The Goal by Eli Goldratt

Every practitioner of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) is familiar with “The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement – 30th Anniversary Edition” by Eli Goldratt. The book is an oldie but a goodie with the first edition published in 1984. I don’t know that it was Eli’s first book but it is most certainly his most recognized work. In it he illustrates many fundamental concepts of TOC through the story of Mr. Rogo, a plant manager, who is fighting to keep his plant from going under. The nice thing about the book and the reason I think it has been around for so long is that the principles are presented in a non-esoteric manner. You follow Mr. Rogo as he works through his day to day challenges of optimizing his organization.

I really appreciated the book because it applies a scientific bent to operational management. As a physicists, Dr. Goldratt was quite capable of applying the scientific method to the phenomenon’s found within organizations. It gained popularity because he was able to do this without losing the dynamic of entertainment.

If you have ever experienced the strain of bottle necks in your organization this would be a good book for you. Pay close attention to Herbie…