Average customer rating:
- Enjoyable and useful
- Innovative
- If you like learning from novels
- 5 star concepts in a 3 star novel
- A must for every potential project manager
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Critical Chain : A Business Novel
Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Manufacturer: North River Press
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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It's Not Luck
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The Goal
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Theory of Constraints
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The Race
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Necessary But Not Sufficient
ASIN: 0884271536 |
Book Description
Powerful yet simple techniques to solve project management's toughest problems. This book teaches companies to drastically cut project development times resulting in early completion within budget and without compromising quality or specifications.
Customer Reviews:
Enjoyable and useful.......2007-10-18
This book is well written; easy to read and to understand. It includes a bunch of useful concepts in a smooth way, so you assimilate the almost without effort.
Since it is written like a novel, rather than a textbook, I found myself reading it eagerly and I finished it in very few days. On the other hand, it is not suitable as a reference book.
In conclusion, if you want to introduce in project managing from a practical point of view just buy it, it really pays off
Innovative.......2007-01-03
An interesting concept presented in an innovative novel. Easy to read and follow. Just like a novel once you start, it is a page turner and hard to put down.
I highly recommend this along with Goldratt's first novel, The Goal.
If you like learning from novels.......2006-10-24
A "made-for-TV" novel with a lesson about a new method of project scheduling. Goldratt invented the "Theory of Constraints," a general problem analyis and planning method which he then applies to various areas. Each application presented in story format.
"Critical Chain" = "Critical Path" x "Theory of Constraints".
Read this book if you want an easy read and a fun introduction to the subject. But if you actually want to apply the Critical Chain method, you'll probably need a textbook format. Or make the effort to abstract the method from the dialogue of the story.
5 star concepts in a 3 star novel.......2006-10-04
Eli Goldratt is one of the most respected experts in the field of Project Management. His work on the Theory of Constraints provides project managers with some very useful tools for keeping projects focused, on budget, and on target. I have definitely benefitted from Goldratt's insights into these topics.
Unfortunately, this work of fiction, with three largely separate story lines, makes for an awkward read. The 246 page novel has about half of its page count spent on two stories that add little to the main message of the book. The ongoing storylines about fixing the business school's executive MBA program and the main character's relationship with his wife Judith have nothing to do with project management. Fortunately, these two superfluous stories are at the end or beginning of each chapter and it is easy to skip over them and get to the useful subject material in the main story line, the running of projects and their problems. Skipping over about 100 pages of the book makes me question the value of paying for a book that could have easily been less than half as long. I might be OK with that if the stories were interesting or well written, but they are not.
Using the book as a reference would be challenging. It has no Table of Contents, no Index, nor a Glossary. The Chapters do not even have titles, or a summary of the key concepts at the end in most cases. I would struggle to find an important concept if I went back to the book more than a week or so after reading it.
A much slimmer, edited version of this book, with just the TOC and project management material, laid out end to end would be an instant must have, and a valuable learning tool.
A must for every potential project manager.......2006-08-11
I've been introduced to CCPM (critical chain project management) years ago in school, but thought it was boring. Reading Goldratt's novel opened my mind to it in a much deeper way, and I'm now using it at my work with great success. I also recommend his other business novels.
Book Description
The book begins with an overview of the constraint-based perspective on systems and organizations, commonly referred to as the theory of constraints or synchronous management. The first section will guide you through the fundamental principles and processes that are the backbone of the thinking process application tools. The second section contains the step-by-step guidelines for each of the five thinking process application tools. These tools utilize sufficient cause thinking and necessary condition thinking. Third section introduces two ways that two or more of the thinking process application tools are combined, providing robust processes for the understanding and communicating problems and solutions. This book can be used as a field guide to learning the five thinking process application tools as needed, based on their own particular issues. You will have a full understanding of the theory and practical application of these powerful processes, including when and when not to use each tool. The total benefit is not just to apply the thinking process, but to develop intuition and have the ability to combine logic and intuition in the same thinking process.
Customer Reviews:
Nice thinking package.......2007-06-06
Edward De Bono had the wonderful insight of bringing together many disparate and orginally isolated ideas and repackaging them with a binding theme he called lateral thinking. The world has never looked back. De Bono's insight and salesmanship have been a wonder to behold.
