If TOC is so great...
Clark Ching is trying to spread the word about the Theory of Constraints, but he is a little worried. If Goldratt's TOC is so great then how come no one's ever heard of it?
The Goal introduced the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to the world but, the weird thing is ... no one - apart from my wife, a few odd people on odd email lists and now you - has ever heard of TOC.
This is a great question. A friend is doing theory of constraints consulting and has been having a dickens of a time getting beyond a certain level of success. Given how much the TOC-boosters (me included) talk about the concept and how Viable Vision is going to generate amazing new revenues, why aren't more companies jumping on board?
Let's see if Clark can achieve his goal of publicizing TOC.
2 Comment(s)
said:
Yes, this is a fun quandary. Now that I have taken "application expert" training in preparation for becoming involved in Viable Vision projects, I have heard more of this conversation. Eli Goldratt has a long term vision for TOC to become "the way to manage business" and Viable Vision seems to be a part of the path to getting there.
I consider myself only a neophyte with respect to the Thinking Processes, and I can see continued use and application of them in my daily life as well as with clients. They are certainly more subtle than the Five Focusing Steps, and I think that is their inherent difficulty. The Focusing Steps give you something to "do," but the Thinking Processes aren't quite so clear.
It is so much easier to think that the answer is "obvious" and that people just need to start applying it to their business. This hardly ever works without the preparation that the thinking processes give us.
"The Goal" is the best selling business book in the world. Most people buy it, read it, think it's great, then do nothing. Fewer that 10% acually try using it. Of the people that do practice TOC, 90% achieve results. I have used TOC as a consultant and as a manager. I am successful in creating benefits most of the time. When I run into a difficult case, I realize how much more I need to learn. The thinking process holds the key. I find them the simpliest to understand but the most difficult to use. Has anyone any advice?