[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on The Goal
The Goal, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, is an intelligent, metaphoric business novel that introduced the Theory of Constraints (TOC) and helped launch a revolutionary era in economic theory as it relates to production and quality improvement. The TOC replaces time honored metrics of cost accounting as the prime measure of productivity and includes some common sense concepts, such as, throughput, inventory, and operational expense. This change in thinking results from the notion that "bottlenecks" are the prime determinant of a plant's throughput. This concept is pertinent not only to industries that produce manufactured goods, but it has important applications in service industries as well. To convey these new concepts, Goldratt resurrects an ancient teaching technique, the Socratic Method, to enhance the learning experience of his characters and his readers. He also cultivates an understanding of complex concepts, such as "statistical fluctuations in dependent events" through real world examples, such as, a Boy Scout Troop's hike through the woods.
Alex Rogo, the principle character of the book, is the plant manager for UniCo whose product is never revealed. Since the factory has not made money for some time, the story starts when Alex is informed of the possible closure of his plant. Rogo was from Bearington, the location of this plant, so he takes pride in his position as the plant manager. He is extremely motivated to turn the factory around. Most of his activities have centered on crisis management, such as, finishing and shipping orders in response to mounting customer complaints. He has been spending most of his waking time at the plant trouble shooting, and this has taken a toll on his personal life to a point that his marriage to Julie is failing. With the plant always taking priority over Alex's family life, the reader recognizes the strong work ethic and dedication typically expected from individuals at this level of management in contemporary life........
