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Summary: Entertaining and Informative - A Unique Approach to Teaching
Review: Goldratt carefully combines strategy and fiction into his book, The Goal, providing a resource no manufacturing manager should miss. The story follows Alex Rogo as he races to improve profitability at his plant while also saving his rocky marriage. Goldratt employs a unique writing style, weaving the basic concepts of manufacturing strategy directly into the narrative. The Goal is a quick read that both entertains and informs. How often is a plant manager asked to "improve efficiency" by keeping the assembly line flowing, reducing employee downtime, and increasing inventory stockpiles? Far too often, according to Goldratt, who convincingly proves that 'bottleneck' activities are the ultimate constraint in a manufacturing system. Likening bottlenecks to the slowest member of a hiking group, he contends a manufacturing line can only move as fast as its slowest activity - a bottleneck activity. Poor production planning can result in an inventory pileup in front of a bottleneck activity. Activities circumventing the bottleneck cause inventory problems in assembly and are similarly constrained by market demand. The solution is to pull inventory through the bottleneck activities according to this demand, while utilizing non-bottleneck activities as necessary. Idle time at non-bottlenecks is perfectly acceptable. Goldratt also examines the critical flaw of cost accounting systems - reducing total product costs do not simply correlate to higher profits. In many manufacturing organizations, performance measures are based upon efficiencies and variances, rather than bottom-line impact. Therefore, the goal of management (make more money) is misaligned with that of the front-line worker (increase efficiency). They are simple, yet often forgotten lessons. What is the GOAL of a business? It is simply to make more money, and any action you take towards that goal is a good decision. Any action taking you away from that goal is a poor decision. Goldratt makes the distinction clear both in a personal and professional context. He concludes his discussion by asking the reader to consider how such action can successfully be implemented across an organization. Without providing a definitive answer, he implores the reader to examine the lessons learned throughout his writing - seek and ye shall find. One word of warning can be drawn from the narrative - many managers will be tempted to duplicate the examples without regard for the process leading to those conclusions. Many will consider their own organization a "special case" to which these lessons do not apply. Such criticism is clearly unfounded; the true lesson of The Goal is that change is implemented through a process of ongoing improvement specific to each organization. The framework outlined through the narrative is broad, providing the fundamentals necessary to drill down into the core problems plaguing manufacturing profitability. For successfully authoring an entertaining and informative composition, based upon the Socratic method, Goldratt deserves high praise. Joshua A. Gerlick
Rating: 
Summary: Educational and Entertaining
Review: The Goal gives you an important understanding of business and is a great reading experience. This book is about Goldratt's theory of constraints (TOC), and puts the theory into a interesting story. The story goes on with essential questions and answers. Alex Rogo, a fictional plant manager and the main character of this book, solves plenty of problems in his plant by trial and error. Readers can learn the idea of the TOC by following the thought process with Mr. Rogo. Regardless of whether you are a plant manager or not, I recommend you read this book.
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Summary: A must-read business classic
Review: This book is the ultimate paradox - a "business novel", a love story in fact. It is the first in Goldratt's series following Alex Rogo, and how he turns his manufacturing plant around through some relatively simple (though not necessarily easy) principles. It is through this book that Goldratt introduces the reader to his Theory of Constraints, which should rank among the top five business concepts of the 20th century (including, for example, six sigma and the assembly line). Not in a manufacturing business? This book is set in a manufacturing plant, but the concepts apply broadly. I currently work in a service business, with no tangible products whatsoever, and the keys of this book are as useful here as anywhere. This book is engaging and easy to read, but it's not written to the lowest common denominator. It's for people who want to improve the way their business is run, no matter what level they are - though obviously, the higher you are, the bigger impact you can have. I read this book for the first time in college, and have reread it every two or three years since. It belongs in the company of such business and self-help classics as Seven Habits, See You at the Top, One Minute Manager, and Win Friends/Influence People. Perhaps the highest recommendation I can give this book is that I have bought it and given it as a gift, out of my own pocket, to about half a dozen different people in the company I have worked for over the last six years - all VPs, SVPs, and EVPs. I figure, if they apply the principles, it's ultimately going to make the company (and me) more successful. All of them have commented positively on the book, and some have in turn passed it along. Whether you are just starting out in business, or have already attained a high level and want to broaden (and brighten) your horizons, this is a must-read that will positively impact your business, and your life.
