The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement - Goodreads

Written in a fast-paced thriller style, The Goal is the gripping novel which is transforming management thinking throughout the Western world. Goodreadshelpsyoukeeptrackofbooksyouwanttoread. Startbymarking“TheGoal:AProcessofOngoingImprovement”asWanttoRead: WanttoRead saving… WanttoRead CurrentlyReading Read Othereditions Enlargecover WanttoRead saving… Errorratingbook.Refreshandtryagain. Ratethisbook Clearrating 1of5stars2of5stars3of5stars4of5stars5of5stars OpenPreview SeeaProblem? We’dloveyourhelp. Letusknowwhat’swrongwiththispreviewof TheGoalbyEliyahuM.Goldratt. Problem: It’sthewrongbook It’sthewrongedition Other Details(ifother):   Cancel Thanksfortellingusabouttheproblem. ReturntoBookPage Notthebookyou’relookingfor? Preview—TheGoal byEliyahuM.Goldratt TheGoal:AProcessofOngoingImprovement by EliyahuM.Goldratt, JeffCox 4.06  ·  Ratingdetails ·  65,408 ratings  ·  2,583 reviews Writteninafast-pacedthrillerstyle,TheGoalisthegrippingnovelwhichistransformingmanagementthinkingthroughouttheWesternworld.AlexRogoisaharriedplantmanagerworkingevermoredesperatelytotryandimproveperformance.Hisfactoryisrapidlyheadingfordisaster.Soishismarriage.Hehasninetydaystosavehisplant—oritwillbeclosedbycorporat Writteninafast-pacedthrillerstyle,TheGoalisthegrippingnovelwhichistransformingmanagementthinkingthroughouttheWesternworld.AlexRogoisaharriedplantmanagerworkingevermoredesperatelytotryandimproveperformance.Hisfactoryisrapidlyheadingfordisaster.Soishismarriage.Hehasninetydaystosavehisplant—oritwillbeclosedbycorporateHQ,withhundredsofjoblosses.Ittakesachancemeetingwithacolleaguefromstudentdays—Jonah—tohelphimbreakoutofconventionalwaysofthinkingtoseewhatneedstobedone.ThestoryofAlex'sfighttosavehisplantismorethancompulsivereading.ItcontainsaseriousmessageforallmanagersinindustryandexplainstheideaswhichunderlinetheTheoryofConstraints(TOC)developedbyEliGoldratt. ...more GetACopy AmazonStores ▾AudibleBarnes&NobleWalmarteBooksAppleBooksGooglePlayAbebooksBookDepositoryAlibrisIndigoBetterWorldBooksIndieBoundThriftbooksLibraries Paperback,384pages Published 2004 byNorthRiverPress (firstpublished1984) MoreDetails... OriginalTitle TheGoal:AProcessofOngoingImprovement ISBN 0884271781 (ISBN13:9780884271789) EditionLanguage English OtherEditions(109) AllEditions | AddaNewEdition | Combine ...LessDetail EditDetails FriendReviews Toseewhatyourfriendsthoughtofthisbook, pleasesignup. ReaderQ&A Toaskotherreadersquestionsabout TheGoal, pleasesignup. PopularAnsweredQuestions howdoIreadthisbookforfree? 6likes · like 6yearsago Seeall7answers Jason Convincemanagementatyourcompanythateveryoneshouldreadit,assumingthattheywillthenbuyseveralcopiestoshare. flag whyitswasbsetseller? 1like · like 5yearsago Addyouranswer MalikS TheprimaryreasonforItwaswrittenatapointoftimewhenmanufacturersweretakenbythecompetitiveprioritiesofCost-providinglow-costprodu…moreTheprimaryreasonforItwaswrittenatapointoftimewhenmanufacturersweretakenbythecompetitiveprioritiesofCost-providinglow-costproducts,Quality-providinghigh-qualityproducts,Delivery-providingproductsquickly,Flexibility-widerangeofproduct/customizationandServices-Deliveryofproductandhowitissupported.ThisbookwaswrittenbeforeleancameintopictureasaconceptthatcanbeappliedandreapedbylargeraudienceandTOCwasestablishedinmid60'sbutitwasnotputupineasytounderstandperspectiveandwasinformofjournalsandpapersbutthisbookmadeitcommonsenseforcommonmanandwaspushedbyAmericanManufacturerstotheiremployees,whichhelpedthemtodefinenewwayofcostmeasuringanddefiningthecompetitiveprioritiesincontexttotheirstrategicgoals.SecondlytheadvancementofSPC(StaticallyProcessControl)andLeanputsgreateremphasisonTOC,andtillnowthisbookhasbeenprescribedbymanyacademiatostudentsforunderstandingofLean,SixSigma,Agileetc.(less) flag Seeall6questionsaboutTheGoal… ListswithThisBook BestBusinessBooks 883books — 1,635voters DevOpsReadingList 88books — 135voters Morelistswiththisbook... CommunityReviews Showing1-30 Averagerating 4.06  ·  Ratingdetails  ·  65,408 ratings  ·  2,583 reviews AllLanguagesCatalà‎(1) Dansk‎(3) Eesti‎(1) English‎(2282) Español‎(71) Français‎(10) Italiano‎(1) Latviešuvaloda‎(4) Lietuviųkalba‎(2) Nederlands‎(5) Polski‎(2) Português‎(9) Pусскийязык‎(60) Română‎(1) Suomi‎(1) Svenska‎(1) TiếngViệt‎(5) Türkçe‎(16) Íslenska‎(1) česky,čeština‎(2) Ελληνικά‎(1) българскиезик‎(1) українська‎(15) العربية‎(6) বাংলা‎(1) ไทย‎(5) Morefilters  |  Sortorder StartyourreviewofTheGoal:AProcessofOngoingImprovementWriteareview May05,2014 OtisChandler ratedit itwasamazing  ·  reviewofanotheredition RecommendedtoOtisby: Russ Shelves: nonfiction, leadership, business Greatexplanationofthetheoryofconstraintsandoperationsmanagement.It'sabusinessclassic-firstpublishedin1984-butstillrelevantasitgetsatthefundamentals.Ialmostremovedastarfortryingtocreateafictionalstorytotellthebookinthatwasbadlytold/edited.Didwereallyneedthesidestoryabouttheprotagonistsmaritalissues?Oneofthebiggesttakeawaysfromthisbookisthatit'sincrediblyimportanttosettherightgoalstomanageacomplexoperation.Thissoun Greatexplanationofthetheoryofconstraintsandoperationsmanagement.It'sabusinessclassic-firstpublishedin1984-butstillrelevantasitgetsatthefundamentals.Ialmostremovedastarfortryingtocreateafictionalstorytotellthebookinthatwasbadlytold/edited.Didwereallyneedthesidestoryabouttheprotagonistsmaritalissues?Oneofthebiggesttakeawaysfromthisbookisthatit'sincrediblyimportanttosettherightgoalstomanageacomplexoperation.Thissoundsobviousandintuitive,howeverit'sactuallymuchharderthanmostpeoplethink,andeasytogetwrong.Itgetsdowntothequestionof:iseveryoneworkingonthe"rightthings".Thethingsthatwillleadtothebusinessmakingthemostmoney.It'stooeasytofindathingsthatareeasilymeasurableandsaying"thisthingiscorrelatedwithoursuccess,solet'sfocusonit".Itsoundslike"costaccounting"fitintothatbucket.“Whatyou’resayingisthatmakinganemployeeworkandprofitingfromthatworkaretwodifferentthings.”Sohowdoyousettherightgoals?Focusonmakingmoney!“Sothisisthegoal:Tomakemoneybyincreasingnetprofit,whilesimultaneouslyincreasingreturnoninvestment,andsimultaneouslyincreasingcashflow.”Oneofthedriversofmakingmoneyinanybusinessthatcreatesaproductisthroughput,orhowfastaproductcanbemade.Theothersarecosts/operatingexpenses,andinventory.Oneofthekeyconceptsofthebookisthatfocusingonthroughputratherthancostswillyieldmuchbetterresults.