Question

Explain the five steps of the theory of constraints (TOC) process. To what processes might the company in the case study apply TOC? Why would applying TOC to these processes be advantageous?

Answer 1

Explanation:

The theory of constraints (TOC) is a theory whose objective is to identify the most limiting constraint related to a systemic organizational process, that is, to identify the bottleneck that prevents an organization from carrying out its activities effectively and consequently achieving its objectives.

The steps are:

1- Identify: The first step is to identify the most limiting current constraint in the organization.

2- Exploit: In the exploit stage, it means making improvements with the resources available in the identified constraint.

3- Subordinate: In this stage, the review of other organizational activities that may interfere with the identified constraint is carried out, to identify whether there is how to make improvements in the subordinate activities that can guarantee the reduction of the constraint.

4- Elevate: In this stage, actions are implemented to eliminate the constraint if it has not yet been eliminated.

5- Repeat: In the last step, each step of the cycle is monitored so that there is continuous improvement in the elimination of the current constraint or a new constraint, so that the processes are constantly optimized.

TOC is effective in companies that use systemic production processes, as in a manufacture for example, whose stages of the production process are subordinate and one interferes in the quality of the other, which can interfere in the process as a whole.

The theory of constraint offers the continuous improvement of all processes and the elimination of current restrictions and the better identification of possible new restrictions, as well as the best use of organizational resources, which generates for the company greater profitability, less waste and less time delivery, improving the entire organizational process.