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Summary: Enlightening, April 29, 2003
Review: This book clarified so many terms and ideas for me I was astounded!! By putting managerial accounting ( a pretty dry subject) into novel form with subplots about real life, I was better able to understand where managerial accounting fit in and how it could be applied to a real life situtation. It kept my interest the whole time, there were times when I would forget I was reading an accounting book. The theory of constraints isn't really a hotbed of suspense and drama but put into this format it not only makes more sense, but much to my amazement was interesting too. A definite must-read for aspiring managers!
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Summary: An educational guide
Review: This book was extremely effective in relaying its message and educating readers on management and accounting theories. Through the text, author Eliyahu M. Goldratt introduces and explains the Theory of Constraints. His main character, Alex Rogo, and Rogo's team of plant executives must save a floundering production plant by increasing throughput and cutting operational costs. He uses the characters to guide readers through the thought process behind the theory; as the characters ask questions and search for answers, readers are given time to consider these questions and form ideas before the answers to the theory are given. Students can carefully consider all the information and weigh all possibilities to form their own opinions; therefore, I highly recommend this book to students interested in a business career, especially managerial accounting.
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Summary: Fun to Read
Review: The Goal is a wonderful book to read and quite entertaining. Goldratt's use of Socratic reasoning is a great way to approach problems that we face in everyday-life (something that we usually do not take the time to do with our busy lives). The book is very easy to read and a informative. However, the book is too simplified for the real world; after all, it is just a fiction so readers must caution themselves.
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Summary: Helps Shape Future Leaders
Review: I have enjoyed reading "The Goal." It is very educational and many could learn a lot. It is a great resource for managers and potential managers. Also, it should be required for managerial accounting students to read this book. It could enhance their learning and give them a better idea of what managing a company is all about. Not only does this book teach about different accounting principles, but it teaches time management. This was a great book and I recommend that everyone, young and old, take time out of their schedule and read "The Goal."
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Summary: Critique on The Goal
Review: As a college student, this book opened up my eyes on the idea of theroy of constraints. Being that I have never been in an actual plant, I have no idea what exactly goes on there, I just know when I place an order on jcrew.com, some how my order magically apears on my doorsteps in three days. Of course, jcrew isn't the same as the plant in the story, Unico but they both make something and all plants experience bottlenecks. No company is perfect. This book starts off with a guy name Alex who is at his wits end. His plant is going under and he is having marriage problems. I read the book just to keep up what was going on with the wife...(kidding) but The Goal, isn't just about a firm going down, it has interesting plots all tied around Alex. I would recommend this book for anyone who is considering doing something in the business field. Use the book as a guide. Enjoy!
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Summary: THe Goal....reviewed
Review: To begin with i felt this was a very interesting book. THere were many highs and lows expressed by the writter which continued to keep my attention throughout the book. THe scenarios presented almost make me not want to continue my major in business due to the fact that Jonah and Rogo do not seem to have much of a family life, and the family life they do have is falling apart. Unico, through the expertise of Jonah, and the hard work of ROgo was able to save a dying plant and evantually its other divisions also. Overall a positive reading.
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Summary: GOOD BOOK!
Review: I was assigned to read this book for an Accounting class, I dreaded the thought of having to read a outside book for class. But to my amazement the book was actually pretty good. It exposed me to the manufacturing plants and theory of constraints while adding exciting to the novel with Alex Rogo martial problems.
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