Businesses’ bottleneck bane
Economist
23-05-18 12:47
Business management book, "The Goal," has returned to prominence during the pandemic, following its popularisation of bottleneck thinking during the 1980s. The novel introduces Eli Goldratt’s "theory of constraints," which focuses on identifying physical, policy-based or personnel bottlenecks that can delay decision-making or slow supply chains. As global shortages of semiconductors and congestion at ports have affected production, supply chains and shipping during the pandemic, managers have been revisiting the book to seek insights. The story follows protagonist Alex Rogo, a plant manager, who is given just three months to save his factory from closure by identifying and reducing bottlenecks.