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The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
Written in a fast-paced thriller style, The Goal is the gripping novel which is transforming management thinking throughout the Western world.
Alex Rogo is a harried plant manager working ever more desperately to try and improve performance. His factory is rapidly heading for disaster. So is his marriage. He has ninety days to save his plant—or it will be closed by corporate HQ, with hundreds of job losses. It takes a chance meeting with a colleague from student days—Jonah—to help him break out of conventional ways of thinking to see what needs to be done.
The story of Alex's fight to save his plant is more than compulsive reading. It contains a serious message for all managers in industry and explains the ideas which underline the Theory of Constraints (TOC) developed by Eli Goldratt.
Alex Rogo is a harried plant manager working ever more desperately to try and improve performance. His factory is rapidly heading for disaster. So is his marriage. He has ninety days to save his plant—or it will be closed by corporate HQ, with hundreds of job losses. It takes a chance meeting with a colleague from student days—Jonah—to help him break out of conventional ways of thinking to see what needs to be done.
The story of Alex's fight to save his plant is more than compulsive reading. It contains a serious message for all managers in industry and explains the ideas which underline the Theory of Constraints (TOC) developed by Eli Goldratt.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
About the author
Eliyahu M. Goldratt
40 books630 followersEliyahu M. Goldratt was an educator, author, physicist, philosopher and business leader, but first and foremost, he was a thinker who provoked others to think. Often characterized as unconventional, stimulating, and “a slayer of sacred cows,” he urged his audience to examine and reassess their business practices with a fresh, new vision.
Dr. Goldratt is best known as the father of the Theory of Constraints (TOC), a process of ongoing improvement that identifies and leverages a system’s constraints in order to achieve the system’s goals. He introduced TOC’s underlying concepts in his business novel, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, which has been recognized as one of the best-selling business books of all time. First published in 1984, The Goal has been updated three times and sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. It has been translated into 35 languages.
Heralded as a “guru to industry” by Fortune magazine and “a genius” by Business Week, Dr. Goldratt continued to advance the TOC body of knowledge throughout his life, building on the Five Focusing Steps (the process of ongoing improvement, known as POOGI) with TOC-derived tools such as Drum-Buffer-Rope, Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) and the Thinking Processes. He authored ten other TOC-related books, including four business novels: It’s Not Luck (the sequel to The Goal), Critical Chain, Necessary but Not Sufficient and Isn’t It Obvious? His last book, The Choice, was co-authored by his daughter Efrat Ashlang-Goldratt.
Born in Israel on March 31, 1947, Dr. Goldratt earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Tel Aviv University and a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy from Bar-Ilan University. He is the founder of TOC for Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing TOC Thinking and TOC tools to teachers and their students, and Goldratt Consulting. In addition to his pioneering work in business management and education, Dr. Goldratt holds patents in a number of areas ranging from medical devices to drip irrigation to temperature sensors. He died on June 11, 2011, at the age of 64.
Dr. Goldratt is best known as the father of the Theory of Constraints (TOC), a process of ongoing improvement that identifies and leverages a system’s constraints in order to achieve the system’s goals. He introduced TOC’s underlying concepts in his business novel, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, which has been recognized as one of the best-selling business books of all time. First published in 1984, The Goal has been updated three times and sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. It has been translated into 35 languages.
Heralded as a “guru to industry” by Fortune magazine and “a genius” by Business Week, Dr. Goldratt continued to advance the TOC body of knowledge throughout his life, building on the Five Focusing Steps (the process of ongoing improvement, known as POOGI) with TOC-derived tools such as Drum-Buffer-Rope, Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) and the Thinking Processes. He authored ten other TOC-related books, including four business novels: It’s Not Luck (the sequel to The Goal), Critical Chain, Necessary but Not Sufficient and Isn’t It Obvious? His last book, The Choice, was co-authored by his daughter Efrat Ashlang-Goldratt.
Born in Israel on March 31, 1947, Dr. Goldratt earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Tel Aviv University and a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy from Bar-Ilan University. He is the founder of TOC for Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing TOC Thinking and TOC tools to teachers and their students, and Goldratt Consulting. In addition to his pioneering work in business management and education, Dr. Goldratt holds patents in a number of areas ranging from medical devices to drip irrigation to temperature sensors. He died on June 11, 2011, at the age of 64.
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May 23, 2014
Great explanation of the theory of constraints and operations management. It's a business classic- first published in 1984 - but still relevant as it gets at the fundamentals. I almost removed a star for trying to create a fictional story to tell the book in that was badly told/edited. Did we really need the side story about the protagonists marital issues?
One of the biggest takeaways from this book is that it's incredibly important to set the right goals to manage a complex operation. This sounds obvious and intuitive, however it's actually much harder than most people think, and easy to get wrong. It gets down to the question of: is everyone working on the "right things". The things that will lead to the business making the most money. It's too easy to find a things that are easily measurable and saying "this thing is correlated with our success, so let's focus on it". It sounds like "cost accounting" fit into that bucket.
“What you’re saying is that making an employee work and profiting from that work are two different things.”
So how do you set the right goals? Focus on making money!
“So this is the goal: To make money by increasing net profit, while simultaneously increasing return on investment, and simultaneously increasing cash flow.”
One of the drivers of making money in any business that creates a product is throughput, or how fast a product can be made. The others are costs/operating expenses, and inventory. One of the key concepts of the book is that focusing on throughput rather than costs will yield much better results.
“The entire bottleneck concept is not geared to decrease operating expense, it’s focused on increasing throughput.”
The bottleneck theory, or the theory of constraints, was very useful to think about. My company produces software and not physical products, but each feature we develop definitely has steps it has to go through: creating the concept, research, spec, design, implementation (backend and client), testing, QA, measure results, analyze them, iterate, etc. Focusing on where the bottlenecks are with that process can help us move faster. And every startup needs to be moving fast - and not just at building - we need to be doing build, measure, learn as fast as we can.
A consequence of the bottleneck theory that is useful to keep in mind is that in any system only the bottlenecks should be 100% utilized. Every manager will have a natural tendency to want to utilize all their resources to 100% because that just seems... wasteful if you don't. People should be working full time right? But a system can only run at the speed of the slowest bottleneck, so non-bottlenecks will by definition have spare cycles, and it's important to keep them open for the important work and not fill it up with unimportant stuff that will bog them down when you actually need them on the important stuff.
I've seen this happen many times in software. An engineer finishes a project, and the big important project coming from the design team isn't done yet, so he picks up something small in the meantime. The next day that big important project is ready to go, but the engineer only needs "one more day" to finish this thing he started. And then that day becomes two and then three (because we didn't count QA). And then we've lost 3 days on our most important project for another project that doesn't matter at all. Add that up across a large number of developers, and you've lost a lot of time.
The theory of constraints is not limited to manufacturing, as the author shows. In the end, he is advocating it as a method or process of learning.
STEP 1. Identify the system’s bottlenecks.
STEP 2. Decide how to exploit the bottlenecks.
STEP 3. Subordinate everything else to the above decision.
STEP 4. Elevate the system’s bottlenecks.
STEP 5. If, in a previous step, a bottleneck has been broken go back to step 1.
One of the biggest takeaways from this book is that it's incredibly important to set the right goals to manage a complex operation. This sounds obvious and intuitive, however it's actually much harder than most people think, and easy to get wrong. It gets down to the question of: is everyone working on the "right things". The things that will lead to the business making the most money. It's too easy to find a things that are easily measurable and saying "this thing is correlated with our success, so let's focus on it". It sounds like "cost accounting" fit into that bucket.
“What you’re saying is that making an employee work and profiting from that work are two different things.”
So how do you set the right goals? Focus on making money!
“So this is the goal: To make money by increasing net profit, while simultaneously increasing return on investment, and simultaneously increasing cash flow.”
One of the drivers of making money in any business that creates a product is throughput, or how fast a product can be made. The others are costs/operating expenses, and inventory. One of the key concepts of the book is that focusing on throughput rather than costs will yield much better results.
“The entire bottleneck concept is not geared to decrease operating expense, it’s focused on increasing throughput.”
The bottleneck theory, or the theory of constraints, was very useful to think about. My company produces software and not physical products, but each feature we develop definitely has steps it has to go through: creating the concept, research, spec, design, implementation (backend and client), testing, QA, measure results, analyze them, iterate, etc. Focusing on where the bottlenecks are with that process can help us move faster. And every startup needs to be moving fast - and not just at building - we need to be doing build, measure, learn as fast as we can.
A consequence of the bottleneck theory that is useful to keep in mind is that in any system only the bottlenecks should be 100% utilized. Every manager will have a natural tendency to want to utilize all their resources to 100% because that just seems... wasteful if you don't. People should be working full time right? But a system can only run at the speed of the slowest bottleneck, so non-bottlenecks will by definition have spare cycles, and it's important to keep them open for the important work and not fill it up with unimportant stuff that will bog them down when you actually need them on the important stuff.
I've seen this happen many times in software. An engineer finishes a project, and the big important project coming from the design team isn't done yet, so he picks up something small in the meantime. The next day that big important project is ready to go, but the engineer only needs "one more day" to finish this thing he started. And then that day becomes two and then three (because we didn't count QA). And then we've lost 3 days on our most important project for another project that doesn't matter at all. Add that up across a large number of developers, and you've lost a lot of time.
The theory of constraints is not limited to manufacturing, as the author shows. In the end, he is advocating it as a method or process of learning.
