The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox
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Book Reviews of The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
Book Review: common sense well presented
Summary: 4 Stars
When this book first came out, the Japanese were absolutely killing American industry, and American managers, through a combination of arrogance, insularity, and inflexibility, had no clue why. This book and others like it went a long way to show how mistaken were a lot of the practices commonly employed on shop floors and in the minds of production managers, not to mention cost accountants and board rooms. The casual business observer will note that the Japanese are no longer the existential threat to American business that they were 25 years ago, while American business - to the extent that we still have some - has improved radically in productivity on every level.
Goldratt's genius was not only in his innovative thinking - in retrospect, the ideas presented are frankly entirely common sense and not shockingly earthshaking or creative - but in his presentation. Where a set of practices could have been set down in a 10-page article, with the author simply laying his points out and telling the reader how or why it is so, instead Goldratt wrote a 350 page novel where the reader is dragged through a thinking process step by step, thereby convincing themselves. It's not exactly Steven King, but the Socratic method is, correctly employed, and much more effective teaching tool than simply a bullet point list.
Most well-run production shops use this kind of thinking today; but the book's principles can be employed in other business models as well, even if other aspects of one's life. It's up to the reader to apply himself accordingly.
Book Review: A good beginning or review of processes leading to better places
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Goal" is being handed out here now (thirty year old US mfg co, niche leader). Read it some years ago while managing operations. My initial take: "The Goal" is reminiscent of Hesse's "Siddartha" on the value of learning to question status quo, and then after that learning how to discover the right questions- especially when one owns the focal points or problems.
As many other reviewers observed, the story has literal value as a conduit for learning how to identify process problems and resolve them by illustrating successful examples of HOW to question status quo plus successful examples of HOW to implement change through creating a collaborative or collective-ownership working environment that questions status quo as a matter of course.
The book is ultimately about leadership facilitating big change. Big changes almost always involve persuasion which comes in many forms. While necessity gets the book rolling the book's big idea is to avoid being driven by necessity. Most folks in my experience view persuasion as "other" directed while for most people the hardest sell for change is "self", and the manager's journey (the reader's lesson) is as much about self improvement in leaders as it is about management and problem solving technique.
It's a big hit here and one hopes some of it sticks, but one's experience is entropy is a tough taskmaster.
Book Review: Remember the Goal
Summary: 5 Stars
In reading The Goal, I was not completely sure what to expect when I first began to read it. I was told that it was a novel, but at the same time I was being required to read it for an engineering Statistical Quality Control class, so I figured it would be quite interesting to see a novel used to explain something for engineering.
The novel, as soley a a story, was entertaining and brings up many aspects of life that pertain to working and how it relates with having a family. The interesting part about this aspect of the book, is that it utilizes the theory of the book as a whole, which pertains to engineering and manufacturing, showing the theory to be more universal.
The theory that I have spoken of is mainly that of having a goal and making sure that the goal remains the focus. This theory is the basis for all else that is presented in the book, although it is not the only theory presented. The theory of constraints is also spoken of and many other specific thoughts in the area of manufacturing.
Overall, I found this book to be very useful in bringing my view of how to approach problems, and in many ways life, to focus. It was an excellent reminder that we need to remember what we are doing and understand the implications of actions, but most of all, to focus on what we are trying to achieve.
Book Review: Edutainment at its best
Summary: 5 Stars
Eli Goldratt is very clear about this book's objectives. He intends it to teach, in an entertaining manner. His message is very useful. His medium is very readable. The net impact is truly amazing. A masterpiece like non other. I wonder why there aren't any others!
This is a story of a plant manager who is in deep trouble, at work and at home. The Goal takes us through his journey of discovery and epiphany. The protagonist learns through socratic dialogues with a school friend. I learn the same way from the novel.
This book is a page-turner. Fast paced, tight, and with superb characterization. It is a classic in its own right as a story.
This book also teaches. While maintaining interest, it helps in learning the basics of Theory of Constraints, a truly amazing approach to problem solving. Using the factory as a context, The Goal teaches us that we need to measure the right things and then prioritize based on the biggest bottleneck. Simple, elegant, and profound.
This book also uses analogies to illustrate. The hiking example, including the matchstick game, stay with us long after the lessons are hazy.
Lastly, this book is about human beings and their struggles. Eli Goldratt applies similar priniciples to home life, with amazing results.
Why can't more authors write like Goldratt?
Book Review: Good but incomplete...
Summary: 4 Stars
First the good news! The author makes a dry subject otherwise, very interesting and fun to read! It's not often someone other than Eliyahu Goldratt that can make a production management/operations management subject this readable!
However, the principles outlined here are "necessary but not sufficient" (which is ironically the title of one of the author's other books!). The author tells the story about a Plant Manager struggling with managing the different demands on his production capacity and people arising from improper metrics and management. He slowly starts using many of the principles outlined by Eliyahu Goldratt's work on "Theory of Constraints" (TOC) to resolve many of the issues and makes his plant perform immensely better.
The Toyota Production System seems to fix many of the problems outlined in this book as well as others not discussed in this book in a more comprehensive and elegant way - by using "pull" method of planning production (making only those parts that are consumed needed by the process step after you), production leveling (mixing products so that you avoid inventory), multi-skilling of people so that others can fill in case someone is absent or sick, Just-in-Time and in general, a more rational, reasoned and complete approach to manufacturing!