Constraints aren’t your enemy—they’re your friend. If you want the most bang-for-buck for your effort, despite the connotation of the word constraint, it’s precisely at that place you’ll find the leverage you’re looking for.
In a recent workshop, I asked the team to state their goal. The number they gave me—expressed as a volume of safe, reliable tonnes—was a good deal less than the design capacity of the plant. A little surprised, I asked them what was going on.
In Part I, we started using Goldratt’s six questions to judge how technology might help us better control contracted resources at a mine site. Our ambitious agenda required the solution to include group functions and vendors along with the teams directly involved.
Of all life’s gifts, time is the most precious. None of us escapes its clutches. As every minute ticks by, our quota is relentlessly reduced by that minute, then the next and the next. Prioritising how we spend our allotted time is one of our most consequential challenges.
It’s remarkable how quickly we can resolve issues when it counts—like finding a coronavirus vaccine. How come it can take so long, then, to resolve issues when the stakes aren’t quite as high? Let’s take a look at some of the causes and explore opportunities to do better.
Releasing new work at the rate you’re completing old work is one of the most productivity-enhancing actions you can take, and yet equally, one of the most challenging improvements to accomplish.