STEP 1. Identify the system’s bottlenecks.
STEP 2. Decide how to exploit the bottlenecks.
STEP 3. Subordinate everything else to the above decision.
STEP 4. Elevate the system’s bottlenecks.
STEP 5. If, in a previous step, a bottleneck has been broken go back to step 1.
Read
March 27, 2020It is hard for me to find the right tone to review this book, perhaps I'll open by saying that of all the business books I've read this remains the most approachable, and possibly also the best value for money once the case studies in the interview with the author at the end of the book (in this edition) are taken into account.
Really it is built around a very simple insight - that the speed of a convoy is determined by the slowest ship, what the book does is demonstrate the effect of consistently applying this insight to the workings of a business.
This is the basis of Goldratt's theory of constraints. On the whole human life exists within the triple constraints of time, cost and quality . For example if a house is built quickly at low cost the quality will be low, if you want a high quality house built quickly you have to be prepared to pay for it, or compromise on the time it will take. Goldratt has the idea of focusing on a constraint and redesigning the business around it.
The Goal is a novel, a groanworthy and terrible and didactic novel, a combination which makes it a success because it doesn't take itself entirely seriously . I cannot recommend reading this book highly enough as an opener to thinking about the flow of work through organisations, how organisations succeed or become dysfunctional. It's intended as a gentle introduction to the Theory of Constraints, but also opens the door to systems thinking. Editions with the extra interviews with how different businesses have applied Theory of Constraints are particularly enlightening and worth getting hold of.
The one message of the book that I found especially interesting was that eventually the greatest constraint on the fictional business in the novel is not its potential productivity but the capacity of the market to absorb its products. What I find interesting is that this is a message about the limits of the market in a business book. Maybe the boosters are correct and the ability of capitalism to invent products is near unlimited, maybe potential economic expansion could be extremely great however all that is irrelevant. The determining factor will be the size of the market. Or the inventiveness of advertisers to persuade us to want more junk.
There is a sequel: It's Not Luck which I don't find as successful a novel, partly because it is less groan-inducing and more worthy in tone but also because it doesn't go through the steps of the characters problem solving efforts in the same level of detail.
I suppose one reason why I am enthusiastic about The Goal is the part it plays in my thinking about the Industrial Revolution. There was nothing new in principle about the technologies of steam power, what changed was the ability of the market to consume - producing more is a high road to insolvency unless you can find the customers to buy your product. There maybe is the key, the world of The Goal, like our own, operates in a particular historical and sociological context, rather than a fantasy in which economic growth "to infinity and beyond", in the immortal words of Buzz Lightyear, is the solid basis in which all assumptions are rooted.
An example of the realism of the thinking in The Goal is that at one point the protagonist is faced with the possibility of a price war - competing with other manufacturers on the basis of price alone - but this is something that he doesn't want to do. By contrast I notice from time to time the adverts for a UK furniture store which promise the purchaser that they will have nothing to pay for a year, four years free credit, or even both. A market strategy predicated on a loving relationship with their funders. Then again it strikes me from time to time just how fantastical real life is.
On the other hand there's a more basic reason why I like it. I was never any good at Maths in school and so it was from this book that I learnt that when looking at figures if the answer looks wrong, what you need to do is think about the assumptions rather than just check the calculation. It is impressive where adding up the wrong figures in the right way will get you, individually or as a society.
Really it is built around a very simple insight - that the speed of a convoy is determined by the slowest ship, what the book does is demonstrate the effect of consistently applying this insight to the workings of a business.
This is the basis of Goldratt's theory of constraints. On the whole human life exists within the triple constraints of time, cost and quality . For example if a house is built quickly at low cost the quality will be low, if you want a high quality house built quickly you have to be prepared to pay for it, or compromise on the time it will take. Goldratt has the idea of focusing on a constraint and redesigning the business around it.
The Goal is a novel, a groanworthy and terrible and didactic novel, a combination which makes it a success because it doesn't take itself entirely seriously . I cannot recommend reading this book highly enough as an opener to thinking about the flow of work through organisations, how organisations succeed or become dysfunctional. It's intended as a gentle introduction to the Theory of Constraints, but also opens the door to systems thinking. Editions with the extra interviews with how different businesses have applied Theory of Constraints are particularly enlightening and worth getting hold of.
The one message of the book that I found especially interesting was that eventually the greatest constraint on the fictional business in the novel is not its potential productivity but the capacity of the market to absorb its products. What I find interesting is that this is a message about the limits of the market in a business book. Maybe the boosters are correct and the ability of capitalism to invent products is near unlimited, maybe potential economic expansion could be extremely great however all that is irrelevant. The determining factor will be the size of the market. Or the inventiveness of advertisers to persuade us to want more junk.
There is a sequel: It's Not Luck which I don't find as successful a novel, partly because it is less groan-inducing and more worthy in tone but also because it doesn't go through the steps of the characters problem solving efforts in the same level of detail.
I suppose one reason why I am enthusiastic about The Goal is the part it plays in my thinking about the Industrial Revolution. There was nothing new in principle about the technologies of steam power, what changed was the ability of the market to consume - producing more is a high road to insolvency unless you can find the customers to buy your product. There maybe is the key, the world of The Goal, like our own, operates in a particular historical and sociological context, rather than a fantasy in which economic growth "to infinity and beyond", in the immortal words of Buzz Lightyear, is the solid basis in which all assumptions are rooted.
An example of the realism of the thinking in The Goal is that at one point the protagonist is faced with the possibility of a price war - competing with other manufacturers on the basis of price alone - but this is something that he doesn't want to do. By contrast I notice from time to time the adverts for a UK furniture store which promise the purchaser that they will have nothing to pay for a year, four years free credit, or even both. A market strategy predicated on a loving relationship with their funders. Then again it strikes me from time to time just how fantastical real life is.
On the other hand there's a more basic reason why I like it. I was never any good at Maths in school and so it was from this book that I learnt that when looking at figures if the answer looks wrong, what you need to do is think about the assumptions rather than just check the calculation. It is impressive where adding up the wrong figures in the right way will get you, individually or as a society.
March 3, 2013
I have never been so excited to finish a book in my entire life. This book is like subpar fan-fic for operations enthusiasts.
August 16, 2007
The best process improvement novel I've seen, this classic work explains the all-important Theory of Constraints through real life examples and a surprisingly good story. Most books of this nature are exceptionally unrealistic, but this one manages to keep the reader engaged, which is key for an instructional text like this.
The book's lessons have some practicality in normal, everyday life, but its greatest utility is for those involved in process improvement in industries such as manufacturing, distribution, services, and retail. All industrial and systems engineers need to read this book, as do all managers of processes.
The book's lessons have some practicality in normal, everyday life, but its greatest utility is for those involved in process improvement in industries such as manufacturing, distribution, services, and retail. All industrial and systems engineers need to read this book, as do all managers of processes.
October 18, 2012
NOTES
Productivity: to accomplish something in terms of a goal
“The future of our business depends upon our ability to increase productivity”. -Peach
What is the Goal?
Original thoughts
Increase producitivity
Produce products
Power
Market share / Sales
Cost-effective purchasing
Supplying jobs
Quality
Quality & Efficiency
Technology / R&D
Communications
Customer satisfaction
Make Money
Three measurements essential to knowing whether company is making money
Net Profit
ROI
Cash flow
Make money by increasing net profit, while simultaneously increasing ROI, and simultaneously increasing cash flow
But he realizes that at the plant level these measurements don’t mean much. Only at the top level.
More than one way to express the Goal - at the plant level
Throughput - the rate at which the system generates money through sales (not production. if you produce something, but don’t sell it, it’s not throughput)
Inventory - All the money that the system has invested in purchasing things which it intends to sell
Operational expense - all the money the system spends in order to rurn inventory into throuput
Questions to ask when adding a robot
Did we sell any more products as a result?
Did we reduce number of people on payroll?
Did inventory levels go down?
Goal: Increase throughput while simultaneously reducing both inventory and operating expense.
“Money”
Throughput is the money coming in
Inventory is the money currently inside the system
Operational expense is the money we have to pay out to make throughput happen
In manufacturing: An event, or a series of events, must take place before another can begin... the subsequent event depends upon the ones prior to it. The important thing occurs when dependent events are in combination with another phenomenon called statistical fluctuations
Boy Scout hike
The leader of the troop controls the pace of the line. If a gap forms and the line is lengthened all you can do is shorten it up to the distance of the person ahead of you - dependent events!
Dependency limits the opportunities for higher fluctuations
***Whoever is moving the slowest in the troop is the one who will govern throughput
Two types of resources
Bottleneck resource - Any resource whose capacity is equal to or less than the demand placed upon it
Non-bottleneck resource - Any resource whose capacity is greater than the demand placed on it
Bottlenecks
Do not balance capacity with demand, balance the flow of product through the plant with the demand from the market.
To increase the capacity of the plant is to increase the capacity of only the bottlenecks
Two principal themes on which you need to concentrate
Make sure the bottlenecks’ time is not wasted
…
Visual management in smooth work on manufacturing floor
Using the bottlenecks to predict when the next order will be shipped
There cannot be any idle time for bottleneck processes. Dedicate people full-time to those processes.