So too, Eli Goldratt has taken critical thinking skills from various areas, put a graphical front end on them, and repackaged them with a binding theme he calls Thinking Processes. Not as powerful as De Bono, but certainly in the same ballpark.
Lisa Scheinkopf does quite a marvellous job in providing a didactic introduction to these Thinking Processes. At the end of the day, she unfolds a systematic way of problem solving - and this is, indeed, what the thinking tools are all about.
I understand that Scheinkopf's choice and ordering of chapters was meant to reflect her belief that the individual tools can be used independently of each other. It would have been nice if she had provided a bit more detail showing how the tools complement each other; but, her book, her prerogative. In regard to matters which require the the systematic and complementary use of each and every tool in the toolset, I think Bill Dettmer's provides better insight.
The book is generally clear, with one or two minor slips into obscurity.
I think Scheinkopf falls into the same trap that most authors who present these type of tools. They occasionally have a rush of too much Oxygen to the brain and push their product beyond its elastic limits and start to hand-wave a little too much. In this regard, I find the "So What Test" which forms part of her discussion of Current Reality Trees one of those hand-waving areas. Apart from being something to do with simplifying a current reality tree by means of a review of "entities" from a systems perspective (whatever that really means), I find the actual application of the test as described quite obscure. (As an aside, Bill Dettmer also hand-waves at this point too. I think that both authors attempt to transform craft into some sort of science in a manner which needs a rethink).
Anyway, overall, I think Scheinkopf's work is very good. I think it deserves to be read in support of an understanding of the TOC Thinking Processes, but, it simply isn't enough to read as the only source of understanding. I recommend reading some of Dettmer's work too. Between the two (and Goldratt himself of course), the whole system of TOC and Thinking Processes adds a useful set of tools to problem solving.
Theory of Constraints -- the practical book on the topic.......2006-10-24
You may have heard of "Theory of Constraints" or "TOC" as a project management method that focuses on placing buffers on GANNT charts. But that's just one application of this general analysis and decision-making method called Theory of Constraints.
If you've ever wanted to "brainstorm" or "think outside the box," or just want to plan your next big task in a more complete way, but didn't know where to start, this book is for you. It actually offers a lot more than a start: methods, a simple notation, and when to do what in great detail.
A lot of what you read may seem like "just common sense," but perhaps that's what makes it fun: a powerful, verifiable thinking tool that's also simple and makes sense.
You don't have to read the whole book at once. Try reading some, and then applying it. See how it goes.
This Book Will Help You!.......2006-09-13
I read various books regarding the Theory of Constraints. Except for the chapter on prerequisite trees, this book explains how to use the theory very well to solve your daily problems. It also gives you a wealth of exercises that you can use to improve your practice of the theory.
A must for management and a should for anyone else........2004-10-14
This book puts it all together and can lead anyone down the path of logical thinking, be it solving a problem or creating a plan. Combine the teachings of this book with the other TOC principles and you've got a recipe for success. I highly reccommend this book to all my consulting clients and friends for use in both business and personal life.
Worth Way More Than [$].......2003-06-17
I really hesitated to pay [$] for a book that is not directly related to my profession, somewhat short, and had an unkown beneficial value. Being casually familiar with the thinking processes from It's Not Luck, I went ahead and bought the book. I'm not disappointed. In about a month it has paid for itself several times over. It's not an easy read, but if your curious enough to be reading this, you can understand it. If your a professional with a wife and kid(s), it is a must for both work and home.
Customer Reviews:
Broad & insightful.......2007-08-11
Opening with a tour-de-force of insightful simplicity, Beyond The Goal goes on to explore many aspects of business activity with Dr. Goldratt's custom disciplined thinking. Though I have not come through his excellent speaking with a clear understanding of the Theory Of Constraints, I heard many other ideas and had a pleasant time doing so. He covers a straight-forward process for implementing TOC within an hesitant organisation, as well as providing a brilliant technique for validating any effort to apply new technology in business.
A clear explanation.......2007-05-14
This e-book reminds us Goldratt's literary style: clear, brief and precise.
After reading/listening to this lecture, I fell like I could run any facility in the world far better than the current management does.
This author delivers such a clear vision that by the moment we close the book we could train an audience on this subject.
Excellent value.......2007-03-21
This is my first, but won't be my last, experience with Coach in a Box. Dr. G. is in his usual form (obviously speaking to a live audience) but this material, in this form, is probably not for those uninitiated to TOC. An outstanding supplement to William Dettmer's Systems book on TOC.
