several editorial boards.