To shorten lead time, spend the idle time while a machine is working, to set up for the next batch
Theory of Constraints
The level of utilization of a non-bottleneck is not determined by its own potential, but by some other constraint in the system
Activating a resource and utilizing a resource are not synonymous
Cutting the batch size in half - result in half wip
The time a material spends in each stage from entry to being shipped out
Setup - the time the part spends waiting for a resource, while the resource is preparing itself to work on the part
Process time - the amount of time the part spends being modified into a new, more valuable form
Queue time - the time the part spends in line for a resource while the resource is busy working on something else ahead of it
Wait time - the time the part waits, not for a resource, but for another part so they can be assembled together
Common practice can mask common sense
Capacity Constraint Resources - CCR -
Management Techniques
Process of on-going improvement
Step 1: ID the system’s bottlenecks. (After all it wasn’t too difficult to identify the oven and the NCX10 as the bottlenecks of the plant.)
Step 2: Decide how to exploit the bottlenecks. (That was fun. Realizing that those machines should not take a lunch break, etc.)
Step 3: Subordinate everything else to the above decision. (Making sure that everything marches to the tune of the constraints. The red and green tags.)
Step 4: Elevate the system’s bottlenecks. (Bringing back the old Zmegma, swithcing back to old, less “effective” routings...)
Step 5: If, in a previous step, a bottleneck has been broken go back to step 1.
CCR
IDENTIFY the system’s constraint(s)
Decide how to EXPLOIT the system’s constraint(s)
SUBORDINATE everything else to the above decision
ELEVATE the system’s constraint(s)
WARNING!!!! If in the previous steps a constraint has been broken, go back to step 1, but do not allow INERTIA to cause a system’s constraint
Root Cause
What to Change?
What to Change to?
How to Cause the Change
Productivity: to accomplish something in terms of a goal
“The future of our business depends upon our ability to increase productivity”. -Peach
What is the Goal?
Original thoughts
Increase producitivity
Produce products
Power
Market share / Sales
Cost-effective purchasing
Supplying jobs
Quality
Quality & Efficiency
Technology / R&D
Communications
Customer satisfaction
Make Money
Three measurements essential to knowing whether company is making money
Net Profit
ROI
Cash flow
Make money by increasing net profit, while simultaneously increasing ROI, and simultaneously increasing cash flow
But he realizes that at the plant level these measurements don’t mean much. Only at the top level.
More than one way to express the Goal - at the plant level
Throughput - the rate at which the system generates money through sales (not production. if you produce something, but don’t sell it, it’s not throughput)
Inventory - All the money that the system has invested in purchasing things which it intends to sell
Operational expense - all the money the system spends in order to rurn inventory into throuput
Questions to ask when adding a robot
Did we sell any more products as a result?
Did we reduce number of people on payroll?
Did inventory levels go down?
Goal: Increase throughput while simultaneously reducing both inventory and operating expense.
“Money”
Throughput is the money coming in
Inventory is the money currently inside the system
Operational expense is the money we have to pay out to make throughput happen
In manufacturing: An event, or a series of events, must take place before another can begin... the subsequent event depends upon the ones prior to it. The important thing occurs when dependent events are in combination with another phenomenon called statistical fluctuations
Boy Scout hike
The leader of the troop controls the pace of the line. If a gap forms and the line is lengthened all you can do is shorten it up to the distance of the person ahead of you - dependent events!
Dependency limits the opportunities for higher fluctuations
***Whoever is moving the slowest in the troop is the one who will govern throughput
Two types of resources
Bottleneck resource - Any resource whose capacity is equal to or less than the demand placed upon it
Non-bottleneck resource - Any resource whose capacity is greater than the demand placed on it
Bottlenecks
Do not balance capacity with demand, balance the flow of product through the plant with the demand from the market.
To increase the capacity of the plant is to increase the capacity of only the bottlenecks
Two principal themes on which you need to concentrate
Make sure the bottlenecks’ time is not wasted
…
Visual management in smooth work on manufacturing floor
Using the bottlenecks to predict when the next order will be shipped
There cannot be any idle time for bottleneck processes. Dedicate people full-time to those processes.
To shorten lead time, spend the idle time while a machine is working, to set up for the next batch
Theory of Constraints
The level of utilization of a non-bottleneck is not determined by its own potential, but by some other constraint in the system
Activating a resource and utilizing a resource are not synonymous
Cutting the batch size in half - result in half wip
The time a material spends in each stage from entry to being shipped out
Setup - the time the part spends waiting for a resource, while the resource is preparing itself to work on the part
Process time - the amount of time the part spends being modified into a new, more valuable form
Queue time - the time the part spends in line for a resource while the resource is busy working on something else ahead of it
Wait time - the time the part waits, not for a resource, but for another part so they can be assembled together
Common practice can mask common sense
Capacity Constraint Resources - CCR -
Management Techniques
Process of on-going improvement
Step 1: ID the system’s bottlenecks. (After all it wasn’t too difficult to identify the oven and the NCX10 as the bottlenecks of the plant.)
Step 2: Decide how to exploit the bottlenecks. (That was fun. Realizing that those machines should not take a lunch break, etc.)
Step 3: Subordinate everything else to the above decision. (Making sure that everything marches to the tune of the constraints. The red and green tags.)
Step 4: Elevate the system’s bottlenecks. (Bringing back the old Zmegma, swithcing back to old, less “effective” routings...)
Step 5: If, in a previous step, a bottleneck has been broken go back to step 1.
CCR
IDENTIFY the system’s constraint(s)
Decide how to EXPLOIT the system’s constraint(s)
SUBORDINATE everything else to the above decision
ELEVATE the system’s constraint(s)
WARNING!!!! If in the previous steps a constraint has been broken, go back to step 1, but do not allow INERTIA to cause a system’s constraint
Root Cause
What to Change?
What to Change to?
How to Cause the Change
June 12, 2018
This is to Systems Thinking what The Five Dysfunctions is to management: A peachy piece of fiction, packed with applicable lessons in the most enjoyable format you can imagine. While other systems thinking books are somewhat dry, this one is filled with life, even romance, and well-grounded in reality. While five stars normally for me would mean 'life-changing,' in this case I can't resist because of a rare and wonderful balance between enjoyment, levity, and insight. This type of book, to me, is way better than crime fiction or fantasy. I wish business fiction was a genre with endless options.
In The Goal, a dysfunctional manufacturing plant is transformed after the protagonist has a chance encounter with his physics professor in an airport lounge. Through an unlikely rekindling of the relationship, the professor shows him simple systems thinking principles that are gradually incorporated at the plant. These principles completely transform the site. Through continued improvement, it turns traditional accounting and productivity practices upside down and soon outperforms all other plants in its industry.
If you're bought into the whole idea of learning to think in mental models, as Dalio describes in Principles or Munger in his Almanack, you'll love this book to see how it's applied in action. If not, perhaps this story will show you the usefulness of it in an entertaining, light-hearted fashion. The book will give you some hope that a hopeless situation can be turned around with a little ingenuity.
In The Goal, a dysfunctional manufacturing plant is transformed after the protagonist has a chance encounter with his physics professor in an airport lounge. Through an unlikely rekindling of the relationship, the professor shows him simple systems thinking principles that are gradually incorporated at the plant. These principles completely transform the site. Through continued improvement, it turns traditional accounting and productivity practices upside down and soon outperforms all other plants in its industry.
If you're bought into the whole idea of learning to think in mental models, as Dalio describes in Principles or Munger in his Almanack, you'll love this book to see how it's applied in action. If not, perhaps this story will show you the usefulness of it in an entertaining, light-hearted fashion. The book will give you some hope that a hopeless situation can be turned around with a little ingenuity.
December 3, 2008
Goldratt introduces the Theory of Constraints via this entertaining novel. I think this book is excellent if you are new to Operations. And I think the approach of telling a story rather reading a traditional text book is a good format.
It demonstrates why many traditional measurements and common intuition is wrong. The book revisits what the goal of a business should be and what is important to measure and control to achieve that goal. Through examples in the main character's personal life and work life, Goldratt explains the weaknesses of traditional cost accounting systems and what's important to track. In short, to optimize money earned, increase throughput, decrease operating expense and decrease inventory. And an important corollary is that any change requires impact to all 3 (throughput, operating expense and inventory). It is a fallacy that a change can impact only one of these metrics.
A good follow on book to this novel is Synchronous Manufacturing: Principles for World Class Excellence by Umble and Srikanth.
It demonstrates why many traditional measurements and common intuition is wrong. The book revisits what the goal of a business should be and what is important to measure and control to achieve that goal. Through examples in the main character's personal life and work life, Goldratt explains the weaknesses of traditional cost accounting systems and what's important to track. In short, to optimize money earned, increase throughput, decrease operating expense and decrease inventory. And an important corollary is that any change requires impact to all 3 (throughput, operating expense and inventory). It is a fallacy that a change can impact only one of these metrics.
A good follow on book to this novel is Synchronous Manufacturing: Principles for World Class Excellence by Umble and Srikanth.
December 12, 2021
Could have been an email.
July 5, 2017
2nd read-through: I still love this book. Primarily because of its collaborative solution finding process and its vocalness against local optima. Also from a didactic perspective I think this is something we (as people leading teams) should strive for: Enabling peers to make better decisions by themselves via good process.
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The references in "The Phoenix Project" pushed me towards reading this one as well. I really enjoyed listening to the audible version of this book and I would also argue that there's a lot to take from this book, even if you've already read "The Phoenix Project".
In a world where so many people are talking about scaling Agile, this is one of the books that gave me a lot more insights in the underlying principles of lean. The last chapters are especially great ammunition for folks that have to deal with By-The-Book advocates of certain methodologies. Separating the application of a principle (together with the assumptions) from the principle itself is a great way towards more insight and a more meaningful implementation of whatever methodology in the context of your environment/company.