Sensational.......2006-03-20
A straight forward explination of this theory. This CD has really helped me to fully understand the power of his theories and has explained to me how this can be implemented into a business. If your interested in improving your business and your efficiencies this is a must hear.
Enlightment to TOC.......2006-03-11
In the goal we saw that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, or a bright blue sky above the "dark clouds of reality". Yet, I fully agree with those that have said that the explanations on TOC are clearer on the works of Dr. Goldratt's disciples.
But then you listen to this wonderful work and then you understand the philosophy behind TOC. He is inquisitive on the current reality to the point where you have to think hard, again and again to see the real constrains come about. No, its not phylosophy of science, because when you are just discerning through the clouds of reality, he hits you with the "show me the money!?!?", why are we even thinking this way if we are not going to get the benefits??!! and Im only in cd number 3 !!!
For those of you who have had some exposure to TOC and believe it can make a difference, I would recommended this cd book.
Book Description
Theory of Constraints walks you through the crucial stages of a continuous program: the five steps of focusing; the process of change; how to prove effect-cause-effect; and how to invent simple solutions to complex problems. Equally important, the author reveals the devastating impact that an organization's psychology can have on the process of improvements. Theory of Constraints is a crucial document for understanding what it takes to achieve manufacturing breakthroughs.
Customer Reviews:
Don't Buy This Book.......2006-11-01
"The Goal" was a great book but Goldratt is trying to continue to cash in on that success with this book. It is remarkably poorly written and an absolute waste of time. Not one new useful piece of knowledge in this book.
How much repetition and advertisement do we need to pay for?.......2005-11-04
After reading this book I felt that I paid some good money for repetition, advertisement and teaching of how to get your company to send you to do some course work. This is not what I was looking for.
Loved it - for software development!.......2005-05-16
Software development is much like discrete manufacturing--as I learned from this great book. It's a tiny bit cheesy but the writing is ultimately effecting in cementing strong lessons for project and corporate management.
How to Get Your Company To Use TOC.......2004-02-24
This book has recieved mixed review, likely because it isn't so much an explaination of TOC or how to do TOC, as it is how to get your company to use TOC. The book explains how TOC fits into the bigger pictures of science, organizations, and business. Then explains how to introduce TOC into a company so it will be supported by top management with enough force to obtain "critical mass" and become part of the organization. If you use this book to properly introduce TOC to your company, it will be very helpful. If you use this book for any other purpose, you will most likely be very disappointed.
(Un ) commonsense.......2000-08-08
Commonsense is said to be not very common! Hence this book and the theory that can be put to use to achieve dramatic results. One question that a reader is likely to encounter in reading this is whether to read "The Goal" before reading this book. I feel that it does not matter as long as you finished reading both. In fact Mr Goldratt relies heavily on several chapters of "The Goal" to illustrate the theory.
Whatever the nature of business, Throughput, Operating Expenses and Inventory are the parameters on which managers grabble with and try to gain control. Theory of Constraints (TOC) puts all these in an excellent framework, defines their relationship and suggests methodologies for achieving globally optimal solutions for the Organization.
Excellent reading ; revisit this book when in doubt!
Book Description
This cutting edge, "how to" manual details proven methods for turning around chronically late, overbudget, and underperforming projects. Project Management in the Fast Lane explains how Theory of Constraints tools can be applied to achieve effective, breakthrough solutions in virtually any environment. It includes a complete discussion of the Critical Chain scheduling approach pioneered by Eli Goldratt-the most significant new development in project scheduling in the last 40 years! The project management tools described in Project Management in the Fast Lane are clearly outlined and will help project managers in manufacturing, construction, and new product development in any field find efficient, practical, and sound solutions to management issues. Common problems related to deadlines, budgets, project performance, and more are thoroughly treated, providing a solid basis for applying tools to familiar problems. This book is sure to inspire managers, executives, engineers, and MIS and quality assurance professionals to rethink their management approaches and create dramatic, profit-driven improvements in their organizations.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent "how to" on Critical Chain.......2006-11-23
This book really digs into the "how to" of critical chain, and even how to use it alongside critical path when you've got stakeholders that make it necessary. It's very clear and has some good illustrations of the concepts via scenarios and lots of figures. I think the novels "The Goal" and "Critical Chain" by Goldratt should probably be prerequisites to this book so the concepts are clear, or maybe just "Critical Chain". If you start out with those books, which are both written as novels, you'll have some easy reads and a way to become immersed in TOC concepts before diving into the details.
