The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox

The Goal is a business book told as a story. The protagonist is in charge of a factory that is in trouble. There is risk of the company shutting them down. He is struggling to find a way to turn things around. A non-business professor, Jonah, appears and helps pinpoint him in the direction he needs to go to find answers. Meanwhile, his wife is stressing out at home due to his time spent at work and lack of attention to his home life. At work, he looks at the big picture and realizes that the small metrics won't help. He needs to improve things all around. The improvements eventually lead to a focus on constraints. Inventory should be kept as lean as possible. Effort should be focussed on improving areas that are constraining the system. He even gains some ideas by seeing how boys hike together on a boy scout hike. The teachings are primarily applicable to manufacturing organizations. However, applications can be found in other areas, including family life.