“Theentirebottleneckconceptisnotgearedtodecreaseoperatingexpense,it’sfocusedonincreasingthroughput.”Thebottlenecktheory,orthetheoryofconstraints,wasveryusefultothinkabout.Mycompanyproducessoftwareandnotphysicalproducts,buteachfeaturewedevelopdefinitelyhasstepsithastogothrough:creatingtheconcept,research,spec,design,implementation(backendandclient),testing,QA,measureresults,analyzethem,iterate,etc.Focusingonwherethebottlenecksarewiththatprocesscanhelpusmovefaster.Andeverystartupneedstobemovingfast-andnotjustatbuilding-weneedtobedoingbuild,measure,learnasfastaswecan.Aconsequenceofthebottlenecktheorythatisusefultokeepinmindisthatinanysystemonlythebottlenecksshouldbe100%utilized.Everymanagerwillhaveanaturaltendencytowanttoutilizealltheirresourcesto100%becausethatjustseems...wastefulifyoudon't.Peopleshouldbeworkingfulltimeright?Butasystemcanonlyrunatthespeedoftheslowestbottleneck,sonon-bottleneckswillbydefinitionhavesparecycles,andit'simportanttokeepthemopenfortheimportantworkandnotfillitupwithunimportantstuffthatwillbogthemdownwhenyouactuallyneedthemontheimportantstuff.I'veseenthishappenmanytimesinsoftware.Anengineerfinishesaproject,andthebigimportantprojectcomingfromthedesignteamisn'tdoneyet,sohepicksupsomethingsmallinthemeantime.Thenextdaythatbigimportantprojectisreadytogo,buttheengineeronlyneeds"onemoreday"tofinishthisthinghestarted.Andthenthatdaybecomestwoandthenthree(becausewedidn'tcountQA).Andthenwe'velost3daysonourmostimportantprojectforanotherprojectthatdoesn'tmatteratall.Addthatupacrossalargenumberofdevelopers,andyou'velostalotoftime.Thetheoryofconstraintsisnotlimitedtomanufacturing,astheauthorshows.Intheend,heisadvocatingitasamethodorprocessoflearning.STEP1.Identifythesystem’sbottlenecks.STEP2.Decidehowtoexploitthebottlenecks.STEP3.Subordinateeverythingelsetotheabovedecision.STEP4.Elevatethesystem’sbottlenecks.STEP5.If,inapreviousstep,abottleneckhasbeenbrokengobacktostep1. ...more flag 59likes · Like  · seereview Viewall6comments Jul09,2011 Jan-Maat addedit  ·  reviewofanotheredition Shelves: novel, 20th-century, usa, business-management-pm Itishardformetofindtherighttonetoreviewthisbook,perhapsI'llopenbysayingthatofallthebusinessbooksI'vereadthisremainsthemostapproachable,andpossiblyalsothebestvalueformoneyoncethecasestudiesintheinterviewwiththeauthorattheendofthebook(inthisedition)aretakenintoaccount.Reallyitisbuiltaroundaverysimpleinsight-thatthespeedofaconvoyisdeterminedbytheslowestship,whatthebookdoesisdemonstratetheeffectofconsistentl Itishardformetofindtherighttonetoreviewthisbook,perhapsI'llopenbysayingthatofallthebusinessbooksI'vereadthisremainsthemostapproachable,andpossiblyalsothebestvalueformoneyoncethecasestudiesintheinterviewwiththeauthorattheendofthebook(inthisedition)aretakenintoaccount.Reallyitisbuiltaroundaverysimpleinsight-thatthespeedofaconvoyisdeterminedbytheslowestship,whatthebookdoesisdemonstratetheeffectofconsistentlyapplyingthisinsighttotheworkingsofabusiness.ThisisthebasisofGoldratt'stheoryofconstraints.Onthewholehumanlifeexistswithinthetripleconstraintsoftime,costandquality(viewspoiler)[I'mtoolazytothinkupanyexceptions,butI'velefttheclaimneutralincaseanycropup-costunderstoodbroadlyietherewasalabourcosttobuildingthepyramidseventhoughthatsocietyhadnomoney(hidespoiler)].Forexampleifahouseisbuiltquicklyatlowcostthequalitywillbelow,ifyouwantahighqualityhousebuiltquicklyyouhavetobepreparedtopayforit,orcompromiseonthetimeitwilltake.Goldratthastheideaoffocusingonaconstraintandredesigningthebusinessaroundit.TheGoalisanovel,agroanworthyandterribleanddidacticnovel,acombinationwhichmakesitasuccessbecauseitdoesn'ttakeitselfentirelyseriously(viewspoiler)[unliketheworthy,butpainfulTheSevenHabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople,ormethodologicalrubbishlikeFromGoodtoGreat(hidespoiler)].Icannotrecommendreadingthisbookhighlyenoughasanopenertothinkingabouttheflowofworkthroughorganisations,howorganisationssucceedorbecomedysfunctional.It'sintendedasagentleintroductiontotheTheoryofConstraints,butalsoopensthedoortosystemsthinking.EditionswiththeextrainterviewswithhowdifferentbusinesseshaveappliedTheoryofConstraintsareparticularlyenlighteningandworthgettingholdof.TheonemessageofthebookthatIfoundespeciallyinterestingwasthateventuallythegreatestconstraintonthefictionalbusinessinthenovelisnotitspotentialproductivitybutthecapacityofthemarkettoabsorbitsproducts.WhatIfindinterestingisthatthisisamessageaboutthelimitsofthemarketinabusinessbook.Maybetheboostersarecorrectandtheabilityofcapitalismtoinventproductsisnearunlimited,maybepotentialeconomicexpansioncouldbeextremelygreathoweverallthatisirrelevant.Thedeterminingfactorwillbethesizeofthemarket.Ortheinventivenessofadvertiserstopersuadeustowantmorejunk.Thereisasequel:It'sNotLuckwhichIdon'tfindassuccessfulanovel,partlybecauseitislessgroan-inducingandmoreworthyintonebutalsobecauseitdoesn'tgothroughthestepsofthecharactersproblemsolvingeffortsinthesamelevelofdetail.IsupposeonereasonwhyIamenthusiasticaboutTheGoalisthepartitplaysinmythinkingabouttheIndustrialRevolution.Therewasnothingnewinprincipleaboutthetechnologiesofsteampower,whatchangedwastheabilityofthemarkettoconsume-producingmoreisahighroadtoinsolvencyunlessyoucanfindthecustomerstobuyyourproduct.Theremaybeisthekey,theworldofTheGoal,likeourown,operatesinaparticularhistoricalandsociologicalcontext,ratherthanafantasyinwhicheconomicgrowth"toinfinityandbeyond",intheimmortalwordsofBuzzLightyear,isthesolidbasisinwhichallassumptionsarerooted.Anexampleoftherealismofthethinking(viewspoiler)[atleastfrommyownpointofview(hidespoiler)]inTheGoalisthatatonepointtheprotagonistisfacedwiththepossibilityofapricewar-competingwithothermanufacturersonthebasisofpricealone-butthisissomethingthathedoesn'twanttodo.BycontrastInoticefromtimetotimetheadvertsforaUKfurniturestorewhichpromisethepurchaserthattheywillhavenothingtopayforayear,fouryearsfreecredit,orevenboth.Amarketstrategypredicatedonalovingrelationshipwiththeirfunders.Thenagainitstrikesmefromtimetotimejusthowfantasticalreallifeis.Ontheotherhandthere'samorebasicreasonwhyIlikeit.IwasneveranygoodatMathsinschoolandsoitwasfromthisbookthatIlearntthatwhenlookingatfiguresiftheanswerlookswrong,whatyouneedtodoisthinkabouttheassumptionsratherthanjustcheckthecalculation.Itisimpressivewhereaddingupthewrongfiguresintherightwaywillgetyou,individuallyorasasociety. ...more flag 58likes · Like  · seereview Viewall14comments Aug15,2007 Nathaniel ratedit reallylikedit  ·  reviewofanotheredition Recommendsitfor: allindustrialengineersandprocessmanagers Shelves: engineering