Which ToC PM book to choose?.......2004-09-03
If you're looking for a good introduction to Theory of Constraints project management, you really have only three choices: this book, Lawrence Leach's "Critical Chain Project Management", and Goldratt's original "Critical Chain" explanation cum novel. Leach can be dismissed out of hand -- his book only marginally discusses ToC PM and it's the most expensive of the three to boot. Goldratt is "the source", but making practical sense of "Critical Chain" and converting it into usable techniques is a chore. That leaves Newbold's "Project Management in the Fast Lane", and it's the star of the group. Newbold clearly describes the various techniques needed by a project manager to actually USE ToC PM. In addition, he addresses the equally thorny issue of how to introduce these concepts to an organization. And all from a very practical, down-to-earth perspective. If you get only one ToC PM book, it needs to be this one.
full of wisdom!.......2003-10-24
Do not bother reading "Critical Chain" novel. This is the book to start with. Read it twice: it has so much new thinking against traditional thought that unless you already has TOC concepts it requires a second reading (as good movies). It is a little conceptual book, but if you want more practical advice, you can continue with books like "Critical Chain Project Management" by Lawrence P. Leach; Advanced Project Portfolio Management and the PMO: Multiplying ROI at Warp Speed by Gerald I. Kendall, Steve C. Rollins; and if you are interested in Software Engineering: Agile Management for Software Engineering: Applying the Theory of Constraints for Business Results by David Anderson.
Proactively deals with inaccurate project estimates.......2001-09-20
The achilles heal of project management, especially in product development, are the estimates of time and resources. Traditional project management approaches do a lousy job of solving this. For example, although traditional PERT was developed to do this, it is not used. (In fact, in most environments PERT is not defined as the tool but as a network diagram because of this.) Finally, there is an effective approach to proactively dealing with inaccuracy in estimates. The critical chain approach can accomplish this, and this is the best book for defining what critical chain is.
Good, but disappointing.......2001-07-10
Newbold covers the basic TOC concepts and applies the thinking processes to project management. He also has several helpful insights into implementing TOC in an organization. It is good information, but Newbold can't seem to decide what he is trying to accomplish with the book - teach project mgmt or implement TOC in an organization. There is lot's of good information and worth reading, but the information is a bit fragmented. I get the sense that Newbold has taken a set of isolated lectures and tried to make a book out of them. The materials need a class room discussion to really sink in. As it is, the concepts are rather isolated and disconnected. It probably makes perfect sense to an experienced TOC consultant, but was a bit over my head with only having read two TOC books prior to this one.
Average customer rating:
- high thickness to content ratio
- This really _IS_ Brain Surgery!!!
- A sound theory and practical methods
- Root-Cause Analysis and Reality Trees
- Tools for reaching The Goal!
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Goldratt's Theory of Constraints: A Systems Approach to Continuous Improvement
H. William Dettmer
Manufacturer: ASQ Quality Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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Breaking the Constraints to World-Class Performance
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Theory of Constraints
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Critical Chain : A Business Novel
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It's Not Luck
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The Goal
ASIN: 0873893700 |
Book Description
Organizations live or die as systems not processes. Their success or failure is a function of how well the different component processes interact with one another. Real quality improvement isn't possible without the knowledge that comes from an understanding of the theory of knowledge, knowledge of variation, an understanding of psychology, and appreciation for systems. Goldratt's Theory of Constraints addresses best-selling author Eli Goldratt's unique approach to dramatically improving corporate performance, found throughout his books, The Goal (North River, 1992) and It's Not Luck (North River, 1994). This book thoroughly explains the theory of constraints, as well as detailing for the reader exactly how to problem solve using TOC.
Customer Reviews:
high thickness to content ratio.......2007-09-13
This book is padded to 378 pages. It is repetitive with long summaries and example at the end of each chapter. A table of contents at the begining of each chapter. Rhetoric questions in the text. Diagrams for simple ideas that don't need them.
I was looking for a book to explain the basics of TOC and to this end the book was helpful - it just could have been half the size.
