Truth on Time
20 Essential Principles for Operational Excellence
Alex Bourdon and David Finlay
Foreword by John Dougherty · A Practitioner’s Perspective by Jim Evenson
Truth on Time dramatizes 20 principles that separate organizations that succeed from those that stall. Each chapter drops the reader into a different company facing a different crisis: a forecast no one trusts, a supplier single-point-of-failure no one flagged, planning issues caused by years of master data neglect, a product launch unraveling because sales, operations, and quality were never truly aligned. From Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) discipline to New Product Introduction readiness, from data integrity to cross-functional accountability, each principle is unpacked through messy human reality.
Paperback · Kindle · Audiobook coming Q4 2026
Who it is for
Operations, supply chain, quality, and manufacturing leaders who are tired of heroics standing in for systems.
How it reads
Twenty short chapters, each one principle, each built on a case study drawn from real operations and anonymized.
What you do with it
Every chapter ends in Go Do's: specific questions to put to your own operation this week.
Twenty principles over twenty chapters
- 01Focus on Serving the Customer
- 02Silence Is Acceptance of the Plan
- 03Full Disclosure of Relevant Information Is Required
- 04If You Lie to MRP, MRP Will Lie to You
- 05Without Supply Forecast Accuracy, Demand Forecast Accuracy Is Irrelevant
- 06Data Accuracy Is Next to Godliness
- 07Wisdom Comes Only from Suffering
- 08It's Not a Fight; It's a Dance
- 09Use Formal Systems
- 10Develop the Team Through the Pursuit of Purpose
- 11No Random Local Optima
- 12Variability Is the Enemy
- 13DWYASTD, WYASTDI, TWYASTDI, WYFLION
- 14Discipline Creates Trust
- 15Effectiveness First, Then Efficiency
- 16Use Precise Terminology and Expect It from Others
- 17Rely on Systems, Not Heroes
- 18It Doesn't Count as 'Done' If Not Recorded in the ERP System
- 19Apply Minimum Essential Specifications or Acceptance Criteria
- 20Know the Rules of the Game You Are Playing
What readers say
“This book delivers practical supply chain leadership lessons through short, engaging stories that are both enjoyable and easy to apply. The real strength is the discussion questions at the end of each chapter, which make it a great tool for self-reflection and for leaders to use with their teams.”
“Built on decades of experience, this book blends storytelling with deep technical knowledge to provide an account of how to develop sustainable solutions to organisational problems. I strongly recommend it to those searching for novel solutions to improve co-operation along the value chain.”
“The book serves as a reminder that while the principles of operational excellence are relatively simple to understand, implementing them sustainably is a marathon that never ends.”
Take the book for a test drive
Everything here is free, no email required. Chapter 1 is the full opening chapter.
Start here
Put it to work
Reference
Audiobook, Q4 2026
Narrated by Fred Stelling, a retired IVD industry veteran who has lived these problems. Coming to Audible. Add your email and we will tell you the day it goes live.
One email on release day. Unsubscribe anytime.
The opening chapter, read aloud. If you like the voice, the full audiobook is on its way.
Alex Bourdon + David Finlay
Alex Bourdon
Alex T. Bourdon is an expert in manufacturing operational excellence and regulatory compliance in the in vitro diagnostics and broader medical device industries. Over more than 25 years of executive leadership, including a decade at Dade Behring where he served as Global Vice President, he has led major turnarounds, supported successful IPOs and mentored many current operations leaders. A Distinguished Career Award recipient and Wall of Fame inductee from the University of Delaware, Alex currently leads Medical Manufacturer Consulting, Inc., where he helps companies navigate complex operational challenges while developing operations leaders to drive the industry forward.
David Finlay
David Finlay is an independent consultant specializing in supply chain, ERP, master data, and regulatory compliance for medical device and life science companies. He has lived in the US, Germany, Ireland, and Mexico and has worked with companies such as Siemens Healthineers, Thermo Fisher, Merck (MSD) and Cleveland Diagnostics, leading business process improvements, ERP implementations, and data quality programs. He holds an MBA from Dublin City University and a BA in Business with German from the University of Reutlingen. David leads Data Driven Associates LLC, where he helps companies solve problems that stand between strategy and execution.
Bulk orders, speaking, and media
Bulk sales
Copies for a team, a chapter meeting, or a conference audience.
Speaking
Talks and workshops built on the principles. Most recent: “Rely on Systems, Not Heroes” for the ASQ Boston Section, October 2026.
Reprints and media
Permissions, excerpts, review copies, and interviews.
Reader feedback
Tell us where a principle landed, or where it did not.