ThebestprocessimprovementnovelI'veseen,thisclassicworkexplainstheall-importantTheoryofConstraintsthroughreallifeexamplesandasurprisinglygoodstory.Mostbooksofthisnatureareexceptionallyunrealistic,butthisonemanagestokeepthereaderengaged,whichiskeyforaninstructionaltextlikethis.Thebook'slessonshavesomepracticalityinnormal,everydaylife,butitsgreatestutilityisforthoseinvolvedinprocessimprovementinindustriessuchasmanufacturing, ThebestprocessimprovementnovelI'veseen,thisclassicworkexplainstheall-importantTheoryofConstraintsthroughreallifeexamplesandasurprisinglygoodstory.Mostbooksofthisnatureareexceptionallyunrealistic,butthisonemanagestokeepthereaderengaged,whichiskeyforaninstructionaltextlikethis.Thebook'slessonshavesomepracticalityinnormal,everydaylife,butitsgreatestutilityisforthoseinvolvedinprocessimprovementinindustriessuchasmanufacturing,distribution,services,andretail.Allindustrialandsystemsengineersneedtoreadthisbook,asdoallmanagersofprocesses. ...more flag 16likes · Like  · seereview Jan20,2013 Elinor ratedit itwasok Ihaveneverbeensoexcitedtofinishabookinmyentirelife.Thisbookislikesubparfan-ficforoperationsenthusiasts. flag 15likes · Like  · seereview Jun11,2018 SimonEskildsen ratedit itwasamazing RecommendedtoSimonby: LucaPette Shelves: reread ThisistoSystemsThinkingwhatTheFiveDysfunctionsistomanagement:Apeachypieceoffiction,packedwithapplicablelessonsinthemostenjoyableformatyoucanimagine.Whileothersystemsthinkingbooksaresomewhatdry,thisoneisfilledwithlife,evenromance,andwell-groundedinreality.Whilefivestarsnormallyformewouldmean'life-changing,'inthiscaseIcan'tresistbecauseofarareandwonderfulbalancebetweenenjoyment,levity,andinsight.Thistypeofbook,tome,i ThisistoSystemsThinkingwhatTheFiveDysfunctionsistomanagement:Apeachypieceoffiction,packedwithapplicablelessonsinthemostenjoyableformatyoucanimagine.Whileothersystemsthinkingbooksaresomewhatdry,thisoneisfilledwithlife,evenromance,andwell-groundedinreality.Whilefivestarsnormallyformewouldmean'life-changing,'inthiscaseIcan'tresistbecauseofarareandwonderfulbalancebetweenenjoyment,levity,andinsight.Thistypeofbook,tome,iswaybetterthancrimefictionorfantasy.Iwishbusinessfictionwasagenrewithendlessoptions.InTheGoal,adysfunctionalmanufacturingplantistransformedaftertheprotagonisthasachanceencounterwithhisphysicsprofessorinanairportlounge.Throughanunlikelyrekindlingoftherelationship,theprofessorshowshimsimplesystemsthinkingprinciplesthataregraduallyincorporatedattheplant.Theseprinciplescompletelytransformthesite.Throughcontinuedimprovement,itturnstraditionalaccountingandproductivitypracticesupsidedownandsoonoutperformsallotherplantsinitsindustry.Ifyou'reboughtintothewholeideaoflearningtothinkinmentalmodels,asDaliodescribesinPrinciplesorMungerinhisAlmanack,you'lllovethisbooktoseehowit'sappliedinaction.Ifnot,perhapsthisstorywillshowyoutheusefulnessofitinanentertaining,light-heartedfashion.Thebookwillgiveyousomehopethatahopelesssituationcanbeturnedaroundwithalittleingenuity. ...more flag 11likes · Like  · seereview View1comment Oct03,2012 Imran ratedit itwasamazing NOTESProductivity:toaccomplishsomethingintermsofagoal“Thefutureofourbusinessdependsuponourabilitytoincreaseproductivity”.-PeachWhatistheGoal?OriginalthoughtsIncreaseproducitivityProduceproductsPowerMarketshare/SalesCost-effectivepurchasingSupplyingjobsQualityQuality&EfficiencyTechnology/R&DCommunicationsCustomersatisfactionMakeMoneyThreemeasurementsessentialtoknowingwhethercompanyismakingmoneyNetProfitROICashflowMakemoneybyincreasingnetprofit, NOTESProductivity:toaccomplishsomethingintermsofagoal“Thefutureofourbusinessdependsuponourabilitytoincreaseproductivity”.-PeachWhatistheGoal?OriginalthoughtsIncreaseproducitivityProduceproductsPowerMarketshare/SalesCost-effectivepurchasingSupplyingjobsQualityQuality&EfficiencyTechnology/R&DCommunicationsCustomersatisfactionMakeMoneyThreemeasurementsessentialtoknowingwhethercompanyismakingmoneyNetProfitROICashflowMakemoneybyincreasingnetprofit,whilesimultaneouslyincreasingROI,andsimultaneouslyincreasingcashflowButherealizesthatattheplantlevelthesemeasurementsdon’tmeanmuch.Onlyatthetoplevel.MorethanonewaytoexpresstheGoal-attheplantlevelThroughput-therateatwhichthesystemgeneratesmoneythroughsales(notproduction.ifyouproducesomething,butdon’tsellit,it’snotthroughput)Inventory-AllthemoneythatthesystemhasinvestedinpurchasingthingswhichitintendstosellOperationalexpense-allthemoneythesystemspendsinordertorurninventoryintothrouputQuestionstoaskwhenaddingarobotDidwesellanymoreproductsasaresult?Didwereducenumberofpeopleonpayroll?Didinventorylevelsgodown?Goal:Increasethroughputwhilesimultaneouslyreducingbothinventoryandoperatingexpense.“Money”ThroughputisthemoneycominginInventoryisthemoneycurrentlyinsidethesystemOperationalexpenseisthemoneywehavetopayouttomakethroughputhappenInmanufacturing:Anevent,oraseriesofevents,musttakeplacebeforeanothercanbegin...thesubsequenteventdependsupontheonespriortoit.TheimportantthingoccurswhendependenteventsareincombinationwithanotherphenomenoncalledstatisticalfluctuationsBoyScouthikeTheleaderofthetroopcontrolsthepaceoftheline.Ifagapformsandthelineislengthenedallyoucandoisshortenituptothedistanceofthepersonaheadofyou-dependentevents!Dependencylimitstheopportunitiesforhigherfluctuations***WhoeverismovingtheslowestinthetroopistheonewhowillgovernthroughputTwotypesofresourcesBottleneckresource-AnyresourcewhosecapacityisequaltoorlessthanthedemandplaceduponitNon-bottleneckresource-AnyresourcewhosecapacityisgreaterthanthedemandplacedonitBottlenecksDonotbalancecapacitywithdemand,balancetheflowofproductthroughtheplantwiththedemandfromthemarket.ToincreasethecapacityoftheplantistoincreasethecapacityofonlythebottlenecksTwoprincipalthemesonwhichyouneedtoconcentrateMakesurethebottlenecks’timeisnotwasted…VisualmanagementinsmoothworkonmanufacturingfloorUsingthebottleneckstopredictwhenthenextorderwillbeshippedTherecannotbeanyidletimeforbottleneckprocesses.Dedicatepeoplefull-timetothoseprocesses.Toshortenleadtime,spendtheidletimewhileamachineisworking,tosetupforthenextbatchTheoryofConstraintsThelevelofutilizationofanon-bottleneckisnotdeterminedbyitsownpotential,butbysomeotherconstraintinthesystemActivatingaresourceandutilizingaresourcearenotsynonymousCuttingthebatchsizeinhalf-resultinhalfwipThetimeamaterialspendsineachstagefromentrytobeingshippedoutSetup-thetimethepartspendswaitingforaresource,whiletheresourceispreparingitselftoworkonthepartProcesstime-theamountoftimethepartspendsbeingmodifiedintoanew,morevaluableformQueuetime-thetimethepartspendsinlineforaresourcewhiletheresourceisbusyworkingonsomethingelseaheadofitWaittime-thetimethepartwaits,notforaresource,butforanotherpartsotheycanbeassembledtogetherCommonpracticecanmaskcommonsenseCapacityConstraintResources-CCR-ManagementTechniquesProcessofon-goingimprovementStep1:IDthesystem’sbottlenecks.