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Velocity: Combining Lean, Six Sigma and the Theory of Constraints to Achieve Breakthrough Performance - A Business Novel
Millions of readers remember The Goal , the landmark business novel that sets forth by way of story the essential principles of Eliyahu Goldratt's innovative methods of production. Now, from the AGI-Goldratt Institute and Jeff Cox, the same creative writer who co-authored The Goal , comes VELOCITY , the book that reveals how to achieve outstanding bottom-line results by integrating the world's three most powerful continuous improvement Lean, Six Sigma, and Goldratt's Theory of Constraints.Used by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps to dramatically improve some of the most complex, logistically vast supply chains in the world, the VELOCITY APPROACH draws on the strengths of all three disciplines to deliver breakthrough performance gains. In physics, speed with direction is velocity; in business, the application of VELOCITY means your organization can achieve operational speed with strategic direction to outmaneuver competitors, gain loyalty with customers, and rapidly build sustainable earnings growth -- in as little as one or two business quarters.Dee Jacob and Suzan Bergland, two princi-pals of AGI, have been teaching the concepts, techniques, and tools of VELOCITY to major corporations, including Procter & Gamble, ITT, and Northrop Grumman, for years. Now they unlock the door for you to see how to apply their insights and methods to your organization -- be it business, not-for-profit, manufacturing, or service based -- in order to shorten lead times, slash inventories, reduce production variability, and increase sales.Writer Jeff Cox returns with the vivid, realistic style that made The Goal so readable yet so edifying. Thrust into the presidency of the subsidiary company where she has managed sales and marketing, Amy Cieolara is mandated by her corporate superiors to implement Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in order to appease a key customer. Assigned to help her is LSS Master Black Belt Wayne Reese, installed as her operations manager. But as time goes on and corporate pressure mounts, Amy finds she has to start thinking for herself -- and learning from everyone around her -- and she arrives at the series of steps that form the core of the VELOCITY APPROACH.VELOCITY offers keen insight into the human and organizational factors that so often derail growth while teaching you proven, practical techniques for restarting and revving up the internal engines of your company to reach new levels of success. Colorful characters, believable situations, and everything from dice games to AGI's "reality tree" techniques make this business novel a vital resource for everyone seeking to deliver business improvement in these challenging economic times -- and far into the future.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2009
63 people are currently reading
611 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 17, 2016
The book crunches together LSS and TOC in an attempt to address processes which can't be entirely leaned down from batch working. Like "The Goal", this book is also written as a novel, and like The Goal, this one is populated with cardboard characters whose dialogue wouldn't be less believable if it were written in rhyming couplets.
Still, despite that, it's a readable book which gets the concepts across, though I can't help but feel that this could be done just as well in a tenth of the space by avoiding the novel format; and that LSS/TOC might not be quite the perfect solution to life, love & happiness that it ends up being in the novel.
Recommended, but with those caveats.
Still, despite that, it's a readable book which gets the concepts across, though I can't help but feel that this could be done just as well in a tenth of the space by avoiding the novel format; and that LSS/TOC might not be quite the perfect solution to life, love & happiness that it ends up being in the novel.
Recommended, but with those caveats.
May 8, 2025
“Velocity”, authored by folks from the Goldratt Institute, builds on the success of “The Goal”. It attempts to combine TOC, Lean, and Six Sigma. The plot is actually quite engaging as a novel, perhaps even more than the original “Goal”. It follows a plant already using TOC that gets thrown into chaos by new management chasing quick wins, sometimes misapplying Lean and Six Sigma tools in the process.
However, the core narrative shows how TOC serves as the primary framework. By focusing on the system constraint and prioritizing via Throughput, Investment, and Operating Expense, TOC effectively leverages Lean and Six Sigma for results. A major highlight is the multi-round dice and coin game. It is genuinely far more insightful and fun than the matchstick game from the first book. This game perfectly illustrates concepts like variation, interdependence, and DBR.
Now for the critique: honestly, the book is a mixed bag. It’s brilliant in its core idea of combining methodologies. However, it’s sometimes frustratingly naive or outright distorted in the specific examples used to support that idea. Like those black belts, who confused cycle time with variation, or POU application for high-mix production. Such flawed examples should highlight incompetence rather than forming the basis for methodological integration.
However, the core narrative shows how TOC serves as the primary framework. By focusing on the system constraint and prioritizing via Throughput, Investment, and Operating Expense, TOC effectively leverages Lean and Six Sigma for results. A major highlight is the multi-round dice and coin game. It is genuinely far more insightful and fun than the matchstick game from the first book. This game perfectly illustrates concepts like variation, interdependence, and DBR.