Next stop is "Beyond the Goal"
P.S.: Started to listen to "Beyond the Goal" and realized that Jonah (from the audible version) sounds exactly like Goldratt himself. Coincidence? I think not :-)
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The references in "The Phoenix Project" pushed me towards reading this one as well. I really enjoyed listening to the audible version of this book and I would also argue that there's a lot to take from this book, even if you've already read "The Phoenix Project".
In a world where so many people are talking about scaling Agile, this is one of the books that gave me a lot more insights in the underlying principles of lean. The last chapters are especially great ammunition for folks that have to deal with By-The-Book advocates of certain methodologies. Separating the application of a principle (together with the assumptions) from the principle itself is a great way towards more insight and a more meaningful implementation of whatever methodology in the context of your environment/company.
Next stop is "Beyond the Goal"
P.S.: Started to listen to "Beyond the Goal" and realized that Jonah (from the audible version) sounds exactly like Goldratt himself. Coincidence? I think not :-)
July 1, 2010
د. إلياهو قولدرات ، فيزيائي تحول إلى عالم إدارة الأعمال ، حصل على بكالوريوس العلوم من جامعة تل أبيب ، وعلى ماجستيرالعلوم و الدكتوراة في الفلسفة من جامعة بارإيلان ، و الجامعتان في إسرائيل. ويتضح من اعتماره الطاقية اليهودية دائما أنه متعصب ، و هو صاحب نظرية القيود التي سيأتي شرحها.
طبعا لا تنخرشون ، صورته في الكتاب قبل خمسة و عشرين عاما! :^).
قصة الكتاب:
بطل القصة هو Alex Rogo ، وهو مدير مصنع للإنتاج ضمن شركة ضخمة تسمى UniCo ، و يدفعك قولدرات في روايته هذه إلى التعاطف الشديد مع بطلها إل روقو ، و الذي يعاني من مشكلتين متزامنتين ، مصنعه المهدد بالإغلاق خلال ثلاثة أشهر ، و حياته العاطفية مع زوجته التي تزيد مشكلتها سوءا معها بسبب غيابه الطويل وانهماكه في حل مشكلة المصنع ، الأمر الذي جعله مقصراً معها ، و مع طفله و طفلته.
وأثناء إحدى سفريات روقو الكثيرة ، يلتقي بأستاذ يهودي درسه مادة الفيزياء سابقا في المطار، حيث يصر أستاذه بعد محادثة قصيرة مع روقو أن مصنعه غير فاعل و أن روقو نفسه مدير المصنع ضائع لا يعرف هدف مصنعه الأساسي ، وقد استنتج الاستاذ هذا من خلال حديثه مع روقو الذي بدا مزهوا بالروبوتات التي تملكها شركته للأنتاج ، و التي ملأت المخازن بالمنتجات!
و الاستاذ اليهودي ليس إلا قولدرات نفسه ، وهو يلعب دور المرشد الذي يظهر و يختفي ، و يستمر روقو في متابعته و سؤاله ، و يحرص قولدرات هنا أو أستاذ روقو على تسريب مفاهيم نظريته الشهيرة نظرية القيود ضمن أحداث القصة ، ليدفعك للاقتناع بها تماما.
وهذا هو الرائع في هذه الرواية ، حيث تدفعك بشدة إلى التفكير في مقولات الاستاذ اليهودي المقتضبة ، بدافع حب شخصية روقو الغارق في مشاكله ، و ذي الشخصية الطموحة ، عبر كثير من النقاشات بين الموظفين المختصين بالمخرزون و الإنتاج و المحاسبة في شركة روقو ، و عبر التجارب الشخصية التي يمر بها روقو كقيادته لفريق من الطلاب الكشافة اثناء إحدى الرحلات الاستكشافية في يوم إجازة بعد غياب قائد الكشافين لمرضه ، الكتاب مليء بكثير من التعبيرات الفلسفية العميقة التي حشى بها قولدرات كتابه على لسان الأستاذ اليهودي أو من انفعالات روقو أثناء نوبات التفكير.
ومفهوم نظرية القيود ، أن أي منظمة ، المصنع مثلا في حالة روقو ، ليست إلا شبكة معقدة من الناس و العتاد و الإجراءات و القوانين ، و أن كل كينونه من هذه العناصر “سيء طبيعيا” بما فيه الكفاية ليملك على الأقل قيداً واحد يعوقه عن تحقيق هدف وجود بالطريقة المثلى ، وأن على المدير أو المسؤول في المنظمة أن يبحث عن هذه القيود ، و أن يحاول إزالتها ، بتحسين وضع القيد أو رفعه نهائيا ، فمثلا الآلة التي تنتج مائة قطعة في الساعة بشرط أن يتم تلقيمها بمائتي قالب من المواد الخام ، تملك قيدين ، قيد قيمته معدل ثابت ، و هو قدرة الآلة التصنيعية التي لا تتجاوز مائة قطعة في الساعة الواحدة ، و قيد آخر لا يمكن قياسه بالتحديد و هو قدرة الفرد العامل على الآلة على توفير مائتي قالب خام في كل ساعة لتلقيم الآلة ، فقد يستطيع أن يوفر المائتين وقد لا يستطيع بسبب مرضه أو عجزه أو اعتماده على ممول القوالب الخام الذي لديه قيوده بالتأكيد.
نعود للقصة ، و الجانب العاطفي الموجود فيها ، والمتمثل في وشك انهيار حياة روقو الشخصية ، بسبب غيابه الكثير و إخلافه لمواعيده مع زوجته ، و التي تشتكي من عدم اهتمامه بها و أطفالها ، و جعل المصنع الأولوية الأولى في حياته ، و يعرج الكتاب على وصف حياة الرجل الغربي ، الذي كثيرا ما يعيش كالآلة ، غائبا عن لطائف الطبيعة فلايرى الشمس إلا مشرقة و غائبة ، وربما خرج للعمل قبل الإشراق و بعد الغروب ، و عن كيف يعيش ممزق الأوصال ناكرا لفضل والديه كما يظهر من تعامل روقو مع أمه المسكينة التي لا تطيقها زوجته ، و كيف يغيب في الشراب للتغلب على كثير من مشاكله ، كما يظهر من انفعالات بيتش المسؤول عن روقو ، و عن روقو نفسه الذي يسرف في شرب البيرة لمجرد التفكير في كلام أستاذه اليهودي.
قرأت هذا الكتاب للمرة الأولى حين كان ضمن مقررات دراستي ، و نظرا لضيق الوقت ، فقد قرأت المطلوب فحسب حسب ماحدده أستاذ المادة ، وقد وجدت مؤخرا متسعا من الوقت لإتمامه.
طبعا لا تنخرشون ، صورته في الكتاب قبل خمسة و عشرين عاما! :^).
قصة الكتاب:
بطل القصة هو Alex Rogo ، وهو مدير مصنع للإنتاج ضمن شركة ضخمة تسمى UniCo ، و يدفعك قولدرات في روايته هذه إلى التعاطف الشديد مع بطلها إل روقو ، و الذي يعاني من مشكلتين متزامنتين ، مصنعه المهدد بالإغلاق خلال ثلاثة أشهر ، و حياته العاطفية مع زوجته التي تزيد مشكلتها سوءا معها بسبب غيابه الطويل وانهماكه في حل مشكلة المصنع ، الأمر الذي جعله مقصراً معها ، و مع طفله و طفلته.
وأثناء إحدى سفريات روقو الكثيرة ، يلتقي بأستاذ يهودي درسه مادة الفيزياء سابقا في المطار، حيث يصر أستاذه بعد محادثة قصيرة مع روقو أن مصنعه غير فاعل و أن روقو نفسه مدير المصنع ضائع لا يعرف هدف مصنعه الأساسي ، وقد استنتج الاستاذ هذا من خلال حديثه مع روقو الذي بدا مزهوا بالروبوتات التي تملكها شركته للأنتاج ، و التي ملأت المخازن بالمنتجات!
و الاستاذ اليهودي ليس إلا قولدرات نفسه ، وهو يلعب دور المرشد الذي يظهر و يختفي ، و يستمر روقو في متابعته و سؤاله ، و يحرص قولدرات هنا أو أستاذ روقو على تسريب مفاهيم نظريته الشهيرة نظرية القيود ضمن أحداث القصة ، ليدفعك للاقتناع بها تماما.
وهذا هو الرائع في هذه الرواية ، حيث تدفعك بشدة إلى التفكير في مقولات الاستاذ اليهودي المقتضبة ، بدافع حب شخصية روقو الغارق في مشاكله ، و ذي الشخصية الطموحة ، عبر كثير من النقاشات بين الموظفين المختصين بالمخرزون و الإنتاج و المحاسبة في شركة روقو ، و عبر التجارب الشخصية التي يمر بها روقو كقيادته لفريق من الطلاب الكشافة اثناء إحدى الرحلات الاستكشافية في يوم إجازة بعد غياب قائد الكشافين لمرضه ، الكتاب مليء بكثير من التعبيرات الفلسفية العميقة التي حشى بها قولدرات كتابه على لسان الأستاذ اليهودي أو من انفعالات روقو أثناء نوبات التفكير.