(Afterallitwasn’ttoodifficulttoidentifytheovenandtheNCX10asthebottlenecksoftheplant.)Step2:Decidehowtoexploitthebottlenecks.(Thatwasfun.Realizingthatthosemachinesshouldnottakealunchbreak,etc.)Step3:Subordinateeverythingelsetotheabovedecision.(Makingsurethateverythingmarchestothetuneoftheconstraints.Theredandgreentags.)Step4:Elevatethesystem’sbottlenecks.(BringingbacktheoldZmegma,swithcingbacktoold,less“effective”routings...)Step5:If,inapreviousstep,abottleneckhasbeenbrokengobacktostep1.CCRIDENTIFYthesystem’sconstraint(s)DecidehowtoEXPLOITthesystem’sconstraint(s)SUBORDINATEeverythingelsetotheabovedecisionELEVATEthesystem’sconstraint(s)WARNING!!!!Ifinthepreviousstepsaconstrainthasbeenbroken,gobacktostep1,butdonotallowINERTIAtocauseasystem’sconstraintRootCauseWhattoChange?WhattoChangeto?HowtoCausetheChange ...more flag 10likes · Like  · seereview Mar01,2015 BjoernRochel ratedit itwasamazing Shelves: 2017, eng-mgmt, 2015 2ndread-through:Istilllovethisbook.Primarilybecauseofitscollaborativesolutionfindingprocessanditsvocalnessagainstlocaloptima.AlsofromadidacticperspectiveIthinkthisissomethingwe(aspeopleleadingteams)shouldstrivefor:Enablingpeerstomakebetterdecisionsbythemselvesviagoodprocess.==================================================Thereferencesin"ThePhoenixProject"pushedmetowardsreadingthisoneaswell.Ireallyenjoyedlisteningtotheaudible 2ndread-through:Istilllovethisbook.Primarilybecauseofitscollaborativesolutionfindingprocessanditsvocalnessagainstlocaloptima.AlsofromadidacticperspectiveIthinkthisissomethingwe(aspeopleleadingteams)shouldstrivefor:Enablingpeerstomakebetterdecisionsbythemselvesviagoodprocess.==================================================Thereferencesin"ThePhoenixProject"pushedmetowardsreadingthisoneaswell.IreallyenjoyedlisteningtotheaudibleversionofthisbookandIwouldalsoarguethatthere'salottotakefromthisbook,evenifyou'vealreadyread"ThePhoenixProject".InaworldwheresomanypeoplearetalkingaboutscalingAgile,thisisoneofthebooksthatgavemealotmoreinsightsintheunderlyingprinciplesoflean.ThelastchaptersareespeciallygreatammunitionforfolksthathavetodealwithBy-The-Bookadvocatesofcertainmethodologies.Separatingtheapplicationofaprinciple(togetherwiththeassumptions)fromtheprincipleitselfisagreatwaytowardsmoreinsightandamoremeaningfulimplementationofwhatevermethodologyinthecontextofyourenvironment/company.Nextstopis"BeyondtheGoal"P.S.:Startedtolistento"BeyondtheGoal"andrealizedthatJonah(fromtheaudibleversion)soundsexactlylikeGoldratthimself.Coincidence?Ithinknot:-) ...more flag 9likes · Like  · seereview Dec03,2008 Darcy ratedit itwasamazing Shelves: business GoldrattintroducestheTheoryofConstraintsviathisentertainingnovel.IthinkthisbookisexcellentifyouarenewtoOperations.AndIthinktheapproachoftellingastoryratherreadingatraditionaltextbookisagoodformat.Itdemonstrateswhymanytraditionalmeasurementsandcommonintuitioniswrong.Thebookrevisitswhatthegoalofabusinessshouldbeandwhatisimportanttomeasureandcontroltoachievethatgoal.Throughexamplesinthemaincharacter'spersonallifeand GoldrattintroducestheTheoryofConstraintsviathisentertainingnovel.IthinkthisbookisexcellentifyouarenewtoOperations.AndIthinktheapproachoftellingastoryratherreadingatraditionaltextbookisagoodformat.Itdemonstrateswhymanytraditionalmeasurementsandcommonintuitioniswrong.Thebookrevisitswhatthegoalofabusinessshouldbeandwhatisimportanttomeasureandcontroltoachievethatgoal.Throughexamplesinthemaincharacter'spersonallifeandworklife,Goldrattexplainstheweaknessesoftraditionalcostaccountingsystemsandwhat'simportanttotrack.Inshort,tooptimizemoneyearned,increasethroughput,decreaseoperatingexpenseanddecreaseinventory.Andanimportantcorollaryisthatanychangerequiresimpacttoall3(throughput,operatingexpenseandinventory).Itisafallacythatachangecanimpactonlyoneofthesemetrics.AgoodfollowonbooktothisnovelisSynchronousManufacturing:PrinciplesforWorldClassExcellencebyUmbleandSrikanth. ...more flag 7likes · Like  · seereview Oct23,2016 Brian ratedit reallylikedit  ·  reviewofanotheredition RecommendedtoBrianby: OtisChandler Shelves: on-kindle (4.5)moreinterestedinapplicationtoprojectdevelopment(vsrepeatablemanufacturing).Iliketheapproachof'discovering'theprinciplesbehindtheoryofconstraintsandhowtooptimizethroughputthrougharepeatablemanufacturingprocess.Seemsquitepracticalandvaluableinjustthatapplication.Tryingtofigurehowthiscanapplybeyondjustmanufacturing.Thelatterportionofthebook((viewspoiler)[afterAlexispromotedtodivisionheadandcan'toptimizeasingleplant,butneeds (4.5)moreinterestedinapplicationtoprojectdevelopment(vsrepeatablemanufacturing).Iliketheapproachof'discovering'theprinciplesbehindtheoryofconstraintsandhowtooptimizethroughputthrougharepeatablemanufacturingprocess.Seemsquitepracticalandvaluableinjustthatapplication.Tryingtofigurehowthiscanapplybeyondjustmanufacturing.Thelatterportionofthebook((viewspoiler)[afterAlexispromotedtodivisionheadandcan'toptimizeasingleplant,butneedstofigureouthowtooptimizeasamanager(hidespoiler)])startstoaddresshowtoapplyTheoryofConstraintsbeyondtheoperationsofaplanttomoregeneralizedmanagement.Ikindofgotlostthere.AlsointerestedinhowGoldrattthoughthistheorycouldapplytorelationships.ItseemsasthoughAlexmayhaveinadvertentlyusedsomeofwhathelearnedfromEliyahu--er,sorry,Jonah--withhiswife. ...more flag 6likes · Like  · seereview Jun27,2019 Sravya ratedit itwasok Greatinsights.Ifoundthewritingabitboring.Theinterviewsintheendwerethebest. flag 5likes · Like  · seereview May02,2019 RohitSalgaonkar ratedit itwasamazing TheGoal,authoredbyIsraelibusinessmanagementguru,EliyahuGoldratt,isperhapsthefirstofitskindinthebusiness-fictiongenre(iftherewaseverone).Thenovelgivesthereaderbasicprincipleswhichcannotonlybeusedtoeffectivelymanageamanufacturingcompanybystrivingtowardscontinuousimprovementbutalsotoeffectivelymanageone’slife.Accordingtotheauthor,TheGoal,isaboutscienceandeducation,twowordsthathavelostthekerneloftheirmeaningintheplethora