Now for the critique: honestly, the book is a mixed bag. It’s brilliant in its core idea of combining methodologies. However, it’s sometimes frustratingly naive or outright distorted in the specific examples used to support that idea. Like those black belts, who confused cycle time with variation, or POU application for high-mix production. Such flawed examples should highlight incompetence rather than forming the basis for methodological integration.
June 21, 2020
A great business novel that explores the growth of an organisation through a major change, here corporate acquisition.
Lean and six sigma were introduced through use of WING, an LSS framed software application designed to report statistics and kpi's to corporate, Tornado's tactics are near criminal and I enjoyed learning how Amy, along with her V-Team and Tom, struggled well through adversity and earned their eventual Triumph.
LSS was eventually shown to bolster an Effective System, a constrained system in this case and paying it's dues to TOC. Through innovation and continuous improvement, the V-Team will continue to grow in pursuit of excellence.
The Dice game is clever, and a great visual of the Drum, Buffer and Rope System, thanks authors!
Lean and six sigma were introduced through use of WING, an LSS framed software application designed to report statistics and kpi's to corporate, Tornado's tactics are near criminal and I enjoyed learning how Amy, along with her V-Team and Tom, struggled well through adversity and earned their eventual Triumph.
LSS was eventually shown to bolster an Effective System, a constrained system in this case and paying it's dues to TOC. Through innovation and continuous improvement, the V-Team will continue to grow in pursuit of excellence.
The Dice game is clever, and a great visual of the Drum, Buffer and Rope System, thanks authors!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2025
I loved reading Goldratt’s The Goal.
In Velocity, the same authors attempt to make simple, through narrative, one of the most widely respected and adopted frameworks for fixing broken processes and improving quality—Lean Six Sigma. This approach blends the waste-reduction focus of Lean with the precision-driven quality control of Six Sigma. Together, they offer a powerful set of tools and principles that help organizations cut costs, raise standards, and deliver better results with fewer headaches.
SIX SIGMA
Developed at Motorola in the 1980s, Six Sigma is a data-driven system for improving quality by identifying and eliminating flaws in business processes. At its core, Six Sigma aims to minimize defects – anything that fails to meet customer expectations, whether that’s a late delivery or a faulty part. The benchmark is ambitious: fewer than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Achieving this requires a deep focus on statistical analysis, especially standard deviation – referred to as sigma – which measures how much variation a process produces. The lower the variation, the more consistent the outcome.
Six Sigma uses two structured improvement models. DMAIC – Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control – is used to fix existing processes by identifying root causes and making sustainable changes. DMADV – Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify – is for creating new processes or products, building in quality from the start.
While Six Sigma focuses on precision through data, Lean takes a complementary approach – targeting waste and inefficiency to streamline how work gets done.
LEAN
Lean production is a method built around a simple question: Where is effort being wasted? Instead of squeezing more out of people or equipment, it focuses on eliminating anything that doesn’t directly contribute to customer value. Originally developed from the Toyota Production System, it’s a flexible approach used far beyond car manufacturing – in hospitals, offices, and tech companies – wherever efficiency and quality matter.
At the core of Lean are three types of waste: physical waste, uneven workflows, and overloaded systems. These are known by their Japanese names – muda, mura, and muri. Muda refers to wasteful activities that add no value, like overproducing goods or waiting for parts to arrive. Even underused employee skills are counted as waste, not because they slow production down, but because they represent missed chances for innovation and improvement. Mura is about inconsistency: when work arrives in unpredictable bursts, it causes delays and downtime. Muri means asking too much of people or machines, which can lead to breakdowns or mistakes.
Lean is about building a culture of continuous improvement, known as kaizen. Instead of chasing big, sweeping changes, kaizen encourages steady, small-scale updates to how things are done. This can involve everything from redesigning a workstation to changing how information flows through a team. It’s supported by a method known as PDCA: Plan, Do, Check, Adjust – a cycle that helps teams test ideas, measure results, and make refinements part of everyday work.
Simplicity plays a big role, too. The fewer moving parts in a process, the easier it is to monitor, maintain, and improve. Lean also depends on visibility: unless waste can be seen and tracked, it’s unlikely to be addressed. That’s why clear layouts, open communication, and responsive supply chains are essential. Altogether, Lean provides a structured but adaptable way to reduce waste, improve quality, and keep businesses agile and competitive.
CHALLENGES
Six Sigma, in particular, has been criticized for being highly specialized and sometimes disconnected from broader business needs. It works best with well-defined, repeatable processes but struggles in creative or less structured environments like marketing or product design. The training requirements are steep, and advanced roles often demand full-time attention to Six Sigma projects. For smaller businesses, that kind of time and resource commitment may simply not be feasible. Bringing in external consultants can help, but not every company is willing or able to take that route, and without skilled guidance, adoption can stall. Even among staff, the system’s statistical foundation can seem overly complex or intimidating without proper context and communication.
