Theory of Constraints Next Step Links & Resources

A Guide to Implementing the Theory of Constraints (TOC)
PowerPoints	Preface	Introduction	Site Map	Contents	Next Step

Goldratt, E., (1999) The holistic approach to business. A significant video dealing with the issues required to implement any improvement process in a business.

Goldratt, E., and Goldratt A., (2003) TOC “Insights.” A series of 4 animated programs on finance and measurements, operations, distribution and supply chain, and project management & engineering. Low cost, accessible, and you can use them to introduce others to the concepts.

Goldratt, E., (1999) TOC Self learning program. A series of 8 CD-ROM sets covering; operations, finance and measurements, distribution and supply chain, project management and engineering, sales and buy-in, marketing, people, strategy and tactics. Available either singly or as a set.

Goldratt, E., (2003) Production the TOC Way, revised edition. A self-learning kit based around a simple computer simulation to experience the key concepts in the implementation of drum-buffer-rope in manufacturing.

Holt, J., (2000) DBR job shop game. A manual simulation developed by Dr James Holt of Washington State University that is very effective at teaching executive and line management about the need to control work release to any constrained system. The simulation is an exceptional introduction to multi-project Critical Chain. Well worth trying. Please acknowledge the author of this simulation when you use it.

And if you think you are losing your sanity you can always check out what Margaret Wheatley has to say in a range of accessible articles and essays. Especially, Bringing Life to Organizational Change. There is no distinction between living and learning, "A living system is a learning system." Also, What do we measure and why? Organizations define the measures, measures don’t define the organization.

Schragenheim, E., (2002) Make-to-stock under drum-buffer-rope and buffer management methodology. APICS International Conference Proceedings, Session I-09, 5pp. PDF version.

Abney, A., and Caldwell, R., (1997) It just can’t be this simple – Valmont Industries. Video JSA-12, Goldratt Institute.

Cole, H., (1998) Implementing distribution – layers 1-3. Video JMT-06, Goldratt Institute.

Cole, H., (1998) Implementing distribution – layers 4-5. Video JMT-16, Goldratt Institute.

Cohen, O., (1997) Overcoming the 5th Layer of Resistance. Video JSA-13, Goldratt Institute.

For turnaround managers and commercial recovery specialists; Bell, L., (2002) Try something very very different. Manufacturing computer solutions - May. An excellent article by Dr Linda Bell on a turnaround at Servomex in the U.K.

Spitaletta, J., (2003) The transformation battlefield: achieving organizational change with corporate physics. Industrial Engineer – January. Superb analysis of the synergies between John Boyd and OODA loops and Eli Goldratt and TOC as applied to corporate change.

John Boyd and the history of the American military reform movement is a cautionary tale for people with the vision and drive for implementing large-scale organizational change. Healthcare reformers could do well to read up on Boyd. Boyd related links.

Jones, T.C., and Dugdale, D., (2000) The making of "new" management accounting: a comparative analysis of ABC and TOC. Proceedings of the Sixth Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Accounting Conference, Manchester, U.K., July, pp 20-21. An excellent article on the history and state of play between ABC costing and TOC accounting measures.

Van Aalst, S., and Bakker, P., (2003) Waiting lists in hospitals: what do we need to know to reduce waiting lists? A perceptive article on the patient waiting lists from a systemic viewpoint that raises a number of important questions for consideration.

An online version of Belinda Phipps’ Hitting the Bottleneck which first appeared in the February 1999 edition of Health Management Magazine. Describes patient waiting list reduction in a neuro-surgical ward at Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, U.K.

For more information on Constraints Accounting please visit the website of John Caspari. Constraints Accounting is probably as important to the accounting application of the firm as a thorough knowledge of drum-buffer-rope is to the manufacturing application of the firm or replenishment is to the supply chain function.

Manusync is a drum-buffer-rope based software scheduling system developed and marketed by Pinnacle Manufacturing Consulting.