The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
|
List Price: ££16.95
Our Price: ££13.34
Your Save: £ 0.00 ( % )
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Manufacturer: Gower Publishing Ltd
|
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 658
EAN: 9780566086656
ISBN: 0566086654
Label: Gower Publishing Ltd
Number Of Pages: 400
Publication Date: 2004-11-17
Publisher: Gower Publishing Ltd
Studio: Gower Publishing Ltd
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Remarkably Effective Novel for Learning Management
Comment: This novel succeeds in being outstanding at so many levels that it could receive a multiple of five stars. It is hard to imagine a management book in novel form ever approaching this one in usefulness. Most people will learn more that they can apply from this book about management than many people learn to apply from an M.B.A.
The basic story is built around the dilemmas facing Alex Rogo, a newly-appointed plant manager. The plant can't seem to ship, it's losing money, and bad things can happen to good people if all this doesn't change soon. Alex is at a loss for what to do until he pulls out a cigar that Jonah, a physicist from Israel, had recently given him. That cigar reminds him to contact Jonah for possible help. From there, the path to recovery begins.
Let me describe some of the many levels on which this novel is valuable.
First, the book explains how to see businesses as systems as well as any other book on this subject. It compares favorably in this area to such important works as The Fifth Discipline and the Fifth Discipline Handbook. The metaphor of how to speed up a slow-moving group of boy scouts will be visceral to anyone who has done any hiking with a group.
Second, the book helps you learn how to improve the performance of a system by providing you with a replicable process that you can apply to analyzing any human or engineering system. The primary metaphor is improving a manufacturing process, but the same principles apply more broadly to other circumstances.
Third, you will experience the power of the Socratic method as a way to stimulate your mind to learn, and to use Socratic questions to stimulate the minds of others to become better thinkers and doers.
Fourth, the authors also use problem simulation as a practical way to help you experience the learning process they are advocating.
Fifth, the book is unusually good in bringing home the consequences of letting your business process run in a vicious cycle: Your family life may also.
The pacing of the book is especially good. You are given time to stew with issues and come up with your own ideas before sample answers are provided by Alex and his staff in the novel.
Unlike many books that take complicated ideas and oversimplify them so the ideas lose their meaning, this book simplifies ideas in ways that enhance their meaning by making the ideas easier to see and employ.
If you do not understand all of the ins and outs of typical factory accounting, you may get a little lost from time to time. But that's not a problem. That accounting just distorts common perceptions of what needs to be done. You can safely skip anything you don't understand if you don't have to deal with such issues.
While I did not observe any overt errors in the book, companies that do not put an asset charge on operational assets could make the mistake from this book of seeking too little profit. You need to earn on-going returns that exceed your cost of capital, too.
You will get the most from this book if you read The Fifth Discipline following it (if you have not read that book already). The discussion of the beer game simulation in The Fifth Discipline will add to your understanding of system dynamics.
Following that book, I suggest that you then read The Balanced Scorecard and The Strategy-Focused Organization for ideas about how to use goals, measurements, and rewards to concentrate attention onto the highest leverage areas for your system.
After you have finished employing what you have learned and helping others around you to learn more also, I suggest that you think about how to optimize the full upside potential more rapidly through the use of irresistible forces and 2,000 percent solutions to speed your progress. That should leave you with even more success and more time to enjoy it.
Unblock the constraints on your progress!
Customer Rating:
Summary: More than meets the eye
Comment: I first read this book 10 years ago & have now re-read it.
The story is pleasant enough but also there is a huge amount of thought that has gone into this book. The pschology of targets is relevant to any business, the team nature of the problem solving & the observations of the impact on the personal lives of senior managers are also usefully explored.
If you like the one minute manager you will like this.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A great easy to understand into to the TOC
Comment: Goldratt uses very simple examples to illustrate the various lessons and thus the knowledge is imparted in an easy, understandable manor. The lesson gained are applicaple to any process based environment and not just manufacturing.
However, at times its not a real page turner and as a "novel" it won't win a Pulitzer.
I'd recommend if you're interested in TOC, but not as a bed-time story for the kids.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A BREAK FROM TRADITIONAL WRITING
Comment: Personally I like his style. Having bought dozens of management books over the years which are very dry and boring, this is a fresh approach to those who do not know his work.
Past students of his must be well sought after people as they must be convinced that the approach to busines probelms has as much to do with business success as anything else. Past autocratic managers succeeded only because their employees were ignorant of better methods. Goldratt approaches with real life stories, which if you are bright enough will ring a bell ('I knew I could do it differently').
It sows a seed of enthusiasm to learn more.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting Rather Than Educational
Comment: I got this book through a number of recommendations. I was looking to help develop some (more) management skills and I was told this provides such direction but in a less formal way.
As a novel it's an interesting read and I enjoyed it. On reflection though I can't say I've taken much away to apply to my day to day work. I might need to read it another couple of times though to appreciate the underlying principals he's trying to get to.
In its' own right it's worth reading if that subject area interests you. As aid to management theory however, I am yet to be convinced.
|
|
|
- Ask about this education product "The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement" in the forum
- Give review on this education product "The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement" in the forum
- Search related information in the forum
|
|
|
|
|
| OOEN Referral Program Spotlight |
 | | Brookdale Community College
Now you can earn the IT certification you need in as little as 3 to 12 months. Brookdale Community College allows you to earn your certification the way you want, online or on campus. Be confident with a 90% certification success rate and paid-for re-testing. We also offer a satisfaction, money-back guarantee. If you’re serious about earning your IT certification, look no further than Brookdale Community College. | |  | |
 | | Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University
The Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University is one of the nation’s leading centers to study digital arts. Students choose the center for its hands on approach, state-of-the-art facilities, and individualized teaching methods. Career-track programs are offered in 3D Animation, Photography, Filmmaking, and Graphics & Web Design. Extensive career services are available as well as financial aid for students who qualify. | | | |
 | | Central Pennsylvania College
Earn a degree at Central Pennsylvania College and achieve your career goals. Choose from bachelor and associate degree programs in criminal justice, business administration (including healthcare administration and management), corporate communications and information technology (including cyber security). Programs allow you to focus on your specific area of interest and combine hands-on learning with high quality academics for career preparation. Professors have real-world professional experience in the subjects they teach. Our high job placement percentage speaks to the marketability of our students upon graduation. Benefit from personalized learning to build the skills you need for employment and success. Financial aid is available for those who qualify. | | | |
|
What is OOEN Referral Program Spotlight?
OOEN provides comprehensive listing of online courses, degree programs, colleges and universities.
Also OOEN provides links to their information request pages; if you want to find out more about any course,
degree program, college or university, you can just fill out the form linked from OOEN and request information.
It is completely free for anyone to request information, and you can request information from as many colleges
and universities as you'd like. We list featured schools and their brief information
in this "OOEN Referral Program Spotlight" section of OOEN Store for Education,
in case that you are interested in taking a class or two or even pursuing degree program
through these featured schools.
|
|
|
