Introduction

Theory of Constraints (TOC) is a multifaceted management philosophy, which emerged in the early 1980s. The development of TOC is credited in the main to Goldratt, an Israeli physicist who has had a remarkable impact on the business world, especially in the US TOC is a multifaceted management philosophy, which emerged in the early 1980s. The development of TOC is credited in the main to Goldratt, Israeli physicist who has had a remarkable impact on the business world, especially in the US The lozenge-shaped diagram on the page presents the components of TOC in a slightly different arrangement, representing our view on how the various parts of TOC should be used. TOC is itself the subject of ongoing improvement, though it still suffers from inertia from some quarters. The chapter also provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book provides a benchmark for how things were before the impact of the GSP.