WhatistheTheoryofConstraints,andHowDoesitComparetoLeanThinking? LeanEnterpriseInstitute.Fonte:http://www.lean.org/common/display/?o=223 WhatistheTheoryofConstraints?

TheTheoryofConstraintsisanorganizationalchangemethodthatisfocussedonprofit improvement.TheessentialconceptofTOCisthateveryorganizationmusthaveatleast oneconstraint.Aconstraintisanyfactorthatlimitstheorganizationfromgettingmore of whatever it strives for, which is usually profit. The Goal focuses on constraints as bottleneck processes in a jobshop manufacturing organization. However, many non manufacturingconstraintsexist,suchasmarketdemand,orasalesdepartmentsability totranslatemarketdemandintoorders. The Theory of Constraints defines a set of tools that change agents can use to manage constraints,therebyincreasingprofits.Mostbusinessescanbeviewedasalinkedsetof processes that transform inputs into saleable outputs. TOC conceptually models this systemasachain,andadvocatesthefamiliaradagethata"chainisonlyasstrongasits weakest link." Goldratt defines a fivestep Process that a Change Agent can use to strengthen the weakest link, or links. In The Goal, Goldratt proves that most organizations have very few true constraints. Since the focus only needs to be on the constraints,implementingTOCcanresultinsubstantialimprovementwithouttyingupa greatdealofresources,withresultsafterthreemonthsofeffort. TheFiveStepsoftheTheoryofConstraints 1. Identify the System Constraint The part of a system that constitutes its weakest linkcanbeeitherphysicalorapolicy. 2.DecideHowtoExploittheConstraintGoldrattinstructstheChangeAgenttoobtain as much capability as possible from a constraining component, without undergoing expensivechangesorupgrades.AnexampleistoreduceoreliminatetheDowntimeof bottleneckoperations. 3. Subordinate Everything Else The nonconstraint components of the system must be adjusted to a "setting" that will enable the constraint to operate at maximum effectiveness. Once this has been done, the overall system is evaluated to determine if theconstrainthasshiftedtoanothercomponent.Iftheconstrainthasbeeneliminated, theChangeAgentjumpstostepfive. 4.ElevatetheConstraint"Elevating"theconstraintreferstotakingwhateveraction is necessary to eliminate the constraint. This step is only considered if steps two and threehavenotbeensuccessful.Majorchangestotheexistingsystemareconsideredat thisstep. 5.ReturntoStepOne,ButBewareof"Inertia" Goldrattcautionspractitionersaboutbecomingcomplacent.TOCisanongoingProcess, and the inertia that can build up after a change occurs can actually serve to prevent continuousimprovement. GoldrattalsoprovidesafoundationforachievingchangethroughTOCbydefiningaset of three essential measurements that drive the change Process. He correctly realized that conventional accounting systems do not support TOC, or leanbased efforts. Goldratt proposes replacing all traditional measures derived from the "product cost" accounting paradigm. The following measures are the only way to increase profit throughTOC:

Throughput: The rate at which the entire organization generates money through sales for a product or service. Throughput represents all the money comingintoanorganization. Inventory: All the money the organization invests in things it intends to sell. Inventory represents all the money tiedup inside an organization. Goldratts definition includes facilities, equipment, obsolete items, as well as raw material,WorkinProcess,andfinishedgoods. Operating Expense: Operating Expense is all the money an organization spendsturningInventoryintoThroughput.Itrepresentsthemoneygoingout of the organization. Examples include direct labour, utilities, consumable supplies,anddepreciationofassets.

All three of these measures are interdependent. This means that a change in one will result in a change in one or more of the other two. Therefore, to improve your organizationusingTOC,youastheChangeAgentwouldadheretothefollowingformula: MaximizeThroughputwhileMinimizingInventoryandOperatingExpense Thesemeasuresarethekeytorelatinglocaldecisionstotheperformanceoftheentire system.Goldrattadvocatesthatallimprovementopportunitiesshouldbeprioritizedby their effect on the three measures, especially Throughput, for which the only limit on howhighitcanbeincreasedismarketsize. HowDoesLeanThinkingComparetotheTheoryofConstraints? Lean Thinking is an organizational change method that is also implemented with the objectiveofincreasingprofit.LeanThinkingoriginatedinJapan,andisbestexemplified by the Toyota Production System. Constraints placed on the Japanese manufacturing industryafterthesecondworldwarleadTaiichiOhnoofToyotatopioneeranewtype ofproductionsystemthatwassodifferent,andsomuchbetter,thanMassProduction, as to warrant a new type manufacturing. Lean Production is a method of organizing production using half the effort, space, Inventory, and product development time compared with Mass Production. It also achieves fewer defects, and larger product variety. These improvements should result in increased sales, which is the key to re deploying freedup resources. Lean Thinking codified and expanded upon the Toyota Production System to include nonmanufacturing organizations, as well as product developmentefforts. The objective of Lean Thinking, as with TOC, is to increase profit. This is achieved by focusingonreducingcostsusingthefollowingsimpleequation: Profit=SellingPriceCost Toyota realized that selling price is dictated by the market and cannot be increased. Therefore, the only way to increase profit is to decrease cost. Note that although Goldratt attempts to move away from cost reduction by focussing on throughput improvement,theneteffectisthesame:profitincreasesbecausecostdecreases. Lean Thinking achieves the objective of cost reduction by employing a systemview of an organization that is centered on the notion of customerdefined Value. Lean efforts areaimedateliminatingallthestepsintheproductionofagoodorservicethatdonot addValuetothefinalcustomer. TheFiveStepsofLeanThinking

