Customer Reviews

The Goal : A Process of Ongoing Improvement

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is the ultimate paradox - a "business novel", a love story in fact. It is the first in Goldratt's series following Alex Rogo, and how he turns his manufacturing plant around through some relatively simple (though not necessarily easy) principles. It is through this book that Goldratt introduces the reader to his Theory of Constraints, which should rank among the top five business concepts of the 20th century (including, for example, six sigma and the assembly line).

Not in a manufacturing business? This book is set in a manufacturing plant, but the concepts apply broadly. I currently work in a service business, with no tangible products whatsoever, and the keys of this book are as useful here as anywhere.

This book is engaging and easy to read, but it's not written to the lowest common denominator. It's for people who want to improve the way their business is run, no matter what level they are - though obviously, the higher you are, the bigger impact you can have.

I read this book for the first time in college, and have reread it every two or three years since. It belongs in the company of such business and self-help classics as Seven Habits, See You at the Top, One Minute Manager, and Win Friends/Influence People. Perhaps the highest recommendation I can give this book is that I have bought it and given it as a gift, out of my own pocket, to about half a dozen different people in the company I have worked for over the last six years - all VPs, SVPs, and EVPs. I figure, if they apply the principles, it's ultimately going to make the company (and me) more successful. All of them have commented positively on the book, and some have in turn passed it along.

Whether you are just starting out in business, or have already attained a high level and want to broaden (and brighten) your horizons, this is a must-read that will positively impact your business, and your life.

I thought that the CD version was pretty good, however, I also had the book and I could read faster than I could listen to the book, so I decided to just read it. However, it was very interesting and entertaining to have multiple readers narrate the book. It is a worthwhile purchase if you do not like to sit and read something.

This book is written as one person's personal journey of discovery. It is a fast paced novel, almost a thriller, which dramatically demonstrates the power of modern management in the setting of saving a factory that is rapidly heading for disaster.

I recommend this book to people in industry who have to deal with manufacturing and quality assurance and to anybody who wants to understand the continuous improvement paradigm for running a business.

The book is a pretty fine read in its own right as a novel and it is especially relevant to anyone who wants to improve an operation such as an assembly line or manufacturing plant.

Here is a quote from the book however this has been edited down a bit from the original to better illustrate the point:

"Who is going to set up the other machines in t he bottleneck area?" he asks. "We will pull helpers who know enough to set up their own equipment from non-bottleneck machines" "Well I guess we can try it," says Bob. "But what happens if stealing people turns non-bottlenecks into new bottlenecks?" I tell him, "The important thing is to maintain flow. If we take a worker away, and we can't maintain flow, then we'll put the worker back and steal a body from someplace else."

While newer organizations are moving away from some of the techniques portrayed in the goal even in my own book Stone Soup: The Secret Recipe for Making Something from Nothing which is for startup companies I have used the techniques in the Goal to illustrate the manufacturing part of the story.

Wow - I've actually heard about a lot of the information in this book but I actually understand some of it now. Remember queuing theory from college. It actually makes sense. I've already recommended this audio book to 3-4 friends.

Don't miss it!!!

Alan

I was asked to read this book as part of a graduate level operations management class I am taking for my MBA. At first I thought how good could this book possibly be? But much to my surprise it was very good, because of the author's ability to weave a story around among other things, the principles of production and capacity planning. Pretty dull stuff wrapped up in the form of a fast moving, interesting story that can apply to any manufacturing company.

This book is a great read (listen in this case). The dramatization makes it an easy listen and a great story. The principles can easily be remembered since you really get into the characters. It should replace the textbooks for all Operations Management classes. The only downfall of the CDs is that there is only one track for each CD. Most audio CDs have tracks every 3 or so minutes so it makes it easier to find where you left off if you change from one listening device to another. Other than that it is a must listen or get the book and read it.....!

I had to read this book for a graduate school business course in operations, for we had a quiz on it. I listened to the CDs twice through. Even without taking notes, I aced the quiz. The acting is a little corny, but it's a well done book on CD.

This is a great audio book. Not just read by a narrator, there is lots of sound effects and characters. Very nice.

Some times it is too infantile and the narrative is boring. Nevertheless, I guess you can relate to real life situations and learn from it.

Gives a good overview of process cycles & their impacts