This really _IS_ Brain Surgery!!!.......2006-12-20
Some folks who just now may be getting to know the Theory of Constraints (TOC) might be surprised at what they find in this book. Open it at random to any page, and you are looking at a diagram of some sort! This text is not about bottle necks and constraints; it is not about Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM). Rather, it is about the "Thinking Tools" of TOC.
So many great philosophies and theories of management become fashionable -- only then to suffer the indignity of superficial implementations at the hands of hasty zealots. TQM and Lean are two examples of important movements which were the basis of many failed projects in industry. In the final analysis, "Knowing what you are talking about" is often the missing ingredient. Moreover, when you are struggling to get "out of the box," how can you be sure you don't fall victim to the same assumptions (to your own self-deceptions) that put you there in the first place?
Dettmer's cornerstone text "Goldratt's Theory of Constraints: A Systems Approach to Continuous Improvement" takes you in [baby] steps through the entire TOC Thinking Process. Many will find this process excruciating perhaps, but this is what it takes. There are five graphical tools, five different [network] trees, one uses to analyze problems and solutions, and the especially important path between these two "realities." Dettmer takes great care to show you how to be sure of every single piece of your puzzle as you seek honestly to characterize your Current Reality, the Future Reality, the Prerequisites, and the Transition (the step-by-step plan). These represent four of the "Trees" (CRT, FRT, PRT, TT), and the Conflict Resolution Diagram (CRD) is the fifth. In addition to these, Dettmer explains the "Categories of Legitimate Reservation," which are the logic rules one uses to guide the TOC Thinking Process.
On page 22 Dettmer says, "These trees, the Categories of Legitimate Reservation, and how to use them is the subject of this book." Indeed, it really is. Nearly 400 pages of precision, it's no barrel of laughs; I can tell you that! But after scanning a dozen other books for exactly how to do this, I was happy to find someone who finally was willing to bite the bullet and get it done.
Plus, he knows what he is talking about.
Once you have the Transition Tree, you'll possibly want to formulate and track your implementation project using the Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) methods of TOC (as opposed to the failure prone Critical Path Method). There are many books on that subject. And there are now CCPM Add-Ins for Microsoft Project from several companies. But it would be easy to question your plan if it were not subjected to the same degree of rigorous analysis described by Dettmer's book. In the final analysis, "Knowing what you are talking about" is all too often the missing ingredient.
A sound theory and practical methods.......2006-01-20
This is a very readable book for which we intend to build courseware around. The book is laid out in a logical and progressive order. Each chapter table of contents can be used as headers for class notes. At the end of each chapter, there's an excellent summary and graphic diagrams or tables that can be used as jobaids. If you read, understand, and apply the information in this book it will definetely enable you to make more accurate assessements of "undesirable effects" and propose sensible solutions.
Root-Cause Analysis and Reality Trees.......2005-09-10
Dettmer's discussion on finding root causes of undesirable conditions or effects is the best I've seen. It's easy to go down a rathole when trying to drill into a set of what appears to be causes of the undisirable conditions. He also shows strong value of using reality trees to define what is and how we might be able to get to what ought to be.
Tucson, Arizona
Tools for reaching The Goal!.......2004-04-23
Many readers are familiar with Eliyahu Goldratt's hugely successful business novels The Goal and Its Not Luck. In these two books and his non-fiction work, Goldratt presents his "Theory of Constraints" and examples of how to apply it in practice.
Until now, Goldratt fans have had limited options for putting the Theory of Constraints into practice. Developing the methodology from the limited treatments in the novels may work in simple situations, but is unlikely to achieve its full potential in all but the most straightforward applications. True believers can take several days of formal training at the Goldratt Institute and earn the "Jonah" credential, but this approach is beyond the budgets and zeal of many.
Between these extremes, the American Society for Quality has published two very useful books by H. William Dettmer: Goldratt's Theory of Constraints - A Systems Approach to Continuous Improvement and Breaking the Constraints to World-Class Performance. Each is a superb tool, but they are appropriate for different audiences.
The first book, Goldratt's Theory of Constraints, is a thorough, textbook style treatment of how to develop the logic trees that underlie all Theory of Constraints analyses. It is most useful to people who will apply the Theory of Constraints in their organizations and want "how-to" training. It is also appropriate for a graduate level course in the methodology. The diagrams and graphics in the book are excellent and are critical to its usefulness.
