Theory of Constraints (ToC) in a nutshell
Chris HOHMANN – Author
Theory of Constraints is often explained using the chain and weakest link metaphor: an organization, system, company, workshop or process can be seen as a chain made of various links, like departments in a company.
The success or performance of the whole is limited by its weakest link, like a chain’s resistance or strength is limited by the weakest link.
To improve success or performance of the whole, it is necessary and sufficient to focus the effort onto the weakest link.
Theory of Constraints provides the framework, tools and Thinking Processes to get more out of a constraint system.
Theory of Constraints and Material and Information flow
- The very minimum to know about Theory of Constraints
- What is a bottleneck?
- Bottleneck explained with water pipes
- What is a constraint? – – Constraint vs. bottleneck
- How to identify the constraint of a system? A series of post about hints and pitfalls finding the system’s constraint
- Your next bottleneck is elsewhere and in the future
- What is Throughput Accounting?
Thinking Processes: how ToC handles intangible constraints
A constraint is not always a bottleneck resource, it can be a rule, a policy, beliefs, etc.
- The Logical Thinking Process (LTP) is a 1 to 6 step process to solve complex problem on system level
- Introduction to Thinking Processes (TP)
- Introduction to LTP : What is a Goal Tree?
- Introduction to TP : Current Reality Tree (CRT)
- Conflict Resolution Diagram (CRD) / Evaporating Cloud (EC)
- Undesirable Effects (UDEs)
- Prerequisite Tree (PRT)
>More Thinking Processes
Dedicated Goal Tree page
- Goal Tree chronicles: a collection of posts relating my field experience with Goal Trees
Critical Chain Project Management
- Introduction to Critical Chain Project Management
- Critical Chain and Lean Engineering, a promising pair
- CCPM helps shorten aircraft MRO
Throughput Accounting
- Introduction to Throughput Accounting
- What is Throughput Accounting?
- TOC-based decision for best product mix
- My takeaways from throughput accounting, the book
Misc.
- What keeps TOC confidential? (and me angry)
- Theory of Constraints is something great, except for its name
- Bill Dettmer and Philip Marris discuss various aspects of the Theory of Constraints (video)
- One hour of Theory of Constraints experience, first hand, Philip Marris interviewed (video)
About the Author, Chris HOHMANN
Chris HOHMANN 