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Reader Reviews
VELOCITY was selected for 800CEOread.com’s January 15 The Daily Blog:
Jack Covert Selects—Velocity
The Daily Blog
January 15, 2010
Excerpt of review:
“Velocity is really about the three main continuous improvement methodologies, working together, that
can be applied and sustained no matter what changes take place in a company, including staffing and
leadership, or in current market conditions. The benefit of reading this information in business novel
form is that readers learn the theories and problems through real world scenarios—not just academic
conjecturing. By bringing real human emotions, including the fear of change and new responsibilities,
to the application of LSS and TOC, Velocity inspires rather than intimidates. And when it comes to
change and the demand for improvement, particularly in an economy such as ours, making improvements
manageable is the first step toward success.”
— http://blog.800ceoread.com/2010/01/15/jack‐covert‐selects‐velocity/
I just finished reading Velocity. As the first Jonah in the Navy, (I attended the first Jonah Program® held
at Wright‐Patterson AFB) and having implemented TOC with DBR scheduling on the T56 Aircraft Engine
program at the Naval Aviation Depot at Alameda in the early 1990s, I can tell you your book hits the
mark, is realistic and should be required reading for everyone from CEOs to college students. In the
1990s our focus was on constraint management and supporting it with JIT and SPC. I especially liked
how in Velocity you developed the process of ongoing improvement in the final chapters as the management
team look at how to improve the future reality tree.
Once again thank you and your team for writing the book.
— Jerry Ghiselli (Jonah)
I finished Velocity a couple of days ago. WOW! It was great. I did have to put it down every once in a
while because I was so frustrated with the STUPID MEASURES. (Am I getting obsessed with trying to
eliminate cost accounting and local optimization?) It was so real! However, I had to pick it up right away
to keep reading. I was so engrossed in the story that I read page 306 several times wondering why Sarah
didn’t attend the wedding. Finally, I read page 307 and was embarrassed that I did not guess that Sarah
would be a bridesmaid.
I have emailed my 409 classes from May and August this year. I told them about the availability on December
29 on Amazon. I recommended they read it because I expected them to report back that they
had read it. Just because the classes are over, it doesn’t mean the assignments have stopped. Feel free
to forward this to Dee and Jeff.
— Dr. Howard D. Meeks, Associate Professor, Iowa State Univeristy
I have just finished reading VELOCITY! I started reading it yesterday morning, so obviously it was hard to
put down! My initial impression is that the book does a very good job of getting across the TOC concepts
and how to integrate Lean and Six Sigma. I know very little about Six Sigma and even less about
Lean. Now I know a little more. The rearrangement of work stations, the cooler and the color coding of
dyes to make them almost mistake proof are very good examples of things that have broader implications.
In my experience, the notion of making critical tasks mistake proof is very under appreciated. I
suspect the book understates the political difficulty of moving away from a balanced line. The book does
a very good job of capturing the feel of a major cultural change effort and how it feels to have it disintegrate
underneath you. I especially like how LSS was hijacked in F&D by the Greenies with management’s
consent. And boy could I relate to Murphy and his reactions to the Tornado! The explanation of the
Time to reliable replenishment was very well done. I even see a connection between the financial analyst
that I used to manage and the analyst in F&D. One item that could have been made a little clearer.
The SDAIS framework was mentioned in the introduction and although it was illustrated, it was not specifically
identified in the story. Then again, because SDAIS was so clearly highlighted at the Velocity conference,
I may be oversensitive to the lack of direct identification in the book. Overall a very good read. I
usually read a book that I find value in at least three times to ensure I get the value out of it. The next
time through I will be reading to add notes to my own document on process improvement. A final
thought, the notion that all change has to come from people is well stated and illustrated throughout
the book.
Congratulations on a very successful collaboration. You and Dee and Jeff should be very proud!
— Kendrick Smith
I finished the book on our way back from Greece. It was a very, very compelling read. For any organization
that is doing one or more of the methodologies, it is a “must read.” There is so much in the story
that reflects the chaos and misunderstanding that reigns over people involved in improvement efforts
today. More importantly, it gives such a logical way to integrate TOC and LSS. You should be extremely
proud of this accomplishment.
— Gerry Kendall
Subject: Velocity
Congratulations to Dee, Suzan and Jeff Cox on your new book Velocity!
A good read clearly blending Lean, Six Sigma and TOC for the good of all. And, it’s also clear TOC is the
guiding element that was missing or lacking with Lean and Six Sigma.
Fantastic contribution to the body of TOC knowledge! Thanks for the hard work!
— James R. Holt, Ph.D., PE, Professor Engineering & Technology Management,
Washington State University
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