The second book, Breaking the Constraints..., is aimed at general business readers and senior managers who want to understand the Theory of Constraints and its potential for improving an organization, but do not need the full complement of tools to become a full-fledged "Jonah". The book makes excellent use of case studies and examples. It, too, boasts diagrams and graphics that are essential to its value.
Breaking the Constraints..., will appeal to the wider audience. It is appropriate for readers who are interested in the Theory of Constraints, but want to have a deeper understanding of it before deciding to make it a core element of their approach to quality. It is also a tool to help champions of the Theory of Constraints educate both team members and bosses.
Both books will appeal to Theory of Constraints practitioners, while Breaking the Constraints... is more appropriate for the reader with an interest in the topic, but who will not be leading the team applying it.
(Robert Bradford is CEO of the Center for Simplified Strategic Planning and co-author of Simplified Strategic Planning)
Book Description
Today's managers encounter tremendous resistance in getting others to buy-in to change. The ongoing rounds of downsizing and upheaval have taken their toll, leaving a legacy of skepticism. Therefore, managers must not only have ideas, but must be experts at "selling" the correct answers, information, and measurements to address issues of change. Securing the Future uses the Theory of Constraints, a breakthrough improvement methodology, to provide solutions to today's management problems. It documents the step-by-step approach to achieving a strategic vision of long-term competitive advantage, employment security, and customer satisfaction. Using a combination of parable, methodology, and case studies, this book presents an in-depth management road map to exponential improvement in any organization. If you are looking for concrete ideas on how to build the intellectual capital your organization will need in order to thrive in years to come, Securing the Future will show you the way.
Customer Reviews:
Practical Knowledge.......2000-06-01
This book provides practical tools to increase profits for your organization. Gerald Kendall shares the criterion to prioritize/choose themes for improving customer satisfaction. He suggests that one should focus on those issues for improvement so that the customer is either willing to pay a higher price or ready to give you additional volume, or this would prevent the customer from switching over to a competitor. Improving those customer dissatisfactions, that would not result in one of the above, would not benefit your organization at all. I find many such tips through out this book.
Excellent guide to eliminating market constraints.......1999-08-27
I am a Jonah's Jonah focused on eliminating market (external) constraints in a variety of industries. I found this book while taking the External Constraint Course at the Goldratt Institute. While the Eli Goldratt book "Its Not Luck" was inspirational and the Institute class was excellent, "Securing the Future" is what I refer to day by day.
Book Description
Today's competitive environment requires that companies distinguish themselves in the marketplace using factors other than prices. Companies that excel at on-time delivery, short cycle/leadtime, quality, and fast response to the market gain a competitive edge - and have the ability to market based on these features. A proven approach to achieve this is the Theory of Constraints (TOC) production solution known, as drum-buffer-rope scheduling. Just in time (JIT), Total Quality Management (TQM) and other philosophies aim at exploiting these competitive edge factors. However, accounting systems, financial, and incentive measurements continue to be the biggest stumbling blocks to companies wishing to improve their financial performance with these tools. Agreement on the need for a measurement system that encourages local actions in line with bottom line results is common, but solutions have remained elusive. Whether a company is pursuing JIT, TQM, or TOC, cost accounting is the common enemy. Attempts have been made to introduce "new" costing methods such as activity based costing and economic value added, but they have failed to recognize the basic difference between product costing for financial statement purposes and collective management information to make real time decisions. The Measurement Nightmare shows you how to resolve the conflicts and remove the accounting systems, financial, and incentive measurement roadblocks to adopting TOC, thereby gaining improved performance and sustaining competitive advantage. The techniques that the author, leading authority Debra Smith, has implemented and tracked at various companies highlight "the productivity measurement nightmare". Especially important are the day-to-day tools she developed to ensure successful implementation.
Customer Reviews:
Debra Smith.......2006-05-15
Debra knows and applies TOC as well as anyone including Goldratt. This book is still a key part to understanding TOC.
Good book, but stack it with others..........2005-10-21
This is a grate book that explains how measurment indicators might confuse management, and make mistakes that really happen in buissness. In states several measurment indicators based on TOC that help in understanding what should be done in the company.
Very good book, but if you want to learn about TOC, you should stack it with other TOC books.
Great TOC book.......2004-04-12
Debra has done a nice job with this book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Theory of Constraints.
