Editorial Review:
“There is no doubt that this is a truly original and groundbreaking work in applying the Theory of Constraints. I run a services company and learned some things about the services business. Anyone involved in large services companies needs to look at what John is proposing. I will definitely quote this material frequently.” Chad Smith, Managing Partner, Constraints Management Group “The information presented in this book is badly needed by service providers who struggle to balance supply and demand with their resources.” Carol A. Ptak, CFPIM, CIRM “The techniques that John brings to light in this book are the bridge from the vision of Dr. Goldratt’s work to the successful implementation in a range of services firms.” From the Foreword by Erik Bush, Vice President, IBM Global Services - Discover the powerful Theory of Constraints (TOC), and use it to drive continuous performance improvement in any services organization
- Identify the hidden constraints that are limiting your organization, and manage or eliminate them
- Use TOC to improve the way you manage resources, projects, processes, finance, marketing, and sales
- Determine whether your organization faces an internal or external constraint, manage that constraint accordingly, and anticipate where the next constraint will arise
- Release latent capacity shrouded by common business practices
- Simplify processes that have grown unmanageably complex
- Optimize your enterprise as a whole rather than suboptimizing individual business units
- Get buy-in to fundamental changes in strategy, tactics, and operations
Managing services is extremely challenging, and traditional “industrial” management techniques are no longer adequate. In Reaching the Goal, Dr. John Arthur Ricketts presents a breakthrough management approach that embraces what makes services different: their diversity, complexity, and unique distribution methods. Ricketts draws on Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints (TOC), one of this generation’s most successful management methodologies...thoroughly adapting it to the needs of today’s professional, scientific, and technical services businesses. He reveals how to identify the surprising constraints that limit your organization’s performance, execute more effectively within those constraints, and then loosen or even eliminate them. This book’s relentlessly practical techniques reflect several years of advanced IBM research and consulting with enterprise clients. Step-by-step, Ricketts shows how to apply them throughout your most crucial business functions...from project management to finance, process improvement to sales and marketing. Whatever your role in improving service delivery, processes, or profitability, this book gives you the tools to reach your goals...and go beyond them - Identify, manage, and overcome your key constraints
Five steps to uncovering and addressing the real obstacles to improved performance - Optimize core business functions, one step at a time
Improve the way you manage resources, projects, processes, finance, and marketing - Implement TOC rapidly and effectively
Get buy-in, deploy infrastructure, and provide the right IT support?
Cached date: AWS Called=true
You may also be interested in these products:
These categories may also be of interest to you:
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 
Resource Management in Complex Systems 2008-12-02
If you are a TOC Expert, you must have Reaching The Goal. This is the best translation of TOC concepts to the challenging world managing large numbers of people out there. Ricketts work is formidable. An excellent author, clear and careful explanation, exceptional results. If you are managing a hospital, insurance company, a design factory or church or a city, this is the book for you. You will find how to rarely be short on resources with almost not waste-This is Magic! You will see how leading measures can prepare you in advance for dramatic changes in market demand. Learn how rapid, reliable response can take you where you want to go. Results oriented projects and process based organizations will benefit greatly. Thanks IBM for sharing!
TOC meets the service sector, HOORAH! 2008-09-02
Mr. Ricketts has delivered a practical users guide for TOC in the service sector. It is a no-nonsense read that provides a structured intro to TOC and makes the leap to service sector eloquently.
Don't be put off by intro, for those of us who have studied Dr. Goldratts work, it is an enlightening reminder of those core concepts and all of them are related to service rather than the manufacture of goods.
Each chapter pulls the reader through the concepts in theory and is backed with practical application. Sevice business managers and owners can unlock the power of TOC in a way never presented previously.
The chapters are completed with an overview of key-learnings for the reader to reflect upon. The comparison and ramafactions of services when available and services on demand is significant.
Delivery of services on demand is a sure fire way to grow your business and market. Utilizing the "bench" as professional sports teams do is key.
If you are learing TOC in a service business this is a must read!
Foundations for a Science of Service 2008-08-23
Rickett's "Reaching the Goal" provides foundational insights for practitioners and researchers seeking a science of service (sometimes called the emergence of Service Science Management Engineering and Design). The author takes on the challenge of complex service businesses, including B2B (Business to Business) and PSTS (Professional Scientific and Technical Services). PSTS are the most highly customized of all services, which means that demand for these services is not easily predicted, and service delivery is not easily automated. The discussion of internal, external, and interface constraints is clear and concise. Theory of Constraints (TOC) gets its name from the fact that all enterprises are constrained by something. If they weren't, they could grow as large and as fast as they wanted. A common theme is therefore that local improvement rarely leads to global improvement, unless focused on the proper constraints at the proper time. The book guides the reader through a series of contrasting approaches: Critical Chain versus Critical Path, Throughput Accounting versus Cost Accounting, as well as others. I highly recommend this book to all faculty who are establishing service science courses or degree programs, as well as service researchers and practitioners in industry and government.
Reaching the Goal 2008-05-19
This is simply an outstanding book! Dr Ricketts brings unusual clarity of thought and writing style to this discussion of TOC concepts and the services business. I have read many TOC books. This is easily one of the top books in field.
Beginning with an excellent review of TOC concepts, Dr. Ricketts transports you to the services business. There, he surfaces the issues and challenges found in services environments and how TOC provides solutions. He displays a deep understanding of the many dimensions of services. One could buy this book for its educational value on services alone and not be disappointed. His presentation reflects both deep knowledge of services and clear understanding of how TOC can make it better.
Dr. Ricketts also provides excellent discussions of strategy development, change, and the elements of resistance to change. Then, there are other highlights too numerous to mention here. Rich in examples and illustrations, it was truly a pleasure to read this exceptional work!
A fine pick for both college-level business libraries and libraries catering to managers. 2008-01-05
REACHING THE GOAL: HOW MANAGERS IMPROVE A SERVICES BUSINESS USING GOLDRATT'S THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS explains not only the basics of TOC, but how it improves business performance, using experiences from IBM research to document using TOC in services businesses. From its basic principles to applications in different areas of business, TOC is thoroughly covered including guidelines on how to implement in an existing organizational structure, making this a fine pick for both college-level business libraries and libraries catering to managers.
|
|
