Theory Of Constraints Concept Research Articles

Production Constraints Modelling: A Tactical Review Approach

A constraint is a limitation or a restriction that poses a threat to the performance and efficiency of a system. This paper presented a tactical review approach to production constraints modeling. It discussed the theory of constraints (TOC) as a thinking process and continuous improvement strategy to curtail constraints in other to constantly increase the performance and efficiency of a system. It also x-rayed the working process of implementing the TOC concept which consists of five steps called “Process of On-Going Improvement”. Furthermore, it talked about constraints programming and constraints-based models which were explained to some details. Finally, production constraints model formulation procedures for linear programming and non-linear programming scenarios were extensively discussed with reference to published literature as instances of production constraints modeling were also cited.

Smart Manufacturing through TOC based Efficiency Monitoring System (TBEMS)

The very purpose of business is to devise profitability and enhance it in all possible avenues sustainable. In a manufacturing environment, thus, there had been a number of techniques and concepts adapted to improvise the effectiveness thereby profits continuously. Theory of Constraints (TOC) adopts a unique con-cept exploiting the constraint to deliver the customer needs. TOC is built on the premise that the weakest link determines the strength of the whole chain. With the advent of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing systems could be exploited to the next best level, leveraging the interaction of cyber physical systems and human beings over the internet. This paper deals with a novel idea of implementing TOC concept blended with Internet of Things (IoT), thereby, the speed of implementation could be augmented for early results. Evidently, the smartness of Things is derived based on the possibility of informed and proactive decisions. Hence all the productivity improvement techniques and concepts could be complemented with such concurrent information and analytics, thereby the learning and decisions are much smarter and proactive. A real time industrial environment has been chosen to experiment this approach and the results are furnished paving way for future research and improvisation globally on the industrial environment and on many other competing productivity concepts

Can TOC be the catalyst for lean implementation? A case investigation

The objective of the paper is to investigate the potential of integrating lean philosophy with Goldratt's theory of constraints (TOC) to improve operational performance in an auto component manufacturing firm. This paper proposes an integrated lean philosophy-TOC framework and its case application to enhance operational performance in an auto component manufacturing firm. Case study results indicate that the company benefited from its emphasis on operational performance enhancement by the TOC concept. Managers were able to select a continuous improvement (CI) project that had a greater impact on the bottom line performance. On the other hand, lean philosophy provided seven wastes identification and reduction techniques, to enhance customer value as well as to optimise utilisation of available resources. Further empirical investigation and robust model development on TOC-based lean implementation will guide lean practitioners to leverage lean advantages which can further be improved by integrating with other CI techniques. Integration of lean manufacturing philosophy and TOC can provide managers with an effective platform for two CI techniques to work together and create great energies. The paper reveals a typical case of a journey of enhancing operational performance by adopting lean philosophy with initiations of TOC approach.

Can TOC be the catalyst for lean implementation? A case investigation

The objective of the paper is to investigate the potential of integrating lean philosophy with Goldratt's theory of constraints (TOC) to improve operational performance in an auto component manufacturing firm. This paper proposes an integrated lean philosophy-TOC framework and its case application to enhance operational performance in an auto component manufacturing firm. Case study results indicate that the company benefited from its emphasis on operational performance enhancement by the TOC concept. Managers were able to select a continuous improvement (CI) project that had a greater impact on the bottom line performance. On the other hand, lean philosophy provided seven wastes identification and reduction techniques, to enhance customer value as well as to optimise utilisation of available resources. Further empirical investigation and robust model development on TOC-based lean implementation will guide lean practitioners to leverage lean advantages which can further be improved by integrating with other CI techniques. Integration of lean manufacturing philosophy and TOC can provide managers with an effective platform for two CI techniques to work together and create great energies. The paper reveals a typical case of a journey of enhancing operational performance by adopting lean philosophy with initiations of TOC approach.

A new approach for decision making in distribution supply chains: a theory of constraints perspective

The understanding of the application of the theory of constraints (TOC) concepts in the management of logistics distribution is not yet consolidated in the academia and especially in the practical field. The objective of this paper was to develop and test a proposed model to support decision making regarding the feasibility of implementing TOC in managing distribution logistics. In an automotive factory, the proposed method was applied and mainly in order to perform a critical analysis of the method and the potential implementation of the TOC concepts in the management of distribution. The main results of the research allowed appointing a structured method in logical steps to be used in the practice of companies to improve their logistics performance. The research suggests the use of the method contributed to the analysis and acceptance of TOC in distribution logistics.

