In my years as a business advisor, I have come across various management books and theories, but none have left as profound an impact as “The Goal” by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox. Although it may seem unconventional, this management-oriented novel serves as an excellent introduction to the basic theories of Industrial Engineering, specifically the Theory of Constraints.
The book revolves around Alex Rogo, a manufacturing plant manager who finds himself on the brink of closure. As the plot unfolds, the reader is introduced to invaluable production theories through Alex’s journey of discovery. This unique storytelling approach ensures that the reader and the main character acquire the same knowledge of operations management.
Among the book’s many enlightening chapters, chapter 13 stands out for its introduction of the Theory of Constraints. In this chapter, the authors cleverly employ a boy scout hike in the forest as an analogy for a production line. The goal of the hike is for a group of children, representing machines on a production line, to reach the finish line as quickly as possible.
The hike, much like a manufacturing system, consists of dependent events with statistical fluctuations. Each child walking in the line symbolizes a machine, and their pace represents the work to be done on each machine. However, there is a crucial distinction – while a child’s speed may fluctuate, their ability to go faster than average is limited. On the other hand, there is no limit to how much a child can slow down. Moreover, the walking capacity of one child is directly dependent on the others in front of them.
These dependent events and statistical fluctuations during the hike create significant gaps between faster and slower children. In the context of a factory, these gaps represent work-in-process inventory, which is undesirable. If the last child arrives at the finish line two hours after the first child, the first child will have to wait for two hours, hindering overall productivity.
So how does Alex solve this challenge? He instructs the slowest child to lead the hike and carries the child’s bag, allowing him to walk faster. As a result, all the children behind the first one can maintain the same pace as the slowest child, effectively eliminating the gaps. In this context, the slowest child is known as a “bottleneck.”
The lesson here is that simply having faster machines or employees will not necessarily increase productivity. The pace of the entire system will be dictated by the bottleneck, the slowest machine or employee. This is the essence of the Theory of Constraints – identifying and addressing the bottleneck is essential to improving overall efficiency and productivity.
As a business advisor, I have seen firsthand the transformative impact of understanding and applying these theories. By identifying and relieving bottlenecks, businesses can streamline operations, reduce work-in-process inventories, and increase overall throughput. If you would like to delve deeper into these theories and explore how your business can benefit from their understanding and application, feel free to reach out. I am here to help elevate your business to new heights.
