| Recommended: If you want to learn more on this topic.. Unless you are willing to commit to a workshop with a TOC Expert, you cannot beat the educational material developed by Eli Goldratt, the originator of the Theory of Constraints. He is an amazing teacher. The 8 Videos in his Satellite Program are a best-buy for a company, intended for use by groups of employees. His provocative coverage of every industrial application of TOC challenges managers to think in new directions, and to recognize the sacred cows in their organization and their own thinking. The 16-CD Self Learning Program is extracted from the same material but intended for use by individuals on their own PCs, rather than groups. The TOC Insights is a new interactive PC-based tool for individuals. As a TOC Expert I thought they were too "cute" ... until I used them with clients. They proved to be highly effective learning tools for the 5 major applications, and the Distribution and Supply Chain solution is documented in detail here for the first time anywhere. |
Planned: a Monthly TOC EZine This EZine is intended to be 100% practical, offering tips, advice and illustrations of users' experiences with the different TOC applications. TOC Experts with practical suggestions to real problems encountered with clients will also contribute. The EZine will promote the use of TOC in combination with other technologies, for improved results. We will be taking subscriptions soon. |
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A tool for constructing an action plan Every action is connected to a set of circumstances and a planned outcome with cause-effect logic Effective communications tool, too |
The Transition Tree is a cause-effect planning tool (one of the Theory of Constraints' Thinking Processes) that nails down the action plan
Another Effect-Cause-Effect diagram, the Transition Tree is a deceptively simple tool used to develop a detailed action plan of precisely what must happen, in time-sequenced, cause-effect detail, in order to have a high degree of assurance that a desired outcome will be achieved in reality.
Again, this is not confined to use in a Theory of Constraints environment. I've used a Transition Tree to sequence a 10-day workshop (the "Jonah Course" as it was called) so that every stepping-stone to understanding would be understood before the next level was attempted. Extraordinarily powerful. I will also use this when I've a 5-minute (but important) telephone call to make, one where I have a clear outcome in mind and want to be sure I have a high degree of assurance of achieving it.
The Transition Tree is simple, powerful tool to ensure that not only the "What" but the "Why" of a series of actions is clear to everyone associated with a plan. I've seen the tool used effectively (described in a colleague's book) to lay-out a procedure for dealing with "incidents" in a company, for example, where its important that the supervisor responsible not only performs the appropriate actions but clearly understand why he or she is performing them, and what the shape of the outcome is expected to be.