A study of scheduling under the theory of constraints

In this study, the implementation of the theory of constraints (TOC) rules for job-shop systems to advance the state of research on constraint scheduling is investigated. Most previous studies have applied the TOC concepts and rules to simple process flows, but the nature of job-shop systems adds complexity to scheduling. The current rules of thumb for scheduling based on the TOC are implemented for a case study in the automotive industry. A number of simulation scenarios are discussed, providing insights into the master production schedule (MPS), the drum–buffer–rope (DBR) scheduling method, the role of setup times in scheduling, the impact of free products (those that do not use constraint resources) on throughput, and the effect of priority rules in resource assignment to free products. Moreover, optimization techniques are used to find optimal and/or satisfactory solutions for input variables in the simulation experiment. Our findings suggest that the current rules of thumb should be modified for real-world applications and complex job-shop systems.

Robustness Evaluation of Job-Shop Scheduling Based on Theory of Constraints (TOC)

This study aimed to present the robustness evaluation of job-shop scheduling based on Theory of Constraints (TOC) concept under processing time and demand variations using simulation technique. The performance of schedule based on TOC and traditional method (minimizing Cmax) were compared in terms of schedule robustness and performance. Simulation test scenarios were carried out by applying different distributions of processing time with two case problems as single and double bottlenecks cases. In addition, demand variation was added to the simulation test at the last experiment to increase the system variation. The results showed that the schedule based on TOC concept was superior to the schedule from traditional method when the variation in both processing time and demand were increased and the production system was more complicated as can be observed from the results of double bottlenecks case.

A Conflict Resolution Tool for Project Managers: Evaporating Cloud

INTRODUCTION One of us (2nd author), a former owner of a $22M technology development firm, has first-hand experience observing, diagnosing, and leading projects from conceptualization stage to the termination stage in the capacity of a senior leader, project manager, functional manager, staff member as well as a client. Due to a myriad of reasons (e.g., significant uncertainty about decision-making authority, groups working with different goals and expectations), the author has witnessed conflicts of varying intensity (measured in terms of frequency and magnitude) at various stages throughout IT project life cycles. It's been well documented by The Standish Group International (1995) that only 16% of application development projects were considered successful in terms of being completed on time and with budget. There are many elements to an IT project and internal risks and external risks need to be facilitated according to Marchewka (2010), and with these risks tension and arise. In order to foster strong relationships and better communication between parties, as well as promote continued progress toward projects' objectives, the 2nd author has employed various resolution techniques and has many 'war stories' dealing with failed (i.e., not delivering on the agreed upon objectives) projects. Thus, a search for a better approach to management in particular and project management in general continues (literature overview in the next section further supports this assertion). Hence, this paper introduces Goldratt's evaporating clouds as an enabling tool to resolve conflicts and successfully implement theory of constraints (TOC)-based ideas to deliver projects on time, on budget, and within scope. The process of project management (PM) inherently requires input from and interactions among various stakeholders with different points of view about how to achieve project objectives throughout a project's life cycle. Thus, conflicts within a project are inevitable and even desirable (Tjosvold, 2008). Increasingly, organizations are recognizing conflicts as a source of innovation and creativity (Nemeth, Personnaz, Personnaz, & Goncalo, 2004) and are adopting a more strategic approach to managing conflicts. Thus, management (CM) competency is being recognized as useful by project managers but there is a dearth of systematic process approaches to resolve the conflicts (Lipsky & Seeber, 2006; Kerzner, 2006). The primary purpose of this article is to provide insight on a tool, the evaporating cloud (EC) developed by Dr. Goldratt, the founder of the Theory of Constraint (TOC), as a systematic approach for getting from a stage to a solution stage. Recently, much has been written about the EC (Gupta, Boyd, & Kuzmits, 2011), but its versatile applications in the PM area have not been addressed. This paper is organized as followed: in this section, we will further discuss the term conflict by briefly summarizing various types/categories of conflicts that occur in the project environment. In the second section, we discuss resolution techniques as suggested in various literature and show that there is still a need for a comprehensive tool and generic approach to resolve conflicts. In the third section, we provide a brief overview of relevant TOC concepts and introduce Goldratt's Evaporating Cloud (EC) as a structured and systematic management tool using a simple example from an IT project manager's perspective. In the fourth section, we discuss a real-world application using an EC webapp. We conclude this paper by acknowledging the limitations of our work and recommend future research to empirically test the usefulness of this tool for IT project managers. Conflicts in Projects: Definition and Types Although there is no one clear definition of conflict, in this paper we adopt a broad organizational conceptualization proposed by Rahim (i. …

