Exceeding the Goal : Adventures in Strategy, Information Technology, Computer Software, Technical Services, and Goldratts Theory of Constraints

A manager’s instinct is to strive to control everything. That’s not just ineffective, it’s a practical impossibility. So, where should managers commit finite resources to achieve their enterprise’s mission?  Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints (“TOC”), introduced in The Goal, is a great place to start, but a terrible place to stop, as most readers can’t put that knowledge to use.

Constraints hold organizations in check. Without them, productivity would be easy, and companies could grow without bounds. But in most enterprises, survival and growth are perpetual struggles.

This book is intended to bring a broader understanding of strategy and information to the TOC community while introducing TOC principles to the strategy and information communities. Exceeding the Goal is the book’s title because reaching a goal may be sufficient for operations, but it’s insufficient for strategy when global competition is intense.  Exceeding the goal is the path to extraordinary results.

The author uses his own experiences in manufacturing, research, consulting, software, and strategy as the basis for the book. The “adventures” that are chronicled are true stories about real-life situations—some successful, and others not. Valuable lessons can be learned from both, with the failures serving as invaluable cautionary tales.

Features

This book closes the gaps between:

• Enterprise Strategy and Technical Strategy
• The Information field and the organization it supports
• Reading about TOC and actually implementing it.

Preface

Part 1 : Overview
Prologue : The Enterprise Constraint

Chapter 1 : Introduction
Chapter 2 : Executive Priorities
Chapter 3 : Strategy
Chapter 4 : Information Technology, Computer Software, and Technical Services
Chapter 5 : Constraint Management

Part 2 : Technology
Chapter 6 : Hardware
Chapter 7 : Software
Chapter 8 : Data
Chapter 9 : Knowledge
Chapter 10 : Networks
Chapter 11 : Architecture
Chapter 12 : Skills
Chapter 13 : Methodology
Chapter 14 : Projects
Chapter 15 : Processes
Chapter 16 : Portfolio
Chapter 17 : Services

Part 3 : Synergy
Chapter 18 : Constraint Management Redux
Chapter 19 : Strategy Redux
Chapter 20 : Conclusion

Epilogue : Administration, Academia, and Constraint Management Lite

Part 4 : Appendices
Appendix A : Strategy Principles
Appendix B : Information Principles
Appendix C : Constraint Principles
Appendix D : Strategic Decisions
References
Index