“The Goal” is a management-themed novel whose main message centers on identifying and addressing constraints within a system to improve overall efficiency. The Theory of Constraints suggests that, in any process, there is usually a bottleneck or constraint that limits the entire system’s output, and, without addressing these, improvements in other areas of the system will have no effect. Through the story of a plant manager, it offers insights on how to improve efficiency, which also includes optimizing the production process as a whole, instead of focusing on individual parts. By focusing on alleviating or optimizing constraints, and seeking to optimize the entire process, organizations can enhance their performance and achieve better results.
In our picking example, you would begin by analyzing the entire warehouse to identify where the bottleneck or constraint occurs. Many times, the constraint will be obvious and other times it will need discovered. It could be a specific location, equipment, or a particular step in the process. Is picking by paper slowing things down? Is the slotting of particular products causing pickers to spend too much time walking between picks? Is auditing revealing issues with a particular area? Or maybe, picking is the constraint (as it often is) but why? Is it because of bad slotting, slow pickers, or is your picking tech not adequate?
The process is iterative; as constraints are overcome, new ones emerge. Continuously monitor the impact of the changes on the overall system performance. Assess whether the changes effectively elevated the constraint and if any new bottlenecks have emerged. Adjust strategies as needed to optimize the entire process continually.In picking operations, perhaps you increased throughput, but accuracy has waned and that is costing you greatly. As in the book, perhaps you now need a new marketing and sales strategy because your newfound efficiency and productivity have allowed you to eat through your backlog of orders.
The lessons of the Theory of Constraints and “The Goal” provide a new way of looking at things, and a different process for uncovering challenges and developing answers. By applying the Theory of Constraints to warehouse picking operations, businesses can streamline their processes, reduce delays, and enhance overall efficiency, ultimately leading to improved customer satisfaction and profitability.
With a keen focus on improving end user quality of life and maximizing the warehouse floor workers’ experience, Patrick strives for continuous improvement in the processes and technology he oversees. Patrick is uniquely skilled in software development, automation, visualization, data organization, user experience and interface design.
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