TheGoal,authoredbyIsraelibusinessmanagementguru,EliyahuGoldratt,isperhapsthefirstofitskindinthebusiness-fictiongenre(iftherewaseverone).Thenovelgivesthereaderbasicprincipleswhichcannotonlybeusedtoeffectivelymanageamanufacturingcompanybystrivingtowardscontinuousimprovementbutalsotoeffectivelymanageone’slife.Accordingtotheauthor,TheGoal,isaboutscienceandeducation,twowordsthathavelostthekerneloftheirmeaningintheplethoraofcomplexitiesandjargonsbuiltupovertime.Coincidentally,whenIlookback,Iunderstandhowtwoofmyprofessorshadcommunicatedtheessenceofthesetwowordsintheirownway.Aboutscience,myprofessorfromMumbaiUniversityspokeofhowourprimaryroleasengineersisnottomakecomplexthingssimple,buttomakesimplethingssimpler.Thebasicassumptionthatallthingsarecomplex,resultsinadownwardspiralwherecommon-senseandlogiceludesus.Goldrattemphasizedthatforhim,scienceisnotaboutseekingtheabsolutetruth,itissimplythemethodwetryandpostulateaminimumsetofassumptionsthatcanexplain,throughastraight-forwardlogicalderivation,theexistenceofmanyphenomenaofnature.Abouteducation,whenIhadsubmittedmyworktomyprofessoratNorthwesternUniversity),beforefinalsubmissionandaskedforhimtoreviewandsuggestrectifications,hisreplywas“Thatisnothowitworks.Youaskquestions,Idon’tcheckyourworkateverystep;thatremovesthethinkingpart.”Similarly,GoldratthaseffectivelycommunicatedthroughJonah’sSocratesmethodofteachingthattheonlywaywecanlearnisthroughourdeductiveprocess.Presentinguswithfinalconclusionsisnotawaythatwelearn.Atbestitisawaythatwearetrained.Jonah,inspiteofhisknowledgeofthesolutions,provokedAlextoderivethembysupplyingthequestionmarksinsteadoftheexclamationmarks.Comingtotheplotofthenovel,theprotagonist,AlexRogoisthemanageroftheUniCo’sBearingtonplant.Aplantthatoperatesonfourranksofpriority,Hot!,VeryHot!,RedHot!,and,DoItNow!Thedivisionoverallisfacingitsworstlossinhistoryandisinadeepholewhichtheymaynevergetoutfrom.AccordingtoBillPeach,thedivisionVP,theBearingtonplantunderAlexistheanchorwhichispullingthemdownintotheabyss.BillgivesanultimatumtoAlex,threemonthstoturntheplantaroundandshowimprovementorgettheplantshutdownandbeonthestreetstofindanewjob.ThisstrainultimatelycreepsintohisfamilyandcreatesavolatilesituationwithhiswifeJulieandhischildren. WhatfollowsisabrilliantlywrittenjourneyofthecontinuousprocessimprovementsattheBearingtonplantwhichgoesontonotonlysurvivetheshutdown,butalsomanagestobulldozetheirwayontoatwentypercentprofitinthefollowingmonths(Hiltonstillshakeshisheadinarrogance!).Thefirstextremelyfundamentalyetimportantsteptowardsthiswasrelookingandredefiningwhatwasthepurposeorgoalofthemanufacturingorganization.Suchasimplestepitseemswhenputinwords,butwhenonebeginstothink,that’sadifferentmatteraltogether.Alexagonizinglyexplorestheoptionssuchascost-effectivepurchasing,hightechnology,producingqualityproducts,employingpeople,capturingmarketshareandsoon.Herealizesthattheseareonlymeanstoachievethegoal,whichhedeciphersfinallyis“tomakemoney”.Afterthis,Alexandhisteamgearuptoworkonactionsthatbringthecompanyclosertoitsgoalandthusbetrulyproductive. Thenextlogicalstepthatfollowedwasdefiningameasurementtoexpressthegoalofmakingmoneyperfectlywell.Andtheyexpresseditas“Increasethroughputwhilesimultaneouslyreducingbothinventoryandoperatingexpense.”Jonahreiteratedoftenthathowitwasimportanttoviewthesethreemeasurementsinconjunctionandnotonanindividuallevel.WhileworkingintheStrategicSourcingdepartmentofoneofIndia’sleadingmanufacturingcompanies,Irealizedthevalueofviewingcostasnotjustthecostofaproductinisolation,butasthecostofthetotalsupplychain.OneoftheprojectsIhadundertakenasAssistantManagerinvolvedreducingthetrans-shipmentdamageofgraniteworktopswhichwereusedinourLaboratoryFurnitureproducts.ThroughFishboneandroot-causeanalysis,wedeterminedthatthebestsolutionwouldbetore-definethesupplychainandreplacethehub-and-spokemodel(vendortocentralwarehousetocustomer)todirectdeliveryforbulkorders(vendortocustomer)whichconstituted>80%ofthebusinessvolume.Althoughthecostofprocurementwentup,wemanagedtoreducethedamagecasesfromexisting5%to0.5%,thisinturnreducedthecostindeliveringservicereplacements,workingcapitalheldupduetoincompletionofsiteinstallationandresourcecostofemployeesrequiredatcentralwarehouse.ThebookalsoemphasizeshowMeasurementsdriveBehavior.Anorganizationwhichhasplaceutmostimportanceonlyondeliverywillrewarda98%On-Time-In-Fullperformanceandignorethefactthatitcameatthecostofhavingtied-upcashduetopiled-upinventoryoffinishedgoods.ThecruxofthesolutiondeterminedbyAlexandhisteamrevolvesaroundWorkingSmarterandnotWorkingHarder.Theteamdevelopsanunderstandingofwhatbottleneckresourcesareandofhowimpactfultheyareinrunninganefficientplant.TheunderstandingofthedifferencesbetweenactivationandutilizationwasakeypartinultimatelyreducingthebatchsizestoincreasethroughputandreduceleadtimewithouthavingtoworryaboutthedoublingofthesetuptimesThemostinterestingpartofthenovelwashowtheauthormasterfullyinterleavedtheissuesfacedbyAlexduringhishikeswiththekidsandtheissueshefacedathisplanttoillustratetheimportanceofbottlenecks.Theanalogyoftheconsumptionoftrailasthroughput,thegapsbetweenthekidsaspilingupofinventoryandtheexcessenergyspentinplayingcatch-upwiththepersoninfrontwiththatofoperationalexpensewasartful.Thismakesmethinkofhowinnovationandproblemstomostofourproblemsarefoundbyobservingnature.IrememberreadinghowNikolaTesladevelopedtheideaofalternatingcurrentforpowertransmissionwhilsthavingaseatinapublicgardenandimaginingthewheelsoftwobicyclescrossingeachotherasindividualwaves.Withregardstobottlenecks,itbecomesimperativetounderstandthatitisnotpossibleforanyorganizationtocompletelyridthemselvesfrombottlenecks,buttheyshouldinsteadbuildthewaytheyoperatetheirbusinesstoleveragetheseconstraints.Oneofthemostimportanttrapsthatorganizationsfallintoistolimitthescopeoftheirresponsibilityandworkinsilos.Itisimportanttoestablisheffectivecommunicationbetweenvariousfunctionsofanorganization.AsBobexperiencestheeurekamomentofunderstandinghowheasbeingpartofmanufacturingcanhelpgeneratesales,companiesneedtodevelopaculturewheretheybanishtheindividualdepartmentalgoalsandworktowardsasinglecompanygoaltogether.OneofthemostunderratedaspectsinthebooksarehowitwasnotjustAlexwhocameupwithallthesolutions.Itwasaneffectiveteam-workfromStacey,Bob,LouandRalphthatcontributedtowardsconstantquestioning,rejectionofideasandultimatelycomingupwiththecorrectsolutions,Inordertosummarizethecorenatureofthebook,Iwouldsaythattostriveonajourneyofcontinuousimprovementfirstlearnwhatmakesyourrelationships,yourorganizationsandyoutick.Andsecondly,toadaptandrevisitthefirstpointaftereverystageofimprovement.LikeAlexandhisteamfoundthattheconstraintsarenotalwaysthesamebutchangeovertime,wemustalsoadaptthewaywemanageourbusiness. ...more flag 4likes · Like  · seereview View1comment Feb19,2020 AnastasiiaPlishkanovska ratedit itwasamazing Sucharefreshingformat.It'squiteimpressiveconsideringthatitwaswrittenin80s.IenjoyediteventhoughIneverwasinterestedintheprocessesonthefactories.Mighttryimplementingthetheoryatmywork,however,Ican'timaginehowthatwouldbehelpfulforotherindustries. Sucharefreshingformat.It'squiteimpressiveconsideringthatitwaswrittenin80s.IenjoyediteventhoughIneverwasinterestedintheprocessesonthefactories.Mighttryimplementingthetheoryatmywork,however,Ican'timaginehowthatwouldbehelpfulforotherindustries. ...more