Entrepreneurs interested in learning more about TOC have a
myriad of sources, ranging from The Goal to consulting contracts
that may run to two years and six figures. Seminars that teach TOC
in detail typically cost $500 to $1,000 per person per day.
Originally presented in a manufacturing context, TOC has since
been applied to service industries and other areas such as
marketing. It is recommended as a tool for daily problem-solving as
well as strategic planning. Still, says Covington, "TOC is not
a panacea for everything. It's not going to solve cultural
problems within an organization."
That is a significant limitation, given the often-patriarchal,
control-oriented cultures found in many entrepreneurial firms.
Entrepreneurs in any culture will also need accurate insight into
their businesses to uncover the appropriate bottlenecks. And
McMullen cautions that introducing TOC into a company is likely to
result in considerable disruption of established practices.
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Indeed, says Stillahn, constraint management has affected
everything from where his printing presses are located to what
they're running. Products he once thought were stars are now
considered losers, and vice versa. But he plans to push ahead
against his constraints.
"In every business, there's a bottleneck," says
Stillahn. "If you don't relieve that bottleneck, you
don't do any better anywhere else."
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