ومفهوم نظرية القيود ، أن أي منظمة ، المصنع مثلا في حالة روقو ، ليست إلا شبكة معقدة من الناس و العتاد و الإجراءات و القوانين ، و أن كل كينونه من هذه العناصر “سيء طبيعيا” بما فيه الكفاية ليملك على الأقل قيداً واحد يعوقه عن تحقيق هدف وجود بالطريقة المثلى ، وأن على المدير أو المسؤول في المنظمة أن يبحث عن هذه القيود ، و أن يحاول إزالتها ، بتحسين وضع القيد أو رفعه نهائيا ، فمثلا الآلة التي تنتج مائة قطعة في الساعة بشرط أن يتم تلقيمها بمائتي قالب من المواد الخام ، تملك قيدين ، قيد قيمته معدل ثابت ، و هو قدرة الآلة التصنيعية التي لا تتجاوز مائة قطعة في الساعة الواحدة ، و قيد آخر لا يمكن قياسه بالتحديد و هو قدرة الفرد العامل على الآلة على توفير مائتي قالب خام في كل ساعة لتلقيم الآلة ، فقد يستطيع أن يوفر المائتين وقد لا يستطيع بسبب مرضه أو عجزه أو اعتماده على ممول القوالب الخام الذي لديه قيوده بالتأكيد.
نعود للقصة ، و الجانب العاطفي الموجود فيها ، والمتمثل في وشك انهيار حياة روقو الشخصية ، بسبب غيابه الكثير و إخلافه لمواعيده مع زوجته ، و التي تشتكي من عدم اهتمامه بها و أطفالها ، و جعل المصنع الأولوية الأولى في حياته ، و يعرج الكتاب على وصف حياة الرجل الغربي ، الذي كثيرا ما يعيش كالآلة ، غائبا عن لطائف الطبيعة فلايرى الشمس إلا مشرقة و غائبة ، وربما خرج للعمل قبل الإشراق و بعد الغروب ، و عن كيف يعيش ممزق الأوصال ناكرا لفضل والديه كما يظهر من تعامل روقو مع أمه المسكينة التي لا تطيقها زوجته ، و كيف يغيب في الشراب للتغلب على كثير من مشاكله ، كما يظهر من انفعالات بيتش المسؤول عن روقو ، و عن روقو نفسه الذي يسرف في شرب البيرة لمجرد التفكير في كلام أستاذه اليهودي.
قرأت هذا الكتاب للمرة الأولى حين كان ضمن مقررات دراستي ، و نظرا لضيق الوقت ، فقد قرأت المطلوب فحسب حسب ماحدده أستاذ المادة ، وقد وجدت مؤخرا متسعا من الوقت لإتمامه.
April 18, 2022
আমার স্নাতকোত্তর পড়াশোনা ছিল বাণিজ্যে অর্থাৎ Business Administration । আমাদের BSchool এ সাংঘাতিক কৃতী, প্রচন্ড উচ্চাভিলাষী, তদুপরি সদা কর্মব্যস্ত আর hustling ছাত্রছাত্রীদের মাঝে পড়ে প্রথমে একটু হতচকিয়ে গেলেও, কিছুদিনের মধ্যেই বেশ মানিয়ে নিয়েছিলাম। পরীক্ষার ফলাফলের বিচারে ব্যাচের মাঝামাঝি ছিলাম, কিন্তু পড়ার বিষয়গুলো মোটামুটি ভালোই বুঝতাম। এই নিয়ে একটু প্রচ্ছন্ন গর্বও ছিল।
আর সেই হতচকিয়ে যাওয়া ছাত্রের থেকে মুখেন-মারিতং-বিশ্ব টাইপের ঝাঁ-চকচকে বাণিজ্য-স্নাতকোত্তর হয়ে ওঠার সবচেয়ে বেশি কৃতিত্ব দেব ইলাই গোল্ডরাট-এর The Goal বইটাকে। প্রফেসর সহায়ের Operations Management এর প্রথম সেমিস্টারে টেক্সট বইগুলোর মধ্যে এটা ছিল, আর গল্পের বইয়ের ধাঁচে লেখা হওয়ার কারণে প্রথম সপ্তাহের মধ্যেই বইটা গোগ্রাসে গিলে ফেলি। তারপরেও খানচারেকবার পড়েছি।
সাহিত্যগুণে বইখানি একেবারে ডাহা ফেল, কিন্তু বাণিজ্যের তত্ব আর ধারণা বোঝার জন্যে এর থেকে ভালো বই হয় না। কাজে আর বাড়িতে হাজার চাপে হাবুডুবু খাওয়া আলেক্স রোগো'র গল্পটা পড়তেও বেশ লাগে। বেশ গোলমেলে ব্যবসায়িক ধারণাগুলো একদম গল্পের ছলে বুঝিয়ে গেছেন লেখক গোল্ডরাট। থিওরি অভ কনস্ট্রেন্টসের (যেটাকে বাংলায় হয়তো বাধা-তত্বের ত্রিভুজ বলা চলে) ধারণাটা মাথায় সেঁধিয়ে গেছিলো - আর সেই জ্ঞান ঝেড়ে এখনো পাতে ভাত পড়ছে । তবে তার থেকেও, সর্বপ্রথমে আমার সবচেয়ে কাজে লেগেছিলো যে উপলব্ধিটা , সেটা হলো - A business exists for the sole purpose of making money. যে কোনো ব্যবসায়িক প্রতিষ্ঠানিক একমাত্র লক্ষ্য হলো মুনাফা লাভ করা।
এইটা আপনার খুব সোজা কমনসেন্স একটা ব্যাপার মনে হতে পারে। কিন্তু আমি ব্যবসায়ী পরিবারে বড় হইনি, বাবা মা মধ্যবিত্ত সরকারী চাকুরে, টাকাপয়সার প্রতি তাঁদের বাঙ্গালী পরিবারসুলভ আপাতবিতৃষ্ণার কারণেই হয়তো - এই ব্যাপারটা হৃদয়ঙ্গম করতে একটু সময় লেগেছিলো আমার। তবে এটা বুঝে যাওয়ায়, আর তারপর থিওরি অভ কনস্ট্রেন্টস আর বটলনেক থিওরি বোঝার পরে আমার বাণিজ্যযাত্রা অনেকটাই সোজা হয়ে যায়।
A business exists for the sole purpose of making money - এই বাক্যটির ভালোমন্দ বিচার করা আমার কাজ নয়, এই বইয়ের লক্ষ্যও নয়। কিন্তু একটা বাণিজ্যিক প্রতিষ্ঠানের যাবতীয় সিদ্ধান্তকে এই আতসকাঁচের মধ্যে দিয়ে দেখলেই তার ঠিক-ভুল বোঝা যায়, আর সেই প্রতিষ্ঠানের এক পদাতিক সৈন্য হিসাবে আপনার নিজের ছোটবড় সিদ্ধান্তগুলোকেও পরখ করে নেয়া যায়। আবার বলছি - বাক্যটির নৈতিকতা বিচার করা আমার কাজ নয় - সেটা সম্পূর্ণ আলাদা আলোচনা।
যাকগে, প্রসঙ্গে ফিরে আসি। থিওরি অভ কনস্ট্রেন্টস ব্যাপারটা খুব সোজা করে বললে এরকম দাঁড়ায় : যে কোনো বাণিজ্যিক প্রকল্পের - বা বাণিজ্যই বা শুধু ধরবো কেন -মানুষের যে কোনো কর্ম-পরিকল্পনা দাঁড়িয়ে রয়েছে তিনটে জিনিসের ওপরে। সময়, মূল্য, আর গুণমান অর্থাৎ quality .আপনি যে কাজই করবেন, সেইটা করার ওপরে দাঁড়িয়ে রয়েছে ওই তিনটে জিনিস। আর সেই ত্রিভুজের যে কোনো একটা হাতকে যদি বদলাতে হয় - ধরে নিন আপনার বাড়িটা আপনি ছয় মাসের জায়গায় পাঁচ মাসে শেষ করে ফেলতে চান, তাহলে আপনাকে গুণমানের ওপরে একটু ছাড় দিতে হবে, বা আপনাকে বেশি লোক লাগাতে হবে কাজটা শেষ করার জন্যে, আর সেজন্যে আপনার খরচ হবে বেশি।
আপাতদৃষ্টিতে এইটা সাংঘাতিক কোনো উপলব্ধি নয়, কিন্তু একবার যদি জীবনের প্রতিটা পরিকল্পনাকে এইভাবে ঠাণ্ডামাথায় ছকে ফেলার অভ্যেস হয়ে যায় , তাহলে কিন্তু আপনি আপনার যাবতীয় নতুন চিন্তাকে মোটামুটি একটা সন্তোষজনক ফলাফলে নিয়ে আসতে পারছেন।
……
তবে এই The Goal নিয়েই আরেকটা কথাও বলে রাখা ভালো - আজকাল আমার মনে হয় যে আমার এই সব ধ্যানধারণা ���ব পুরোনো হয়ে গেছে। আমার এক বন্ধুর সঙ্গে আলোচনা হচ্ছিলো এই গুডরীডসেই, আর তখনই একটা প্রাসঙ্গিক আলোচনার কথা মনে পড়ার সূত্রে এই লেখাটা লেখার কথা ভাবলাম। সেই আলোচনার গল্পটা বলি।
একটা নব্যনতুন স্টার্ট আপ কোম্পানির প্রধান পরিচালন কর্মকর্তা অর্থাৎ Chief Operating Officer এর সঙ্গে কথা হচ্ছিলো । কথাপ্রসঙ্গে ছোঁড়া বলে যে “We are not very concerned about our bottomline at the moment” - অর্থাৎ - আমরা এই মুহূর্তে আমাদের কোম্পানির মুনাফা নিয়ে খুব একটা ভাবছি না ।
আজকালকার স্টার্ট আপ ইকোসিস্টেমে লাভলোকসান, মুনাফা, বটমলাইন নিয়েও কারোর অতটা মাথাব্যথা নেই মনে হয় । Transaction is god. বাকি সব আনুষাঙ্গিক। ... বাণিজ্যের ধ্যানধারণা সব পাল্টে যাচ্ছে, আমাকেই বোধহয় আবার একদম শুরু থেকে শিখতে হবে। এই আধুনিক যুগের জন্যে The Goal এর মতো একটা বই পেলে হয়।