 1.SpecifyValuefromthePerspectiveoftheCustomer 2.IdentifytheValueStreams 3.Flow 4.Pull 5.Perfection WhereTOCstartsbyidentifyingconstraints,LeanThinkinginstructstheChangeAgent torethinkthenotionofValuefirst.BywalkingtheValueStream,fromfinishedgoodsto raw materials and repeatedly asking: "Are my customers willing to pay for this?", the lean Change Agent identifies opportunities for eliminating Waste from the system. Further,ValueStreamMappingisaveryusefultoolfordeterminingwhichareasofthe systemtoimprovefirst.Aswell,thefuturestatemapkeepstheorganizationfocusedon movingtowardsacommongoal. BothLeanThinkingandTOCagreethattheorganizationmustfirstfindthechange,then determine if a Sensei is required. The Goal relies on a Senseilike individual named Jonah who provides assistance at key points in the book. However, Goldratt warns againstrelyingonaSensei,andadvocatesthattheChangeAgentshouldlearnenoughto become a Sensei. In parallel, successful lean implementation efforts have relied on learning through trial and error, and the resulting creation of inhouse lean "experts." However, the caveat to this approach is that it will invariably take longer to achieve results.AgoodSenseiwillcatalyzethechangeeffortandkeepthemomentumbuilding. TOCadvertisesathreemonthimprovementleadtime,whichmaybenexttoimpossible withoutassistancefromaSensei.ItwouldbeinterestingtohearhowlongittookTOC changeagentstobecome"Jonahs." ThefollowingtablesummarizesthecomparisonbetweenLeanThinkingandtheTheory ofConstraints.

CombiningLeanThinkingwiththeTheoryofConstraints CantheTheoryofConstraintsbeusedasacatalystforleanimplementation? This author says yes! TOC methods fit nicely into the Lean Thinking fivestep change framework, between steps two and three. Using TOC can help lean change agents to improve performance in processes where it is infeasible to eliminate bottlenecks. Specifically,aftercreatingtheidealfutureValueStreammap,howdoyouachieveit?As you divide your Value Stream into loops and determine improvement objectives for each,asdescribedinLearningtoSee,incorporatingTOCmethodscangivethefollowing benefits:

 DeterminingWheretoBegin:TOCadvocatesbeginningwiththeconstraintthatmost limitsThroughput.ThisshouldcreatesubstantialimprovementstotheValueStreamin a short time, which is beneficial for igniting the required employee momentum and support. Sustaining Momentum: Achieving your future state may require designing new equipment that has not currently been developed. Until these processes can be eliminated,andiftheyareconstraints,TOCcanbeusedtocontinuetheimplementation momentum.Then,youcandevelopContinuousFlowthatoperatesbasedonTakt,apull systemtocontrolproduction,andimplementproductionleveling. Performance measures that support lean implementation: Replacing traditional financialmetricsofassetutilizationandburdenabsorptionwithGoldrattsThroughput, Inventory, and Operating Expense measures will help management see the benefits of LeanThinking. Bibliography Dettmer,WilliamH.GoldrattsTheoryofConstraintsASystemsApproachtoContinuous Improvement.Milwaukee,Wisc.:ASQQualityPress,1997. Goldratt, Eliyahu M. and Cox, Jeff. The Goal. Great Barrington, Mass.: The North River Press,1992. Goldratt,EliyahuM.WhatisthisthingcalledTheoryofConstraintsandhowshoulditbe implemented?GreatBarrington,Mass.:TheNorthRiverPress,1990. Noreen, Eric, Debra Smith, and James T. Mackey. The Theory of Constraints and its Implications for Management Accounting. Great Barrington, Mass.: The North River Press,1995. Rother, Mike and John Shook. Learning to See. Brookline, Mass.: The Lean Enterprise Institute,1998. Womack, James P. and Daniel T. Jones. Lean Thinking. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996.