Great Material - Difficult Read.......2004-02-24
This is an excellent book if you are serious about TOC. It covers the basic how-to subjects currently in the liturature, and goes into new territory showing how to reconcile Management/Throughput Accounting with GAAP Acounting. Despite the great material I have two complaints: 1) The book is difficult to read due to the small font and wordy style 2) The book fails to recognize the existance of Lean Manufacturing and Six-Sigma tools that could break the dilemia presented about sprint capacity and buffer size. The second issue is one that any experience practitioner of Lean/6-sigma will easily recognise and correct.
Getting to the core of the problem.......2003-05-22
The book focusses on the root problem behind all those dysfunctional metrics around us. It explains very clearly (also for people not trained in financial jargon) how the wrong focus on the wrong metrics in the top of the organization can have impact on the complete organization and may impact negatively the quality of decisions throughout the company.
Very much recommended!
Book Description
Here's an in-depth, step-by-step analysis defining the critical ingredients essential to achieving ongoing improvement and a robust bottom line!
Focusing on practical, dynamic solutions for weaknesses in the interdependent parts of an organization, Management Dynamics provides a comprehensive introduction to the Theory of Constraints (TOC) in profit-oriented organizations, complete with the crucial but oft-missing pieces of the constraint theory–a fully integrated and supporting accounting system and the dynamic motivator to drive ongoing improvement in the bottom line.
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This book is a comprehensive introduction to the Theory of Constraints (TOC) in profit-oriented organizations. Focusing on practical dynamic solutions for weak links in the organizational tangle of chains, Constraint Management reveals how problems arise from the lack of global goal congruence and how a fair incentive compensation plan can align the goals of individuals in all functional areas and at all organizational levels with the shareholder goal of greater profitability.
Customer Reviews:
Answers questions lingering fromThroughput Accounting.......2005-09-15
Exhaustive in its coverage, this book answers many questions I had after reading the works of Corbett, Smith & Noreen, Srikanth & Robertson, and Goldratt. It includes an analysis of project management, sales, people, and strategy (in addition to standard DBR) as it relates to traditional Throughput Accounting and the newer Constraints Accounting.
An entire chapter is spent on pricing alternatives to the standard 'fully absorbed cost plus a reasonable margin' that far surpasses the standard Throughput per Constraint Unit of Time model; instead attempting to provide a means to decouple Throughput (T) from Operating Expense (OE) and Investment/Inventory (I) in order to drive continuous improvement. It also spends ample time discussing pricing in a market constrained environment, a situation more common then not.
Although I anticipate future additions to the body of Throughput/Constraints Accounting knowledge, Caspari has reinvigorated this increasingly stale and still under-developed (albeit highly preferable) alternative to traditional cost and activity based accounting. Having read every book available on the topic, I can say that Caspari's "Management Dynamics" tops even Debra Smith's excellent "The Measurement Nightmare".
Book Description
Who hasn't gone into a shop or workplace at some point and seen the sign `You don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps!'?
This over-used phrase becomes very real in the case of Beth Seager, an Admissions Manager in a busy British NHS hospital. Someone with very little authority but a huge amount of responsibility. She has to find beds for patients in a hospital that is claimed to work at 98% capacity - an impressive achievement that means the maximum time a bed is empty is less than 15 minutes. It's best not to mention the waiting times.
Unfortunately there are far more patients than beds and no money to bring more beds in. Someone has to decide whether a bed is taken by a patient who needs an extensive operation that will allow them to live a few more months, a breast cancer patient, or someone with two broken legs. Added to that, Beth is struggling against her caustic boss `Fearsome Fran' and her meddling assistant `Evil Eddy' who tries to undermine her and take her job.
Everything comes to a head when Fearsome Fran announces a new silver bullet plan to free up more beds. Beth knows that not only will it not work, but that she is effectively being demoted. But what can she do? She has 61 more patients than she has beds and a very short period to time to stamp her authority on Fran's new plan in order to stop it making things much worse.
Her luck changes when eligible bachelor Professor John Summers becomes her unlikely ally after becoming frustrated with the number of his operations that keep being cancelled. She also starts receiving some interesting advice over email from her brother-in-law in the US and slowly starts to believe that she can unravel the mess of the health service system and find the core problem and then the main constraint of her particular hospital.
We All Fall Down. Goldratt's Theory of Constraints for Healthcare Systems is a textbook written in the style of a witty, thriller novel. The reader is involved with Beth's challenges and dilemmas, and through her experiences, discover how Eli Goldratt's theories can be applied to the healthcare and service industries.
