by Paul Simister
on October 2, 2017
The full title of the book written by Eliyahu Goldratt and with Ilan Eshkoli and Joe Brownleer is
“Isn’t It Obvious?: A Business Novel on Retailing Using the Theory of Constraints“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at the FOUR Stars level which means I think it is good to very good.
Here is what I wrote.
TOC in a retail setting with wider lessons
This is another business novel explaining the ideas behind the Theory Of Constraints. To make it a snappier read, Eli Goldratt worked with screenwriters who were well used to regularly revising their work.
It is based on a retail business in home textiles in the US. I can’t remember the exact numbers but there are about 100 stores organised into about 10 regions. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on December 16, 2016
In my review of Eliyahu Goldratt’s book
The Race
on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it a rating of Four Stars. This means that it is good to very good.
Here is what I wrote.
The Goal told you what to do and why, The Race tells you how to do it
This is the companion book to The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. If you loved your introduction to the Theory of Constraints when you read the novel, this is an obvious next step to put meat onto the bones of the ideas introduced. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 12, 2016
The full title of this book by Richard Klapholz is
“The Cash Machine: Using the Theory of Constraints for Sales Management“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a Four Stars rating. This means I think it’s good.
Here is my book review.
Explains the idea of using constraints to improve the sales process and increase sales revenue.
This is a business novel which explains how the Theory of Constraints (TOC) can be used to find ways to increase sales revenue.
It is set in a large ($700 million turnover) digital imaging company which has a seen sales revenues reverse, from growing progressively they have dropped for the last three quarters. The hero has a job swap, from vice president of marketing to the hot seat, VP for sales. Fortunately he had agreed to be open-minded and consider TOC after it had been used effectively elsewhere in the business. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 8, 2016
The full title of this book by Matías Birrell and Javier Arévalo is
“Forget the Urgent!: Rather focus on the important: A business dialogue based on the best seller ‘The Goal’ by Eliyahu M Goldratt“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of FIVE Stars. That means I think it is excellent.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Anyone interested in the Theory of Constraints.
- Small business owners who want to improve.
The Big Idea
Every business faces constraints unless it is able to generate an infinite amount of money. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 2, 2016
The full title of this book by Uwe Techt is
“Goldratt and the Theory of Constraints: The Quantum Leap in Management“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave this book a FIVE Stars rating. This means I think it is excellent.
Here is my book review.
A very helpful summary
Goldratt’s business novels like “The Goal“, “It’s Not Luck“, “Critical Chain” etc are an excellent way to get a general appreciation of the Theory Of Constraints. Their weakness comes apparent when you want to go back and remind yourself of the critical concepts because they are too buried into the story.
The author, Uwe Techt has written an excellent summary of the fundamental ideas within the Theory Of Constraints which serves as both a refresher and a reference for when you’re trying to implement the concepts. As an initial introduction, I still recommend starting with “The Goal“. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 2, 2016
The full title of this book by Henry Harel is
“Where Is The Constraint? A Theory of Constraints DIY Toolkit Book 1“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means I think it is good.
Here is my book review.
A different perspective on finding the constraint
In this short book, the author shares his experience as a TOC practitioner helping businesses around the world.
It doesn’t attempt to summarise the logical construction of the Theory of Constraints in the way that a book like Goldratt and the Theory of Constraints.: The Quantum Leap in Management does. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on November 2, 2016
The full title of this book by John Haylock is
“Absolute Certainty: How to give your clients exactly what they want“.
In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means I think it is good.
Here is my book review.
Ideas for improving service businesses contained within a novel
This is a book about improving service businesses with the ideas dressed up in a novel.
The main character in the story is an accounting partner from a local three partner firm. It’s doing OK but everybody is very busy. He meets with a client who has a design business that has made some fundamental changes in the way it works after getting feedback from customers that they were not happy but the firm was getting the work because the other designers were just as bad. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 8, 2016
Theory of Constraints Handbook
I gave this very large, very intensive look at the Theory of Constraints a rating of Five Stars in my review on Amazon.co.uk.
Here is my book review.
The Serious Guide To The Theory Of Constraints
If you’ve read “The Goal” and a few other books about the Theory Of Constraints and you want to implement it yourself or through a specialist consultancy, this is the most definitive guide I’ve seen.
It is massive with 38 chapters which end on page 1135 before the Bibliography and Index… and that’s with a smaller print font than I’d ideally like.
Its size is both a strength and a weakness. I’ve had it for five years and I use it to dip in and out of as a reference rather than as a book to read from start to finish. Its bulk is intimidating and it’s heavy to hold. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on December 4, 2015
The full title of this important book on project management by Eli Goldratt is
“Critical Chain: A Business Novel“.
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means that it is Good and Well Worth Reading.
Here is my book review.
Interesting ideas about project management in this management novel.
I was reading Critical Chain when I heard the news that the author, Dr Eliyahu Goldratt died.
The Theory of Constraints guru focuses his attention on project management in this book after looking at constraints in the production process in The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement and in the marketing strategy in It’s Not Luck. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 11, 2013
The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox
Book Review Rating – 5 Stars
“The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement” is a fantastic book about performance improvement in a manufacturing business wrapped up in a novel that is hard to put down.
First published in 1984 this book introduced the world to the Theory of Constraints.
The big idea is that many of the ideas for improving a business are misguided at best and expensive mistakes at worst.
That’s because an improvement in an area outside of the constraint that is holding back performance is more an illusion than substance. Real improvements come from removing the constraint.
The Story Of The Goal
I think this was the first popular management book to be written as a story but it is an extremely effective teaching method for putting across the big ideas. The weakness is that it’s hard to pick up the details to put the ideas into action. Eli Goldratt wrote The Race as the follow-up hands-on guide. [continue reading…]