আর সেই হতচকিয়ে যাওয়া ছাত্রের থেকে মুখেন-মারিতং-বিশ্ব টাইপের ঝাঁ-চকচকে বাণিজ্য-স্নাতকোত্তর হয়ে ওঠার সবচেয়ে বেশি কৃতিত্ব দেব ইলাই গোল্ডরাট-এর The Goal বইটাকে। প্রফেসর সহায়ের Operations Management এর প্রথম সেমিস্টারে টেক্সট বইগুলোর মধ্যে এটা ছিল, আর গল্পের বইয়ের ধাঁচে লেখা হওয়ার কারণে প্রথম সপ্তাহের মধ্যেই বইটা গোগ্রাসে গিলে ফেলি। তারপরেও খানচারেকবার পড়েছি।
সাহিত্যগুণে বইখানি একেবারে ডাহা ফেল, কিন্তু বাণিজ্যের তত্ব আর ধারণা বোঝার জন্যে এর থেকে ভালো বই হয় না। কাজে আর বাড়িতে হাজার চাপে হাবুডুবু খাওয়া আলেক্স রোগো'র গল্পটা পড়তেও বেশ লাগে। বেশ গোলমেলে ব্যবসায়িক ধারণাগুলো একদম গল্পের ছলে বুঝিয়ে গেছেন লেখক গোল্ডরাট। থিওরি অভ কনস্ট্রেন্টসের (যেটাকে বাংলায় হয়তো বাধা-তত্বের ত্রিভুজ বলা চলে) ধারণাটা মাথায় সেঁধিয়ে গেছিলো - আর সেই জ্ঞান ঝেড়ে এখনো পাতে ভাত পড়ছে । তবে তার থেকেও, সর্বপ্রথমে আমার সবচেয়ে কাজে লেগেছিলো যে উপলব্ধিটা , সেটা হলো - A business exists for the sole purpose of making money. যে কোনো ব্যবসায়িক প্রতিষ্ঠানিক একমাত্র লক্ষ্য হলো মুনাফা লাভ করা।
এইটা আপনার খুব সোজা কমনসেন্স একটা ব্যাপার মনে হতে পারে। কিন্তু আমি ব্যবসায়ী পরিবারে বড় হইনি, বাবা মা মধ্যবিত্ত সরকারী চাকুরে, টাকাপয়সার প্রতি তাঁদের বাঙ্গালী পরিবারসুলভ আপাতবিতৃষ্ণার কারণেই হয়তো - এই ব্যাপারটা হৃদয়ঙ্গম করতে একটু সময় লেগেছিলো আমার। তবে এটা বুঝে যাওয়ায়, আর তারপর থিওরি অভ কনস্ট্রেন্টস আর বটলনেক থিওরি বোঝার পরে আমার বাণিজ্যযাত্রা অনেকটাই সোজা হয়ে যায়।
A business exists for the sole purpose of making money - এই বাক্যটির ভালোমন্দ বিচার করা আমার কাজ নয়, এই বইয়ের লক্ষ্যও নয়। কিন্তু একটা বাণিজ্যিক প্রতিষ্ঠানের যাবতীয় সিদ্ধান্তকে এই আতসকাঁচের মধ্যে দিয়ে দেখলেই তার ঠিক-ভুল বোঝা যায়, আর সেই প্রতিষ্ঠানের এক পদাতিক সৈন্য হিসাবে আপনার নিজের ছোটবড় সিদ্ধান্তগুলোকেও পরখ করে নেয়া যায়। আবার বলছি - বাক্যটির নৈতিকতা বিচার করা আমার কাজ নয় - সেটা সম্পূর্ণ আলাদা আলোচনা।
যাকগে, প্রসঙ্গে ফিরে আসি। থিওরি অভ কনস্ট্রেন্টস ব্যাপারটা খুব সোজা করে বললে এরকম দাঁড়ায় : যে কোনো বাণিজ্যিক প্রকল্পের - বা বাণিজ্যই বা শুধু ধরবো কেন -মানুষের যে কোনো কর্ম-পরিকল্পনা দাঁড়িয়ে রয়েছে তিনটে জিনিসের ওপরে। সময়, মূল্য, আর গুণমান অর্থাৎ quality .আপনি যে কাজই করবেন, সেইটা করার ওপরে দাঁড়িয়ে রয়েছে ওই তিনটে জিনিস। আর সেই ত্রিভুজের যে কোনো একটা হাতকে যদি বদলাতে হয় - ধরে নিন আপনার বাড়িটা আপনি ছয় মাসের জায়গায় পাঁচ মাসে শেষ করে ফেলতে চান, তাহলে আপনাকে গুণমানের ওপরে একটু ছাড় দিতে হবে, বা আপনাকে বেশি লোক লাগাতে হবে কাজটা শেষ করার জন্যে, আর সেজন্যে আপনার খরচ হবে বেশি।
আপাতদৃষ্টিতে এইটা সাংঘাতিক কোনো উপলব্ধি নয়, কিন্তু একবার যদি জীবনের প্রতিটা পরিকল্পনাকে এইভাবে ঠাণ্ডামাথায় ছকে ফেলার অভ্যেস হয়ে যায় , তাহলে কিন্তু আপনি আপনার যাবতীয় নতুন চিন্তাকে মোটামুটি একটা সন্তোষজনক ফলাফলে নিয়ে আসতে পারছেন।
……
তবে এই The Goal নিয়েই আরেকটা কথাও বলে রাখা ভালো - আজকাল আমার মনে হয় যে আমার এই সব ধ্যানধারণা ���ব পুরোনো হয়ে গেছে। আমার এক বন্ধুর সঙ্গে আলোচনা হচ্ছিলো এই গুডরীডসেই, আর তখনই একটা প্রাসঙ্গিক আলোচনার কথা মনে পড়ার সূত্রে এই লেখাটা লেখার কথা ভাবলাম। সেই আলোচনার গল্পটা বলি।
একটা নব্যনতুন স্টার্ট আপ কোম্পানির প্রধান পরিচালন কর্মকর্তা অর্থাৎ Chief Operating Officer এর সঙ্গে কথা হচ্ছিলো । কথাপ্রসঙ্গে ছোঁড়া বলে যে “We are not very concerned about our bottomline at the moment” - অর্থাৎ - আমরা এই মুহূর্তে আমাদের কোম্পানির মুনাফা নিয়ে খুব একটা ভাবছি না ।
আজকালকার স্টার্ট আপ ইকোসিস্টেমে লাভলোকসান, মুনাফা, বটমলাইন নিয়েও কারোর অতটা মাথাব্যথা নেই মনে হয় । Transaction is god. বাকি সব আনুষাঙ্গিক। ... বাণিজ্যের ধ্যানধারণা সব পাল্টে যাচ্ছে, আমাকেই বোধহয় আবার একদম শুরু থেকে শিখতে হবে। এই আধুনিক যুগের জন্যে The Goal এর মতো একটা বই পেলে হয়।
September 24, 2023
It had a severe lack of fae. And spice. But I guess I did learn something about theory of constraints
February 5, 2017
(4.5) more interested in application to project development (vs repeatable manufacturing).
I like the approach of 'discovering' the principles behind theory of constraints and how to optimize throughput through a repeatable manufacturing process. Seems quite practical and valuable in just that application.
Trying to figure how this can apply beyond just manufacturing. The latter portion of the book () starts to address how to apply Theory of Constraints beyond the operations of a plant to more generalized management. I kind of got lost there.
Also interested in how Goldratt thought his theory could apply to relationships. It seems as though Alex may have inadvertently used some of what he learned from Eliyahu--er, sorry, Jonah--with his wife.
I like the approach of 'discovering' the principles behind theory of constraints and how to optimize throughput through a repeatable manufacturing process. Seems quite practical and valuable in just that application.
Trying to figure how this can apply beyond just manufacturing. The latter portion of the book () starts to address how to apply Theory of Constraints beyond the operations of a plant to more generalized management. I kind of got lost there.
Also interested in how Goldratt thought his theory could apply to relationships. It seems as though Alex may have inadvertently used some of what he learned from Eliyahu--er, sorry, Jonah--with his wife.
November 18, 2017
This book was as boring as the characters were annoying (which is extremely). From a learning prospective, since I read it for my operations management class, the topics in the book did overlap with class room discussion. However, Alex didn't know how to do his own job for the majority of the book and went crying to Jonah for help in every situation except the last one. Speaking of the last situation, it was an abrupt and lame ending. I thought we would end with him heading to corporate but it ended right before that which I found weird. Julie was a completely selfish and idiotic mother and wife. Also why was that part of the story necessary at all?