An Excel‐based dice game: an integrative learning activity in operations management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the role of the theory of constraints (TOC) to complement, reinforce, and help integrate conventional operations management (OM) concepts by using an Excel‐based version of the dice game discussed in The Goal by Goldratt.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses the motivation for and the development and evaluation of an Excel‐based dice game model of a production system for novice managers to experiment with. A set of experiments related to OM concepts (e.g. inventory, capacity, and variability) is designed and counterintuitive results are discussed. The paper concludes by demonstrating how TOC provides an integrative OM framework.FindingsThe novel The Goal by Goldratt serves as a comprehensive case study in OM. The computerized dice game provides a mechanism for understanding relationships among various OM concepts. The proposed set of experiments strengthens the linkages between OM and TOC concepts. Managers can conduct additional experiments and predict/interpret the results without spending time in the logistics of setting up the manual dice game repeatedly.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed dice game simulates a fairly simple serial production system so the generalization of results obtained might not be intuitively convincing for more complex production systems. More advanced OM concepts such as push (MRP) and pull (JIT) systems can easily be investigated using the underling logic of the dice game proposed here.Practical implicationsThe model provides an innovative way to integrate TOC concepts with mainstream OM concepts and thereby, renews interest in OM.Originality/valueSeveral versions of dice games, both manual and spreadsheet based, have appeared in the literature, however, none attempt to address as wide a variety of operations issues as the game proposed here.

Integrated framework for using TRIZ and TOC together: a case study

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential of combining theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) and theory of constraints (TOC) to improve system performance. Several researchers have studied the synergy between TOC and TRIZ tools with a focus on thinking process of TOC. They have not proposed any specific integrated framework to use TOC systematic approach which consists of five focusing steps and TRIZ inventive approach which consist of four steps. This paper proposes an integrated TOC/TRIZ framework and applies this framework to an investment casting company to improve its pattern-making operation. Applying the proposed framework in the case resulted in achieving much benefit from emphasising on global improvement guided by the TOC concept; managers were able to select a continuous improvement project that had greater impact on bottom-line performance. On the other hand, TRIZ provided tools to stimulate idea generation and inject creativity in improving programme.

A contribution to performance measurement in the healthcare industry: the industrial point of view

The health domain has entered the crucial phase of an important paradigm shift. The word 'customer' has started replacing the word 'patient'. It has been commonly admitted that the hospital's industry must be financed by social systems and only continue to exist as long as sufficient financial resources are available. This statement should be definitely replaced by: What must be changed such that within available budgets more health can be produced? This new philosophy needs a system that is able to measure impacts of any local modification on the global system. The present paper aims at finding a Theory of Constraints (TOC)-based answer to the hospital measurement system. TOC has been largely applied in the industrial world. Some successful implementations are reported from the financial industry, but so far the socio-economic world using TOC is mainly limited to profit organisations. We propose an extension of the TOC concept towards a non-profit world.

Integrating six sigma and theory of constraints for continuous improvement: a case study

PurposeTo investigate the potential of combining six sigma (SS) and theory of constraints (TOC) to improve production system performance.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature, this paper proposes an integrated TOC/SS framework and applies this framework to an axle manufacturing company to improve its gear‐cutting operation.FindingsThe results of the case study indicate that the company benefited tremendously from its emphasis on global improvement guided by the TOC concept. Managers were able to select a continuous improvement (CI) project that had greater impact on bottom line performance. On the other hand, SS provided various statistical tools and engineering techniques (such as value analysis, Pareto diagram and control charts) for defining the specific process to be improved, analyzing the root causes, and designing actions for making improvement.Research limitations/implicationsFor the future effort of integrating TOC with SS and other CI techniques, we suggest the incorporation of a TOC methodology, thinking process (TP).Practical implicationsOverall, the integration of SS and TOC provides managers with an excellent platform for two CI techniques to work together and create great synergy.Originality/valueThis study adds to the CI literature and practice by demonstrating the value of a method of combining TOC and SS.

Theory of constraints in a service application: The Swine Graphics case

This article presents a case study to examine a company that has implemented all three branches of the theory of constraints (TOC) into their operations to form a continuous improvement process. The company is not a traditional manufacturer but operates in the food production industry as a provider of services for larger food processors. Therefore, one of the key points in this case study is the examination of the application of a production planning and control concept, TOC, applied to a service provider. An analysis is also made to identify to what extent TOC concepts are applicable and what, if anything, requires changes to be made to TOC?

A teoria das restrições como balizadora das ações visando a troca rápida de ferramentas

O presente artigo propõe a sinergia entre duas técnicas famosas no contexto da gestão industrial: a Troca Rápida de Ferramenta (TRF) e a Teoria das Restrições (Theory of Constraints TOC). Para tanto, inicialmente, discute-se a problemática macroeconômica e sua vinculação com o aspecto microeconômico da TRF. Posteriormente, discute-se as principais vantagens potenciais decorrentes daredução dos custos e dos tempos de preparação. Na seqüência, revisa-se o método da TRF, pontuando-se que a abordagem apresenta uma deficiência no que concerne à apresentação de um procedimento de priorização que permita um plano lógico de ataque à questão. Neste ponto do texto, propõe-se a TOC como balizadora das ações visando a Troca Rápida de Ferramentas. Após uma breve revisão teórica da TOC, apresenta-se uma discussão sobre a possível sinergia da mesma com a TRF. Finalmente, apresenta-se um exemplo didático e as conclusões finais do artigo.