Lean comes with its own challenges. The core idea – reducing waste and improving flow – sounds simple, but implementation can easily fall flat if it's driven only from the top down. When frontline workers aren’t involved in identifying problems and solutions, improvements tend to be superficial. Another issue is that some organizations approach Lean like a fixed recipe, expecting every tool to work in every situation. But Lean’s real strength lies in tailoring its principles to fit the unique shape of each business. The same goes for culture. The most effective Lean programs embrace kaizen – that belief in steady, continuous improvement. Skipping this and just applying tools without that mindset misses the point – and the potential.
REVIEW:
While I admire their attempt at helping readings transfer lessons from other people’s experiences, this is only the first step required to deeply understand LSS enough to apply it in your own context. (Note: not all steps apply. But the principle of Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is forever.)
In Velocity, the same authors attempt to make simple, through narrative, one of the most widely respected and adopted frameworks for fixing broken processes and improving quality—Lean Six Sigma. This approach blends the waste-reduction focus of Lean with the precision-driven quality control of Six Sigma. Together, they offer a powerful set of tools and principles that help organizations cut costs, raise standards, and deliver better results with fewer headaches.
SIX SIGMA
Developed at Motorola in the 1980s, Six Sigma is a data-driven system for improving quality by identifying and eliminating flaws in business processes. At its core, Six Sigma aims to minimize defects – anything that fails to meet customer expectations, whether that’s a late delivery or a faulty part. The benchmark is ambitious: fewer than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Achieving this requires a deep focus on statistical analysis, especially standard deviation – referred to as sigma – which measures how much variation a process produces. The lower the variation, the more consistent the outcome.
Six Sigma uses two structured improvement models. DMAIC – Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control – is used to fix existing processes by identifying root causes and making sustainable changes. DMADV – Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify – is for creating new processes or products, building in quality from the start.
While Six Sigma focuses on precision through data, Lean takes a complementary approach – targeting waste and inefficiency to streamline how work gets done.
LEAN
Lean production is a method built around a simple question: Where is effort being wasted? Instead of squeezing more out of people or equipment, it focuses on eliminating anything that doesn’t directly contribute to customer value. Originally developed from the Toyota Production System, it’s a flexible approach used far beyond car manufacturing – in hospitals, offices, and tech companies – wherever efficiency and quality matter.
At the core of Lean are three types of waste: physical waste, uneven workflows, and overloaded systems. These are known by their Japanese names – muda, mura, and muri. Muda refers to wasteful activities that add no value, like overproducing goods or waiting for parts to arrive. Even underused employee skills are counted as waste, not because they slow production down, but because they represent missed chances for innovation and improvement. Mura is about inconsistency: when work arrives in unpredictable bursts, it causes delays and downtime. Muri means asking too much of people or machines, which can lead to breakdowns or mistakes.
Lean is about building a culture of continuous improvement, known as kaizen. Instead of chasing big, sweeping changes, kaizen encourages steady, small-scale updates to how things are done. This can involve everything from redesigning a workstation to changing how information flows through a team. It’s supported by a method known as PDCA: Plan, Do, Check, Adjust – a cycle that helps teams test ideas, measure results, and make refinements part of everyday work.
Simplicity plays a big role, too. The fewer moving parts in a process, the easier it is to monitor, maintain, and improve. Lean also depends on visibility: unless waste can be seen and tracked, it’s unlikely to be addressed. That’s why clear layouts, open communication, and responsive supply chains are essential. Altogether, Lean provides a structured but adaptable way to reduce waste, improve quality, and keep businesses agile and competitive.
CHALLENGES
Six Sigma, in particular, has been criticized for being highly specialized and sometimes disconnected from broader business needs. It works best with well-defined, repeatable processes but struggles in creative or less structured environments like marketing or product design. The training requirements are steep, and advanced roles often demand full-time attention to Six Sigma projects. For smaller businesses, that kind of time and resource commitment may simply not be feasible. Bringing in external consultants can help, but not every company is willing or able to take that route, and without skilled guidance, adoption can stall. Even among staff, the system’s statistical foundation can seem overly complex or intimidating without proper context and communication.
Lean comes with its own challenges. The core idea – reducing waste and improving flow – sounds simple, but implementation can easily fall flat if it's driven only from the top down. When frontline workers aren’t involved in identifying problems and solutions, improvements tend to be superficial. Another issue is that some organizations approach Lean like a fixed recipe, expecting every tool to work in every situation. But Lean’s real strength lies in tailoring its principles to fit the unique shape of each business. The same goes for culture. The most effective Lean programs embrace kaizen – that belief in steady, continuous improvement. Skipping this and just applying tools without that mindset misses the point – and the potential.