April 17, 2020
The Goal introduces the Theory of Constraints in narrative form, following the struggles of the fictitious plant manager, Alex Rogo. Goldratt provides a high level, non-technical overview of constraint management, encourages the reader to challenge the merit of long-standing KPIs as they relate to the overarching goal of the company, and extols the benefits of the Socratic Method. Unfortunately, I found the narrative to be quite distracting. The plot is dry and predictable, and last third of the book was a drag. I would have preferred a more concise volume that relied less on storytelling.
April 30, 2015
Автор в данной книге показывает отличный пример распространённых ошибок в бизнесе и в жизни человека. Он пытается донести до каждого, что готовые решения не всегда верны, что к желаемому результату человек должен прийти путём собственных умозаключений.
Автор также даёт понять, что в гонке за эффективностью и за снижением затрат компании часто приносят себе вред и в итоге начинают меньше зарабатывать. Показывает, что таким образом возможно сделать бизнес убыточным, а следовательно даёт понимание как самому не делать похожих ошибок.
Следует прочитать. Рекомендую.
Автор также даёт понять, что в гонке за эффективностью и за снижением затрат компании часто приносят себе вред и в итоге начинают меньше зарабатывать. Показывает, что таким образом возможно сделать бизнес убыточным, а следовательно даёт понимание как самому не делать похожих ошибок.
Следует прочитать. Рекомендую.
July 11, 2022
Малко от нас са работили във фабрика или завод, или дори само са били поне веднъж в такъв. Още по-малко пък знаят как работи цялото това нещо и изобщо цялата сфера на индустрията, наречена "производство". Нека не се лъжем, голямата част от хората, които четат книги са офисни плъхове и това да си изцапат ръцете с машинно масло никога не е влизало в житейските им приоритети...
Настоящата книга е култова в сферата и описва един популярен метод за управление на производството.
Звучи ви скучно? А е доста интересно - едно, че книгата е всъщност роман и второ, че описаните в нея проблеми и решенията им говорят на едно бих казал подсъзнателно ниво на всеки, чийто мозък обича да се занимава с пъзели и причинно следствени връзки.
Авторът използва художественото повествование на приключенията на един директор на завод, който трябва да оправи за три месеца батакът в производството си, иначе ще бъде уволнен, заводът затворен и всички хора в него съкратени. С помощта на един професор по физика, който не разбира от производство, ама за сметка на това разбира от взаимосвързани системи, той разбива остарелите догми на управлението и, разбира се, постига неочакван успех, па дори и не се развежда с жена си.
На съвсем разбираем език книгата описва някои основни положения от управлението на производството, които са отдавна известни на хората, които се занимават с това (все пак книгата не може да се каже, че е нова), но за такива като нас, според мен е доста интересна, за да добием основна представа за материята - така, както ми беше особено интересно да добия основна представа за сферата на продажбите.
Настоящата книга е култова в сферата и описва един популярен метод за управление на производството.
Звучи ви скучно? А е доста интересно - едно, че книгата е всъщност роман и второ, че описаните в нея проблеми и решенията им говорят на едно бих казал подсъзнателно ниво на всеки, чийто мозък обича да се занимава с пъзели и причинно следствени връзки.
Авторът използва художественото повествование на приключенията на един директор на завод, който трябва да оправи за три месеца батакът в производството си, иначе ще бъде уволнен, заводът затворен и всички хора в него съкратени. С помощта на един професор по физика, който не разбира от производство, ама за сметка на това разбира от взаимосвързани системи, той разбива остарелите догми на управлението и, разбира се, постига неочакван успех, па дори и не се развежда с жена си.
На съвсем разбираем език книгата описва някои основни положения от управлението на производството, които са отдавна известни на хората, които се занимават с това (все пак книгата не може да се каже, че е нова), но за такива като нас, според мен е доста интересна, за да добием основна представа за материята - така, както ми беше особено интересно да добия основна представа за сферата на продажбите.
June 27, 2019
Great insights. I found the writing a bit boring. The interviews in the end were the best.
November 9, 2020
A story about a factory manager figuring out how to manage operations. A bit sexist. Hereto normative, patriarchal, fat phobic.
February 19, 2020
Such a refreshing format. It's quite impressive considering that it was written in 80s. I enjoyed it even though I never was interested in the processes on the factories. Might try implementing the theory at my work, however, I can't imagine how that would be helpful for other industries.
March 18, 2020
You always have to count on Murphy's Law showing up!
August 14, 2013
I wanted to love this book. I very nearly loved this book. Unfortunately, I read "The Phoenix Project" first.
I keep flipping between 3 and 4 stars for this. The book deserves 5 for its place in business history, and I flip to 4 for it because it will communicate on a general-purpose level far better than a book like "Phoenix."
But having been around people who understood about bottlenecks and the Theory of Constraints (if you don't know what those are, put down this review and go read the book) for some time, the book seems less revelatory to me. It's impossible to state what the impact of this would have been on mid-80's American manufacturers, let alone what its impact should be on our industry. The book essentially introduces the reader to TOC and many of the practices that were later encoded in the fabric of the lean and agile movements through a Socratic dialogue - posing a series of challenges to its characters and then asking them (and you, the reader) to extrapolate from past lessons and determine the next appropriate course of action just ahead of the characters.
If you're in IT, "Phoenix" will speak more clearly to your situation and will translate more directly to your work and world. Read "The Goal" afterwards to gain a deeper/fuller understanding of the Theory of Constraints - some of the explanations and the translation of WIP to inventory will help you visualize practices you struggle to describe daily.
If you're not in IT, just read it - it's a breezy, light book, and is written to slightly below the level of an airplane novel. There are some really gendered and racially-insensitive notes that are likely injected to reflect the book's imagined audience, a factory foreman. This dates the novel somewhat, but the struggles the characters are facing - both interpersonal and work-related - continue to hit home, and overall the book executes its core mission competently.
I keep flipping between 3 and 4 stars for this. The book deserves 5 for its place in business history, and I flip to 4 for it because it will communicate on a general-purpose level far better than a book like "Phoenix."
But having been around people who understood about bottlenecks and the Theory of Constraints (if you don't know what those are, put down this review and go read the book) for some time, the book seems less revelatory to me. It's impossible to state what the impact of this would have been on mid-80's American manufacturers, let alone what its impact should be on our industry. The book essentially introduces the reader to TOC and many of the practices that were later encoded in the fabric of the lean and agile movements through a Socratic dialogue - posing a series of challenges to its characters and then asking them (and you, the reader) to extrapolate from past lessons and determine the next appropriate course of action just ahead of the characters.
If you're in IT, "Phoenix" will speak more clearly to your situation and will translate more directly to your work and world. Read "The Goal" afterwards to gain a deeper/fuller understanding of the Theory of Constraints - some of the explanations and the translation of WIP to inventory will help you visualize practices you struggle to describe daily.
If you're not in IT, just read it - it's a breezy, light book, and is written to slightly below the level of an airplane novel. There are some really gendered and racially-insensitive notes that are likely injected to reflect the book's imagined audience, a factory foreman. This dates the novel somewhat, but the struggles the characters are facing - both interpersonal and work-related - continue to hit home, and overall the book executes its core mission competently.
February 16, 2020
If you struggle with missed deadlines, overtimes or generally problems with capacity - that book is a must for you. "The Goal" also shows why "maybe sometimes we are behind the schedule but once we start to work faster we are again on the track" is short term thinking and wasting resources.
The book shows what happens if:
- people don't measure their work,
- a company doesn't think about their work as the production line,
- someone doesn't deliver (even a little bit),
- the wrong metric will be chosen as the KPI - it may destroy the company,
- "We have great people who know what they should do" is treated as the substitute of planing and measures,
- teams/departments think only about optimizing their efficiencies - instead of thinking about the flow of the entire company
The book is novel - which makes insights easier to understand. But you can skip the first 20% of the book which doesn't provide anything meaningful. I strongly recommend reading the appendix. The best appendix which I've ever read.
"The goal" also shows why good solutions given on a silver plate are treated commented as "eh, I knew it earlier, it is obvious - show me something that I don't know"
The book shows what happens if:
- people don't measure their work,
- a company doesn't think about their work as the production line,
- someone doesn't deliver (even a little bit),
- the wrong metric will be chosen as the KPI - it may destroy the company,
- "We have great people who know what they should do" is treated as the substitute of planing and measures,
- teams/departments think only about optimizing their efficiencies - instead of thinking about the flow of the entire company
The book is novel - which makes insights easier to understand. But you can skip the first 20% of the book which doesn't provide anything meaningful. I strongly recommend reading the appendix. The best appendix which I've ever read.
"The goal" also shows why good solutions given on a silver plate are treated commented as "eh, I knew it earlier, it is obvious - show me something that I don't know"
August 25, 2015
This book is fantastic. Not only does it introduce the Theory of Constraints, but does it so as if ToC was invented by the main characters themselves: Revealing the reasoning behind the theory, unfolding each step in a logical progression, highlighting the pitfalls and finally crystallizing the method.
Truly genius.
Truly genius.
November 10, 2016
Долго и упорно внедряют канбан на заводе, не понимаю зачем я вообще это читал. Художественная ценность -5 из 7; практическая - лучше прочитать статью вики про канбан. Сюжетная линия про брак главного героя очень cringeworthy.
May 27, 2020
Fantastic book if you want to learn how to be an industrial engineer who sacrifices every bit of their humanity and all personal relationships to make sure your factory runs at tip top efficiency.
Don't make an engineering textbook into a garbage novel.