You don't have to be mad to work in the health services, you have to be caring, dedicated and resourceful as any errors can have fatal consequences. If you know someone from the health service, buy them this book so they can see the whole picture and what they can do improve the system. However, this book is also essential reading for anyone who has been frustrated by hospital delays or who works in other service industries such as teaching.
We All Fall Down is destined to revolutionise the service industry and not-for-profit sector in the same way that Eli Goldratt's book The Goal did for the manufacturing industry. Don't be left on the waiting list!
Customer Reviews:
Very good story - incredibly insightful.......2007-01-23
This book was a slow start, then I really started to come up to speed on the healthcare system, their challenges and issues and enter Harry, with the ideas on Theory of Constraints which Beth grasps very quickly and starts to put to use. It is very encouraging as she decides to take on this amazingly large task to hand, armed with just her new thinking and analyzing techniques. I really enjoyed the read. I was however very frustrated and disappointed at the endless number of punctuation, grammar, and other similar English language errors that the publishers had made. I will be sure to contact them to make them aware of it. Good read, and I highly recommend it.
We All Fall Down Stands Tall.......2006-11-13
Julie Wright's application of the Theory of Constraints to the healthcare system in the UK is relevant to anyone in the healthcare industry. The techniques used in the novel are so fundamental they transcend the model of financing and management of the system. In fact, you will have a better understanding of the system you are in if you read the book. I have always thought we physicians were a bottleneck in the system. Reading We All Fall Down confirms this. The novel is very entertaining, easy to read and makes some great points. I recommend it highly to anyone in healthcare management or leadership. It's not bad as a general read as well. Ed Millermaier, MD Chief Medical Officer, Ambulatory Care Division, Borgess Health, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
We all may fall, but this book stands tall!.......2006-07-08
Julie's book is very timely and instructive in how TOC can be applied to healthcare in particular, and the services industries in general. The book is engaging and powerful and also breaks new ground (such as expanding on Dr. Goldratt's 6 layers of resistance; and the real-world, relevant examples of use are especially good). In addition to the strong treatment of some of the key TOC Thinking Process tools, the book is a how-to for change management as well. I have read "We All Fall Down" 3 times, and each time have gained new insights into the applications.
Not good enough.......2006-06-16
I was quite disappointed with this book. I've heard that the results in the British Health System after implementing TOC are quite outstanding. If it's true, this book doesn't reflect it.
First of all, written as a novel, the backround story is not good. Two brothers are in a great fight and won't talk to each other because one of them is a TOC follower. Come on! I'm sure the authors's could've found a better backround story.
The description of how the NHS works is poor. The Health System is different from the one in my country, so I found it very hard to try to figure out how the NHS works, the different departments, the interactions, etc.
From the TOC point of view, good for someone just starting with TOC, but too light for someone who has read any other book.
To explain the concept of a system constraint, the book uses the same type of analogy used in Goldratt's "The Goal" (the boy scout trip), but the example and the explanation is not good.
The clouds built to find these problems conclude that the core problem of the NHS is the lack of communication between the different levels. I was expecting a more detailed analysis from the operations point of view.
In the last chapter a year has passed, and there is a summary of everything I would have expected the book to explain throughout the book, all in one chapter, with insufficient detail.
This book is good if you are involved in the NHS, and therefore know its problems, and if you know nothing about TOC.
If you want to learn about TOC Thinking Processes, I recommend Dettmer's "Goldratt's Theory of Constraints" with the main concepts, and "Management Dilemmas" (Shragenheim) with many interesting practical examples. Also "It's not luck".
If you want to learn TOC Operations, "Manufacturing at Warp Speed" (Dettmer & Shragenheim).
Project Management: Project Management in the fast lane (Newbold).
Unique and very highly recommended reading.......2006-05-08
We All Fall Down: Goldratt's Theory Of Constraints For Healthcare Systems, delightfully co-authored by Julie Wright and Russ King is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel in which co-authors Julie Wright and Russ King explore the intricate world of TOC and its effective use when applied to health care and service industries. Engagingly whisking its readers through Beth Segar's every-day digressively tedious life in combat with coworkers and happiness, We All Fall Down depicts the amusing tale of her introduction of Theory of Constraints in the workplace and its immediate effectiveness. We All Fall Down is unique and very highly recommended reading.
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