Theory of Constraints Articles

The full title of this book by Jeff Cox, Dale Houle and Hugh Cole is

Hanging Fire: Achieving Predictable Results in an Uncertain World

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a 4 Stars rating. This means it is  Good to Very Good.

Here is my book review.

A critical chain novel about the Theory of Constraints solution for project management

Eli Goldratt, the father of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) died in 2011 but the concepts have continued to advance. [continue reading…]

The full title of this book by Eliyahu Goldratt is

What is this thing called Theory of Constraints

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a 4 Stars rating. This means it is Good to Very Good.

Here is my book review.

An important stage in the development of TOC as it focuses on the thinking processes

The TOC Thinking Processes were introduced to me in the business novel “It’s Not Luck” as it looked at dealing with market constraints. [continue reading…]

The full title of this book by Nerius Jasinavicius is

From Workplace to Business. The beginning

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a 2 Stars rating. This means it is Disappointing.

Here is my book review.

Theory of constraints for small businesses

The focus provided by the Theory of Constraints (TOC) can make a major impact on the performance of a business but much of the advice available is targeted at the huge corporations. [continue reading…]

The full title of this book by Clarke Ching is

The Bottleneck Rules: The Go-To Guide to Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints (TOC) and his Business Novel ‘The Goal’

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a 5 Stars rating. This means it is Excellent.

Here is my book review.

Very clear explanation of the importance of recognising bottlenecks and constraints

This short book is written to introduce the idea of bottlenecks (constraints) to a wider public. [continue reading…]

The full title of this book by Dee Jacob, Susan Bergland and Jeff Cox is

Velocity: Combining Lean, Six Sigma and the Theory of Constraints to Achieve Breakthrough Performance – A Business Novel

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a 4 Stars rating. This means it is Good to Very Good.

Here is my book review.

TOC is at risk but can it fight back?

Jeff Cox co-authored “The Goal” with Eli Goldratt. While Goldratt was the genius behind TOC, Cox was responsible for the tight, fast-paced story. Together this made that book gripping intellectually and satisfying to read. [continue reading…]

A month ago, I wrote about how the Covid-19 crisis is making constraints blindingly obvious. These constraints limit the performance of a business but even when the crisis quietens down, constraints in your business will still exist. They will just go back into the shadows.

For 30 years I’ve believed that the Theory of Constraints (TOC) processes are very effective ways for a business to make substantial improvements.

So what does TOC have to say about the Covid-19 crisis?

I’d been planning to expand on this myself but then I found these videos on YouTube on the TOCExperts channel. I should warn you that they are all over an hour long but you have the opportunity to start learning how to apply TOC thinking to your business.

Video 1

This is what’s covered

Video 2 – Thinking About The Future

There are a few technical issues at the start of this video so you might want to jump to the 4 minute mark.

Video 3 – Post Covid-19 Scenarios and What You Can Learn From Them

I hope you find these helpful.

Books On The Theory of Constraints

If you’d like to know more about the Theory of Constraints, I recommend the following books as good places to start.

The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox – This brilliant novel is where it all about as TOC is applied to a struggling manufacturing business.Goldratt has written other business novels that look at the TOC Thinking Processes (It’s Not Luck), project management (Critical Chain) and the retail industry (Isn’t It Obvious) but I feel The Goal is the place to start.

Forget the Urgent! by Matías Birrell and Javier Arévalo –

Absolute Certainty by John Haylock – This time the business novel is applied to an accountancy practice after learning TOC ideas from a web designer client.

The full title of this book by Gerald Kendall and Gary Wadhwa is

Dentistry with a Vision: Building a Rewarding Practice and a Balanced Life

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a 4 Stars rating. This means it is Good to Very Good if you want to read about how to apply the Theory of Constraints to a small service business. It’s a 5 Stars Rating if you’re a Dentist.

Here is my book review.

Theory of constraints applied to a small service business

This book is based on improvements in a dentist business. For me, this is just an example of how the theory of constraints (TOC) can be applied to a small service business. [continue reading…]

The full title of this book by Thorsteinn Siglaugsson is

From Symptoms to Causes: Applying the Logical Thinking Process to an Everyday Problem

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a 5 Stars rating. This means it is Excellent.

Here is my book review.

Very helpful introduction to the TOC Thinking Processes

The author was inspired to write this book after attending a course on the TOC Thinking Processes from Bill Dettmer. [continue reading…]

The full title of this book by Gerald Kendall is

Viable Vision: Transforming Total Sales into Net Profits

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book 4 Stars. This means it is Good and Well Worth Reading.

Here is my review.

A revolution in your business

This is a manifesto for a revolution in your business using the full combination of thinking from Eliyahu Goldratt and his theory of Constraints.

Inevitably this presents a high level view of the ideas focusing in the what to do much more than how to do it. [continue reading…]