flag 4likes · Like  · seereview Mar17,2020 GlennSchmelzle ratedit itwasamazing Shelves: business-books-read, top-pick YoualwayshavetocountonMurphy'sLawshowingup! YoualwayshavetocountonMurphy'sLawshowingup! ...more flag 4likes · Like  · seereview Apr17,2020 WesleyRobertZurovec ratedit itwasok TheGoalintroducestheTheoryofConstraintsinnarrativeform,followingthestrugglesofthefictitiousplantmanager,AlexRogo.Goldrattprovidesahighlevel,non-technicaloverviewofconstraintmanagement,encouragesthereadertochallengethemeritoflong-standingKPIsastheyrelatetotheoverarchinggoalofthecompany,andextolsthebenefitsoftheSocraticMethod.Unfortunately,Ifoundthenarrativetobequitedistracting.Theplotisdryandpredictable,andlastthirdofthe TheGoalintroducestheTheoryofConstraintsinnarrativeform,followingthestrugglesofthefictitiousplantmanager,AlexRogo.Goldrattprovidesahighlevel,non-technicaloverviewofconstraintmanagement,encouragesthereadertochallengethemeritoflong-standingKPIsastheyrelatetotheoverarchinggoalofthecompany,andextolsthebenefitsoftheSocraticMethod.Unfortunately,Ifoundthenarrativetobequitedistracting.Theplotisdryandpredictable,andlastthirdofthebookwasadrag.Iwouldhavepreferredamoreconcisevolumethatreliedlessonstorytelling. ...more flag 4likes · Like  · seereview Viewall3comments May04,2015 SergeyShishkin ratedit itwasamazing Thisbookisfantastic.NotonlydoesitintroducetheTheoryofConstraints,butdoesitsoasifToCwasinventedbythemaincharactersthemselves:Revealingthereasoningbehindthetheory,unfoldingeachstepinalogicalprogression,highlightingthepitfallsandfinallycrystallizingthemethod.Trulygenius. flag 4likes · Like  · seereview Jan09,2014 AmeeraHegazy ratedit itwasamazing ItisaFantasticbook,fullofwisdomandknowledge.ForallIndustrialEngineersandthosewhoareinterestedinmanagementtrustmeandreadit:) flag 4likes · Like  · seereview Jun14,2017 Maree ratedit likedit Ididabadthinganddidn'trealizethatthiswasalibrarybookthatwassupposedtobesentalongtothemsixmonthsago...soIreaditinaweekendanddroppeditoffonMonday.It'sagoodexampletaleofaproblematicplantandhowthemanagerturneditaroundusingwhatwasthendifferentmeasurementsofsuccess(whicharenowmuchmorestandardtoday).Itwasmentionedinoneofmybusinessclassesasagoodstoryexampleofchangingandcomingtoconclusionsaboutwhat'sworkingandwhat Ididabadthinganddidn'trealizethatthiswasalibrarybookthatwassupposedtobesentalongtothemsixmonthsago...soIreaditinaweekendanddroppeditoffonMonday.It'sagoodexampletaleofaproblematicplantandhowthemanagerturneditaroundusingwhatwasthendifferentmeasurementsofsuccess(whicharenowmuchmorestandardtoday).Itwasmentionedinoneofmybusinessclassesasagoodstoryexampleofchangingandcomingtoconclusionsaboutwhat'sworkingandwhat'snotinaplantenvironment.It'sareallyeasyread,simpletofollow,andmaybeattimesalittlecomplexitywouldhavebeenwelcome.Iwouldn'tcallthisbookwell-writtenbyanystretch,butusingitinplaceofabusinesstextbookwouldbesolidasitatleasthasastoryofinteresttofollow.Thoughthewifesubplotwasprettyunnecessaryandnotwelldoneinmymind.Overall,averybasicstoriedexampleofbusinessconceptsputintoaction. ...more flag 3likes · Like  · seereview Feb12,2020 TomaszWiśniewski ratedit itwasamazing Ireallylikedit,fromthebeginningitwasagreatsurprisehowhookediwasonthestoryandthecharacters.IalmosffeltlikeImyself,wasuncoveringtheideasandsolutionsalongwiththemaincharacter,discoveringsimple,basic,commonsenserulestoimproveproductionprocessandbettermanagement flag 3likes · Like  · seereview Jul19,2021 ArthurKipel ratedit itwasamazing Shelves: favorites Thebookdescribesthestoryof thedirectorofthefactory,whohas3monthstosavebusiness.Ofcourseafter3monthshesucceeded,otherwisethisbookwouldnotexist=)Themainpositivepointofthebook-itdescribesbestbusinessmanagementpracticesthroughlifestory,withalotofanalogies,assumptionsandreflectionsofthemaincharacter.Ithink,thatthemainprinciplesofbusinessmanagementfromthisbookcanbelistedinonepageofsomeoftheMBAcourses,butgreatexamples Thebookdescribesthestoryof thedirectorofthefactory,whohas3monthstosavebusiness.Ofcourseafter3monthshesucceeded,otherwisethisbookwouldnotexist=)Themainpositivepointofthebook-itdescribesbestbusinessmanagementpracticesthroughlifestory,withalotofanalogies,assumptionsandreflectionsofthemaincharacter.Ithink,thatthemainprinciplesofbusinessmanagementfromthisbookcanbelistedinonepageofsomeoftheMBAcourses,butgreatexamplesgiveyouafeelingofparticipatinginonlineproblem-solving.AlsoIlikedtheidea,thatthemaincharacterfoundattheendofthebook,thathehasnothingtodo.Becausewhenmanagerbuildsthesystem,whichworksaspredicted,hedoesn'tneedtoputoutfireseverydayasbefore.Anotherinterestingpoint,thatalotofmanagersarecharmedbynumbers.Themaincharactermakesalotofefforttounderstandforhimselfandtoconvinceothers,thattheirgoalisincorrect,sothey"optimisewronglossfunction".Ithink,principlesfromthisbookcan'tbeadaptedtosomeinnovativebusinesseswithhighresearchpart'asis'.Becauseinthisareatimevarianceismuchlarger,soit'shardertoestimatetimeandbuildpredictableandcontrollableworkflow.Butofcoursethemainprinciplesshouldwork. ...more flag 3likes · Like  · seereview Jul31,2013 EricShamow ratedit reallylikedit Iwantedtolovethisbook.Iverynearlylovedthisbook.Unfortunately,Iread"ThePhoenixProject"first.Ikeepflippingbetween3and4starsforthis.Thebookdeserves5foritsplaceinbusinesshistory,andIflipto4foritbecauseitwillcommunicateonageneral-purposelevelfarbetterthanabooklike"Phoenix."ButhavingbeenaroundpeoplewhounderstoodaboutbottlenecksandtheTheoryofConstraints(ifyoudon'tknowwhatthoseare,putdownthisreviewandgoreadthebook)f Iwantedtolovethisbook.Iverynearlylovedthisbook.Unfortunately,Iread"ThePhoenixProject"first.Ikeepflippingbetween3and4starsforthis.Thebookdeserves5foritsplaceinbusinesshistory,andIflipto4foritbecauseitwillcommunicateonageneral-purposelevelfarbetterthanabooklike"Phoenix."ButhavingbeenaroundpeoplewhounderstoodaboutbottlenecksandtheTheoryofConstraints(ifyoudon'tknowwhatthoseare,putdownthisreviewandgoreadthebook)forsometime,thebookseemslessrevelatorytome.It'simpossibletostatewhattheimpactofthiswouldhavebeenonmid-80'sAmericanmanufacturers,letalonewhatitsimpactshouldbeonourindustry.ThebookessentiallyintroducesthereadertoTOCandmanyofthepracticesthatwerelaterencodedinthefabricoftheleanandagilemovementsthroughaSocraticdialogue-posingaseriesofchallengestoitscharactersandthenaskingthem(andyou,thereader)toextrapolatefrompastlessonsanddeterminethenextappropriatecourseofactionjustaheadofthecharacters.Ifyou'reinIT,"Phoenix"willspeakmoreclearlytoyoursituationandwilltranslatemoredirectlytoyourworkandworld.Read"TheGoal"afterwardstogainadeeper/fullerunderstandingoftheTheoryofConstraints-someoftheexplanationsandthetranslationofWIPtoinventorywillhelpyouvisualizepracticesyoustruggletodescribedaily.Ifyou'renotinIT,justreadit-it'sabreezy,lightbook,andiswrittentoslightlybelowthelevelofanairplanenovel.Therearesomereallygenderedandracially-insensitivenotesthatarelikelyinjectedtoreflectthebook'simaginedaudience,afactoryforeman.Thisdatesthenovelsomewhat,butthestrugglesthecharactersarefacing-bothinterpersonalandwork-related-continuetohithome,andoverallthebookexecutesitscoremissioncompetently. ...more