Don't make an engineering textbook into a garbage novel.
January 24, 2014
It is a Fantastic book, full of wisdom and knowledge. For all Industrial Engineers and those who are interested in management trust me and read it :)
September 3, 2021
доволі цікаво
правда манера оповіді доволі примітивна😅
правда манера оповіді доволі примітивна😅
January 14, 2024
When I left education, I interviewed at a few different places. In most interviews, the topic of books showed up - because of course it did. The person or people interviewing me gave me recommendations, and I gave them recommendations as well. I'm not sure what their expectations were. I'm guessing: none. I don't expect them to have read the books I brought up. And I couldn't accept every job I applied for.
But I wrote down the books. It's how I read books like The Science of Selling, Messy, and kind of Range.. (Range came up in an interview, but credit also has to go to my brother-in-law who recommended it first.)
There are a few more that made this list. But The Goal came up in multiple interviews. It was the only book where this was the case. And it was written in the 80s. THE 80S, MAN!!
I've got to tell you: lists like this make me feel a certain kind of way.
In general, I don't like these lists. They're all the same. The cover is the same. The message is the same. The social media influencers promoting them to get clicks on affiliate links and drive people to their MLMs or whatever programs they have are all the same.
If we're only on earth for this blip, well: read Moby Dick. There's so much you can learn from it. Read Infinite Jest. Read Beloved. Read Crime and Punishment. Read Stephen King. Read Harry Potter. Native Son. Jane Eyre. The Fault in Our Stars. Don't read War and Peace or Don Quixote. Just... I didn't get anything out of those. ...They were tough. But you get what I'm saying.
Do you think, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" or "Diary of a CEO" are going to endure? (I just picked two books from that picture. And I realize how unfair that is. These books have their place. And I'm specifically adding these two to my to-read list, since I just threw them under the bus...). But they're not timeless.
And so many of them are inner-circle jargon.
Maybe this is me looking down on the people who look down on me, but I hope you get what I'm saying. I've read several more books like this since entering the business sector. (Which isn't to say there weren't books like this for the education elite.)
But for all the overlap - a business book told in narrative form; a company in decline that can only be saved by X; an unassuming custodian/teacher/janitor/bum-on-the-street has all the answers and can turn the business around... It was so different from the rest.
I'll add here that Alex Rogo's (the protagonist) mom reads as Estelle Costanza. I mean: Dang. Go read page 65 in her voice. These "Business-Books-Told-In-Narrative-Form" often resort to stock characters, and Rogo's mom is Exhibit A. Other exhibits include the blue collar/white collar divide (see "Johnny Jons" on pg. 234 for instance. Rogo is your typical blue collar - even if he is managing. Jons, on the other hand: "Jons doesn't really have a desk in his office. He has a sheet of glass on chrome legs. I guess that's so that everyone can get a good look at his Gucci loafers and silk socks..."), the nemesis (Hilton) being so incredibly over the top and one-dimensional, scientists - SCIENTISTS - specifically, what? high school physics teachers? - being up in their "ivory towers..." (315).
Again: that aside: the book was good. I had a colleague call it "revolutionary."
It's interesting, because the first 5 chapters - at least, AT LEAST that much - were dedicated to defining the goal. What's the goal of said business? And there was no clear answer. I was like... 99% sure I knew the answer, but thought maybe it was a trick question? But then: the goal of the business was to make money.
I thought: THIS is revolutionary??? They didn't know - in the 80s - THE 80s, MAN!!! - that the goal of a business was to make money?
But as the book progressed, I saw what he meant. Moving from operating expense and cost to throughput as the way to judge the efficiency and success of a business: that was revolutionary. (Note to self: reread page 298.)
Seeing inventory as a liability instead of an asset: THAT was revolutionary! (Note to self: reread page 341.)
Recently, I didn't have a good answer for a colleague as to why our company has production drive purchasing, rather than accounting. But there it is: on page 298. And this book was written in the 80s!
This Theory of Constraints - the hike where you have one slow guy holding everybody up... Bottlenecks, and how they actually affect the business. The clear definition of terms - that throughput is the rate at which the system generates money through sales and not production... Yeah: maybe a lot of that was revolutionary.
Of course, I was born in '82, so what do I know about business in the 80s?
My rating system is weird. This is, no doubt a better business read than some of the books I gave 5 stars to. But that's the way it goes.
Don't loan out this book. Take personal notes in it, and then if you want to let someone borrow it: buy it for them.
But I wrote down the books. It's how I read books like The Science of Selling, Messy, and kind of Range.. (Range came up in an interview, but credit also has to go to my brother-in-law who recommended it first.)
There are a few more that made this list. But The Goal came up in multiple interviews. It was the only book where this was the case. And it was written in the 80s. THE 80S, MAN!!
I've got to tell you: lists like this make me feel a certain kind of way.
In general, I don't like these lists. They're all the same. The cover is the same. The message is the same. The social media influencers promoting them to get clicks on affiliate links and drive people to their MLMs or whatever programs they have are all the same.
If we're only on earth for this blip, well: read Moby Dick. There's so much you can learn from it. Read Infinite Jest. Read Beloved. Read Crime and Punishment. Read Stephen King. Read Harry Potter. Native Son. Jane Eyre. The Fault in Our Stars. Don't read War and Peace or Don Quixote. Just... I didn't get anything out of those. ...They were tough. But you get what I'm saying.
Do you think, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" or "Diary of a CEO" are going to endure? (I just picked two books from that picture. And I realize how unfair that is. These books have their place. And I'm specifically adding these two to my to-read list, since I just threw them under the bus...). But they're not timeless.
And so many of them are inner-circle jargon.
Maybe this is me looking down on the people who look down on me, but I hope you get what I'm saying. I've read several more books like this since entering the business sector. (Which isn't to say there weren't books like this for the education elite.)
But for all the overlap - a business book told in narrative form; a company in decline that can only be saved by X; an unassuming custodian/teacher/janitor/bum-on-the-street has all the answers and can turn the business around... It was so different from the rest.
I'll add here that Alex Rogo's (the protagonist) mom reads as Estelle Costanza. I mean: Dang. Go read page 65 in her voice. These "Business-Books-Told-In-Narrative-Form" often resort to stock characters, and Rogo's mom is Exhibit A. Other exhibits include the blue collar/white collar divide (see "Johnny Jons" on pg. 234 for instance. Rogo is your typical blue collar - even if he is managing. Jons, on the other hand: "Jons doesn't really have a desk in his office. He has a sheet of glass on chrome legs. I guess that's so that everyone can get a good look at his Gucci loafers and silk socks..."), the nemesis (Hilton) being so incredibly over the top and one-dimensional, scientists - SCIENTISTS - specifically, what? high school physics teachers? - being up in their "ivory towers..." (315).
Again: that aside: the book was good. I had a colleague call it "revolutionary."
It's interesting, because the first 5 chapters - at least, AT LEAST that much - were dedicated to defining the goal. What's the goal of said business? And there was no clear answer. I was like... 99% sure I knew the answer, but thought maybe it was a trick question? But then: the goal of the business was to make money.
I thought: THIS is revolutionary??? They didn't know - in the 80s - THE 80s, MAN!!! - that the goal of a business was to make money?
But as the book progressed, I saw what he meant. Moving from operating expense and cost to throughput as the way to judge the efficiency and success of a business: that was revolutionary. (Note to self: reread page 298.)
Seeing inventory as a liability instead of an asset: THAT was revolutionary! (Note to self: reread page 341.)
Recently, I didn't have a good answer for a colleague as to why our company has production drive purchasing, rather than accounting. But there it is: on page 298. And this book was written in the 80s!
This Theory of Constraints - the hike where you have one slow guy holding everybody up... Bottlenecks, and how they actually affect the business. The clear definition of terms - that throughput is the rate at which the system generates money through sales and not production... Yeah: maybe a lot of that was revolutionary.
Of course, I was born in '82, so what do I know about business in the 80s?
My rating system is weird. This is, no doubt a better business read than some of the books I gave 5 stars to. But that's the way it goes.
Don't loan out this book. Take personal notes in it, and then if you want to let someone borrow it: buy it for them.
April 18, 2022
Balaji mentioned this on Tim Ferriss one time, and it showed up again as a recommended read in Factory Physics so I took the plunge.
Surprisingly good! It's capitalistic wish-fulfillment business fantasy: a plant manager of a failing manufacturing facility meets an elusive and wise consultant, who helps the plant manager by dropping hints to help him discover "the goal" (which is: make money) and that the manager's continuous improvement problem-solving abilities were within him all along.
What's great about this book is it does exactly what Goldratt claims in the introduction. It'll help you understand some key business concepts by the most effective learning methodology known to humans: storytelling.
Strong rec to people working in any industry with process flows, like manufacturing, resources, software, etc. I wish I read this a bit earlier in my career because it makes quite a few business and process concepts simple and memorable.
Surprisingly good! It's capitalistic wish-fulfillment business fantasy: a plant manager of a failing manufacturing facility meets an elusive and wise consultant, who helps the plant manager by dropping hints to help him discover "the goal" (which is: make money) and that the manager's continuous improvement problem-solving abilities were within him all along.
What's great about this book is it does exactly what Goldratt claims in the introduction. It'll help you understand some key business concepts by the most effective learning methodology known to humans: storytelling.
Strong rec to people working in any industry with process flows, like manufacturing, resources, software, etc. I wish I read this a bit earlier in my career because it makes quite a few business and process concepts simple and memorable.
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