Customer Reviews

Goldratt's Theory of Constraints: A Systems Approach to Continuous Improvement

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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)

So you've read Goldratt's books, The Goal, Critical Chain, etc..and it all sounds great but you need a more complete understanding of TOC. A business novel this is not, a hardcore explanation of TOC it is. Current Reality Trees (CRT's), Future Reality Trees (FRT's), and all other logic and situational diagrams from TOC are explained in this book. You've really gotta want to learn TOC to get through this book, but with some determination you'll get through it and have a much more complete understanding of what you got a taste of, in Dr. Goldratt's excellent business novels.

I expected a book that gave manufacturing type examples of TOC application..but was sorely disappointed. It is a very thorough explaination of the 'logic' behind applying TOC and uses examples, but they are every day events, not real operational problems. If you want logic and step by step problem solving techniques, buy the book. If you want to see how real companies apply the TOC theories, don't but it.

Bill Dettmer has written the best handbook on how to understand Goldratt's Theory of Constraints and apply his Thinking Tools, that I've read. This handbook is comprehensive, and Dettmer's writing style is clear, easy to read, and loaded with examples. His example describing a common reason that hinders success in Total Quality Management is a must-read for anyone involved with TQM. Physical bottlenecks are often easy to spot and fix, but policy and management practices are not. Dettmer's book primarily covers how to use the Goldratt's Thinking Tools to surface and eliminate the core problems behind almost any kind of constraint in the system, tangible or intangible. Teachers, consultants, and anyone interested in improving systems and processes will benefit from reading this book--and applying its techniques. (This is a book I wish I'd had when I was writing my own book, Sales Process Engineering! It would have completely changed the way I treated the section on how to use cause-effect diagrams to troubleshoot sales problems. I say this because, in his book, Dettmer shows a technique that is clearly superior in many ways to the classic Ishikawa, or "fishbone" diagram. Companies who depend on process improvement would be ahead to teach their people how to use the Thinking Tools as Dettmer presents them.)

While Goldratt's books are good, they do little to educate one on how to implement TOC. Dettmer's book shows you how. Don't bother looking for others.

Dettmer's book is for anyone who wants to learn how to systematically use and master the Theory of Constraints. While the Goldratt books will inspire and introduce you to the techniques, Dettmer's will show you how to apply them step-by-step.

Dettmer has done us all a great service! I remember putting down The Goal and It's Not Luck and wishing there was and implementation guide to the decision tools utilized in those books. Now there is one. Dettmer has provided a step-by-step approach to building the decision trees pioneered by Goldratt. This book was made for anyone who wants to apply the decision tools utilized by Alex Rogo in the Goal and It's Not Luck. I use this book regularly at my company to figure out what to change and what to change to.

Thanks Bill

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

This is an excellent book for learning about the thinking process of TOC. You get the basic symbols, an elegant way to present your drawings on multi-page layouts. More important, you learn how each piece of the thinking process fits into the larger picture. The following topics are covered in detail:

- Categories of legitimate reservation (CLR)
- Current reality tree (CRT)
- Conflict resolution diagram (CRD)
- Future reality tree (FRT)
- Prerequisite tree
- Transition tree
- Group dynamics of TOC.

What I have found most valuable in this book is that it teaches you how to use each technique and how they interact with each other. For example, I didn't know that there were may ways to start building a conflict resolution diagram but the author describes three: right-to-left, left-right-center and clockwise rotation. Each of the approaches has specific strengths. Finally, the last chapter on group dynamics is especially important when applying toc in a group context.

I have surely read this book a little too fast and will probably go back to it in a little while. For anyone interested in TOC this book is, in my opinion, a "must have" companion book.

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.