Goldratt’s “The Goal” is one of the all-time bestselling business books of all time – over 7 million copies since it was released in 1984 and it still ticks over nicely. I first read it shortly after it was published and loved it. Goldratt’s “theory of constraints” is a process of ongoing improvement that continuously identifies and leverages a system’s constraints in order to achieve it’s goals. Sounds a bit technical? That’s why Goldratt presented his ideas in the form of a novel. It’s a ripping story, in which a very stressed plant manager called Alex Rogo is given 90 days to save his failing factory. If he fails, it will close down and hundreds of workers will lose their jobs. Alex meets former professor Jonah who helps him figure out what needs to be done. And to spice things up, he’s having a few marital problems. So it’s a kind of spiced up business thriller – the race to save the factory, with the background race to keep the marriage on the rails. And you learn some really good principles about running a business. This is a graphic novel version of the book. Garth here at Boffins has just finished it and he says it’s like a business textbook that’s been made interesting and readable.
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