flag 3likes · Like  · seereview Oct08,2009 LanceGreenfield ratedit reallylikedit ThisisTHEbookthatwillimproveyourbusinessIhavelostcountofthenumberofpeopletowhomIhaverecommendedthisbook.Whateverareaofmanagementyoufindyourselfin,andateverylevelfrombusinessstudiesstudenttoCEOandCFO,youareboundtopickupsomethingusefulfrom"TheGoal."ThestoryfollowsthecomplexlifeofAlexRogoasheworksatoneproblemafteranother.Withthehelpofhisoldfriend,Jonah,heidentifiesandsolvesproblemafterproblem,ontheroadtosaving ThisisTHEbookthatwillimproveyourbusinessIhavelostcountofthenumberofpeopletowhomIhaverecommendedthisbook.Whateverareaofmanagementyoufindyourselfin,andateverylevelfrombusinessstudiesstudenttoCEOandCFO,youareboundtopickupsomethingusefulfrom"TheGoal."ThestoryfollowsthecomplexlifeofAlexRogoasheworksatoneproblemafteranother.Withthehelpofhisoldfriend,Jonah,heidentifiesandsolvesproblemafterproblem,ontheroadtosavinghismanufacturingplant,hisownjobandthoseofhiscolleagues,andhismarriage.Eachproblemisbrokendownintoitssimplestcomponentssothattherealprioritiesareeasilyidentifiedanddealtwith.Satisfyingtheseniormanagementofhiscompanyandtheaccountantsthathehasturnedaroundthefortunesofhisplantprovesdifficult,buthesupportshisargumentswithsolidevidence.ManagerswillrecognisemanyoftheproblemsthatAlexencountersas,althoughpartofthisfiction,theybelongtotherealworldratherthanthetheoreticaltextbooksthattheymaybeusedtoreading.Thestoryisfarfromdullandiseasytoreadandtounderstand.Whatparticularlyappealedtome,asapractitionerofprocessmodellingandsimulation,wasthewaythatthesetechniqueswereusedtobringaboutsignificantbusinessimprovements.Thepowerandvalueofsuchtechniqueswasablydemonstratedandshouldencouragemanymorecompaniestoputthemintopractice.EliGoldratthassucceededwheremanyhavefailed,toputtheseconceptsintolanguagethateveryonecanunderstandandthereforebenefit.TheonlynegativecommentthatIhaveaboutthisbookisthatIfeltthatthebackgroundstorybecamealittlebittedioustowardstheend,butthevaluegainedfromreadingtherestfarout-weighedthisminormoan. ...more flag 3likes · Like  · seereview Jan30,2018 JensComiotto-Mayer ratedit itwasamazing Atfirst,Iwasnotsureifthisbookismycupoftea,andIgotabittiredofthe"here'syourallknowingmentorapproach"everyotherauthorseemstotake,maybereadingtoomanybusinessnovelsinarow.Nevertheless,Goldratt'sTheoryofConstraintsisoneofthemostimportantconceptstograspifyou'rethinkingaboutmanagingflowandthroughputingoalorientedproductionsystems.Althoughthisstoryissetwithinamanufacturingenvironment,itsvocabularycanbeeasilyabstractedto Atfirst,Iwasnotsureifthisbookismycupoftea,andIgotabittiredofthe"here'syourallknowingmentorapproach"everyotherauthorseemstotake,maybereadingtoomanybusinessnovelsinarow.Nevertheless,Goldratt'sTheoryofConstraintsisoneofthemostimportantconceptstograspifyou'rethinkingaboutmanagingflowandthroughputingoalorientedproductionsystems.Althoughthisstoryissetwithinamanufacturingenvironment,itsvocabularycanbeeasilyabstractedtotodaysITorganisations.Restassured:ReadingthispieceandlookingathowKanbanisfrequentlyimplementedmightgiveyousomeeye-openingmoments… ...more flag 3likes · Like  · seereview Jun23,2014 Pedro ratedit likedit Shelves: audio Thisisabusinessbook,tellingthestoryofafactorymanager,andeliminatingbottlenecks,andultimatelyhelpingtomakemoneyforyourcompany.Ilikedthestoryapproachofthisbook(as,letsbehonest,somanybusinessbooksareboring).No,youshouldn'treaditforliteraturesake.Yes,itwillgiveyousomeideasonhelpingtoachieveTheGoal.Onequickside-note:theaudiobookisgreat,sinceithasothervoicesfordifferentcharacters,backgroundsounds(forwhenthey'rewalkingar Thisisabusinessbook,tellingthestoryofafactorymanager,andeliminatingbottlenecks,andultimatelyhelpingtomakemoneyforyourcompany.Ilikedthestoryapproachofthisbook(as,letsbehonest,somanybusinessbooksareboring).No,youshouldn'treaditforliteraturesake.Yes,itwillgiveyousomeideasonhelpingtoachieveTheGoal.Onequickside-note:theaudiobookisgreat,sinceithasothervoicesfordifferentcharacters,backgroundsounds(forwhenthey'rewalkingaroundtheplant/factory),andnicetoucheslikethat.Verywelldone. ...more flag 3likes · Like  · seereview Jun14,2015 MahmoudGhoz ratedit itwasamazing Thebookisveryimpressiveaboutthewayhediscusstheproblemandtheprogressiveelaborationforsolvingtheproblem.Thebookismainlytalkingabouttheoryofconstraintsandhowtodealwithit. flag 3likes · Like  · seereview Apr17,2021 DanielRellaford ratedit likedit IlistenedtothisoneonAudiobook.It’slong,kindadrags,hasprobablymoredetailsthannecessary,andisdramaticwiththeguy’swifeleavinghimhalfwaythroughthebookbecauseallhecaresaboutiswork.Andthere’splentyof80’sstylemanagementandhumor.Withthatsaid,it’sabookIthinkeverymanagershouldread.Thetheoryofconstraintsgoesbeyondwarehouses,andthebookchallengesyoutothinkofproblemsindifferentways.TypicallyIdon’tcareforbusinessbooks.“TheGoal IlistenedtothisoneonAudiobook.It’slong,kindadrags,hasprobablymoredetailsthannecessary,andisdramaticwiththeguy’swifeleavinghimhalfwaythroughthebookbecauseallhecaresaboutiswork.Andthere’splentyof80’sstylemanagementandhumor.Withthatsaid,it’sabookIthinkeverymanagershouldread.Thetheoryofconstraintsgoesbeyondwarehouses,andthebookchallengesyoutothinkofproblemsindifferentways.TypicallyIdon’tcareforbusinessbooks.“TheGoal”iscleverbecauseitusesastorytohelpthereaderdiscovertheideas. ...more flag 2likes · Like  · seereview Jan13,2018 Dakshata ratedit reallylikedit  ·  reviewofanotheredition TheGoalsetsouttoconveymanagementprinciplesthroughanengagingstoryofAlexRogo,aplantmanager,whosefactoryisonthevergeofbeingshutdownandwhosemarriageisvirtuallyinshambles.Onthebrinkoffailure,AlexseekshelpfromhisformerprofessorJonah,whothroughtheSocraticmethodmakesAlexfigureoutwhat'samissintheplantandputshimonthepathtodiscovery.EliyahuM.Goldrattislucidinhisstyleofwritingandthebookreadslikeanyotherstoryasopposedto TheGoalsetsouttoconveymanagementprinciplesthroughanengagingstoryofAlexRogo,aplantmanager,whosefactoryisonthevergeofbeingshutdownandwhosemarriageisvirtuallyinshambles.Onthebrinkoffailure,AlexseekshelpfromhisformerprofessorJonah,whothroughtheSocraticmethodmakesAlexfigureoutwhat'samissintheplantandputshimonthepathtodiscovery.EliyahuM.Goldrattislucidinhisstyleofwritingandthebookreadslikeanyotherstoryasopposedtoonethatissupposedtofocusonmanagementprinciplesandcomeacrossasextremelyseriousinitsnature.Tip:Itisbesttohighlightcertainthingsinthisbook,soifyou'renotfondofmarkinglineswithapencilinyourpaperbackversion(likeme),thenpleasegoinforane-bookformat. ...more flag 2likes · Like  · seereview Apr25,2021 Kalaiselvanselvaraj ratedit itwasamazing Peopleworkinginproductionplantmayawareaboutinventory,operatingcost,throughput,dependentevents,statutoryfluctuations,bottleneck,nonbottleneckterms.Ifnotknownyetyoumustreadthisbookyoucanlearnhowplantwilloperatedependinguponsalesorderdemand. flag 2likes · Like  · seereview May18,2020 GarimaKhandelwal ratedit itwasamazing ThereisnotmuchtocommentasthisisthebookfromthebusinesslegendEliyahuM.Goldratt.It'snotatextbooktoteachtheconcepts,itispresentedintheformofastorywhichdiscussthebasicprinciples."Theycalleditcommonsense.Nevertheless,theydidn'timplementit."ThecriticismthatIliked"Alovestoryaboutmanufacturing!"encapsulatesitall.Thisbookwasoneofthefirstkindbackthen. ThereisnotmuchtocommentasthisisthebookfromthebusinesslegendEliyahuM.Goldratt.It'snotatextbooktoteachtheconcepts,itispresentedintheformofastorywhichdiscussthebasicprinciples."Theycalleditcommonsense.Nevertheless,theydidn'timplementit."ThecriticismthatIliked"Alovestoryaboutmanufacturing!"encapsulatesitall.Thisbookwasoneofthefirstkindbackthen. ...more flag 2likes · Like  · seereview Jan13,2021 Sam ratedit itwasamazing Shelves: non-fiction, fiction AsBillCosby,mayheRIP(ReputationInPieces:)alwaysstatedinhisSaturdaymorningcartoonFatAlbert,"Ifyou'renotcarefulyoumaylearnsomethingbeforeit'sdone."1972-85.Thisbookingeniouslyusesfictiontointroducearevolutionaryideathatisnowtaughtineveryschool,andusedineverybusinessandfactoryworldwide.It'slikethelovechildofaHallmarkmovieandatextbook,thatunbelievablyturnsouttobethebeautyqueenratherthantheredheadedstepchild.Basicallya AsBillCosby,mayheRIP(ReputationInPieces:)alwaysstatedinhisSaturdaymorningcartoonFatAlbert,"Ifyou'renotcarefulyoumaylearnsomethingbeforeit'sdone."1972-85.Thisbookingeniouslyusesfictiontointroducearevolutionaryideathatisnowtaughtineveryschool,andusedineverybusinessandfactoryworldwide.It'slikethelovechildofaHallmarkmovieandatextbook,thatunbelievablyturnsouttobethebeautyqueenratherthantheredheadedstepchild.Basicallyanewgenre,usingfictiontoteachnon-fiction. ...more flag 2likes · Like  · seereview View1comment Sep06,2021 AmyJ ratedit itwasamazing Aclassicinthefieldofoperations.Amust-readforanybusinesspeople.EventhoughIreadthisworkonprocessimprovementnearly20yearsago,IstillusemanyofthelessonsIlearnedtoday.Itusesinterestingstoriesofhowtheauthordiscoveredsomeofhisfindings.Ifyouworkinanybusinessfunctionthisisaneededworkforyou. flag 6likes · Like  · seereview «previous123456789…next» newtopicDiscussThisBook topics  posts  views  lastactivity    HetDoel 2 7 Nov26,202001:05PM   Moretopics... Share RecommendIt  |  Stats  |  RecentStatusUpdates Readersalsoenjoyed Seesimilarbooks… Goodreadsishiring! Ifyoulikebooksandlovetobuildcoolproducts,wemaybelookingforyou. Learnmore» Genres Business 1,709users Nonfiction 430users Business> Management 400users Leadership 217users SelfHelp 113users Buisness 77users Productivity 67users SelfHelp> PersonalDevelopment 61users Business> Entrepreneurship 42users Economics 37users Seetopshelves… AboutEliyahuM.Goldratt EliyahuM.Goldratt 535 followers EliyahuM.Goldrattwasaneducator,author,physicist,philosopherandbusinessleader,butfirstandforemost,hewasathinkerwhoprovokedotherstothink.Oftencharacterizedasunconventional,stimulating,and“aslayerofsacredcows,”heurgedhisaudiencetoexamineandreassesstheirbusinesspracticeswithafresh,newvision.Dr.GoldrattisbestknownasthefatheroftheTheoryofCon EliyahuM.Goldrattwasaneducator,author,physicist,philosopherandbusinessleader,butfirstandforemost,hewasathinkerwhoprovokedotherstothink.Oftencharacterizedasunconventional,stimulating,and“aslayerofsacredcows,”heurgedhisaudiencetoexamineandreassesstheirbusinesspracticeswithafresh,newvision.Dr.GoldrattisbestknownasthefatheroftheTheoryofConstraints(TOC),aprocessofongoingimprovementthatidentifiesandleveragesasystem’sconstraintsinordertoachievethesystem’sgoals.HeintroducedTOC’sunderlyingconceptsinhisbusinessnovel,TheGoal:AProcessofOngoingImprovement,whichhasbeenrecognizedasoneofthebest-sellingbusinessbooksofalltime.Firstpublishedin1984,TheGoalhasbeenupdatedthreetimesandsoldmorethan7millioncopiesworldwide.Ithasbeentranslatedinto35languages.Heraldedasa“gurutoindustry”byFortunemagazineand“agenius”byBusinessWeek,Dr.GoldrattcontinuedtoadvancetheTOCbodyofknowledgethroughouthislife,buildingontheFiveFocusingSteps(theprocessofongoingimprovement,knownasPOOGI)withTOC-derivedtoolssuchasDrum-Buffer-Rope,CriticalChainProjectManagement(CCPM)andtheThinkingProcesses.HeauthoredtenotherTOC-relatedbooks,includingfourbusinessnovels:It’sNotLuck(thesequeltoTheGoal),CriticalChain,NecessarybutNotSufficientandIsn’tItObvious?Hislastbook,TheChoice,wasco-authoredbyhisdaughterEfratAshlang-Goldratt.BorninIsraelonMarch31,1947,Dr.GoldrattearnedaBachelorofSciencedegreefromTelAvivUniversityandaMasterofScienceandDoctorofPhilosophyfromBar-IlanUniversity.HeisthefounderofTOCforEducation,anonprofitorganizationdedicatedtobringingTOCThinkingandTOCtoolstoteachersandtheirstudents,andGoldrattConsulting.Inadditiontohispioneeringworkinbusinessmanagementandeducation,Dr.Goldrattholdspatentsinanumberofareasrangingfrommedicaldevicestodripirrigationtotemperaturesensors.HediedonJune11,2011,attheageof64. ...more BooksbyEliyahuM.Goldratt More… News&InterviewsTipstoReadMoreBooksin2022withtheGoodreadsReadingChallenge!   Congrats!You'vealreadyaccomplishedthefirst(andveryimportant)partofthe2022GoodreadsReadingChallenge—signingup!Justbyjoining,...Readmore...45likes·0comments TriviaAboutTheGoal:AProce... Notriviaorquizzesyet.Addsomenow» QuotesfromTheGoal:AProce... “Sothisisthegoal:Tomakemoneybyincreasingnetprofit,whilesimultaneouslyincreasingreturnoninvestment,andsimultaneouslyincreasingcashflow.” — 18likes “Whatyouhavelearnedisthatthecapacityoftheplantisequaltothecapacityofitsbottlenecks,”saysJonah.” — 16likes Morequotes… Welcomeback.JustamomentwhilewesignyouintoyourGoodreadsaccount.