REVIEW:
While I admire their attempt at helping readings transfer lessons from other people’s experiences, this is only the first step required to deeply understand LSS enough to apply it in your own context. (Note: not all steps apply. But the principle of Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is forever.)
January 19, 2020
Yoğun bir üretim alanında çalışıyorsanız, her şey acil ve onun daha fazlaları ile geçiyorsa, düzensiz bir üretim anlayışı varsa bu kitap size yardımcı olacaktır. Kısıtlar Teorisine ilk adım olan AMAÇ'da teorinin nasıl işlediğini öğrendikten sonra, diğer üretim teorileri olan yalın üretim ve altı sigma teknikleri ile ne gibi farkları olduğunu anlatıyor. Bu üretim teorileri ile kısıtlar teorisini birleştirip daha fazla nasıl verim alabileceğimizi kitapta anlatılıyor. Kitabın aslında bu teorilerin harmanlandığı bir roman. İlk kitapta olduğu gibi bir olay içinde size bu üretim tekniklerini anlatıyor. Ve genel olarak yapılan hatalar, bu hataların nasıl düzeltileceğini ince ince çok güzel anlatmış. Üretim alanında çalışan ve sıkıntılı bir üretim akışı olan, yöneticilerinin acil den başka bir üretim sıralaması olmadığı bir yer ise ilk kitabı ve bunu okumanızı tavsiye ederim. Bundan sonrası sizin kendi üretim alanınıza işi nasıl yetireceğinize kalıyor.
December 27, 2019
I bought this book thinking it was an audible text book for my car trip. Having committed I listened to it on my 8 hour road trip. The novel aspect was unsurprisingly lacking. I would have preferred if they kept the interpersonal drama to the work place everything involving Zelda and Harry is so contrived.
Also the master black-belt Wayne making such basic mistakes seemed ridiculous. This man would have years of experience! Also, the issue with all the unwanted materials just disappeared and we were not told how this was corrected.
I was disappointed it did not go further into the concepts involved in The Theory of Constraints which was a new concept for me. The Lean and Six Sigma concepts were very basic. I would avoid this is you already have a basic understanding of involved concepts.
Also the master black-belt Wayne making such basic mistakes seemed ridiculous. This man would have years of experience! Also, the issue with all the unwanted materials just disappeared and we were not told how this was corrected.
I was disappointed it did not go further into the concepts involved in The Theory of Constraints which was a new concept for me. The Lean and Six Sigma concepts were very basic. I would avoid this is you already have a basic understanding of involved concepts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2018
Another factory, another beleaguered team trying to rescue their operation from failing profits. This time an operation run with the principles of Theory of Constraints is steered away from the core principles toward Lean Six Sigma and the results are abysmal. Another mystical guru, this time in the guise of a former Marine pilot, steers the plant manager away from one philosophy in isolation and back toward a blend of theories, profitability and love.
Not nearly as compelling as The Goal, its inspiration, this "business novel" takes way too long to develop and loses its emotional steam. You know all will be ok in the end, and you just want it to be over. I got some good insights from it, after quite an investment.
Not nearly as compelling as The Goal, its inspiration, this "business novel" takes way too long to develop and loses its emotional steam. You know all will be ok in the end, and you just want it to be over. I got some good insights from it, after quite an investment.
March 7, 2021
The first time enjoying a fiction based on management theories. The beginning was quite similar to what I had experienced in the factory operation, the turnout, however, was far better than what I had. What I learnt: TOC theory sometimes is to accept the constraint instead of making it go away: the little game that played in the family and with the senior management.
Smart woman:
Ask your colleague not to forward email to you if it's something confidential and you're not supposed to know it yet, print it instead;
Deny that you know if it's confidential and don't share with your subordinates, instead, tell them you would not tell them if you know because it's not allowed;
Ask your subordinates where they get the information and what they know.
Smart woman:
Ask your colleague not to forward email to you if it's something confidential and you're not supposed to know it yet, print it instead;
Deny that you know if it's confidential and don't share with your subordinates, instead, tell them you would not tell them if you know because it's not allowed;
Ask your subordinates where they get the information and what they know.
December 19, 2018
I've read the Goal before, and I enjoyed it. So, Velocity was also a compelling read. The relationship between LSS and TOC that started out as a rivalry in the first half of the book, has later turned out to be a complementary combination, sort of a happy ending. Still it is somehow obvious that the authors favor TOC over LSS as a winning business strategy, and they see LSS as a set of tools that would further improve TOC. While reading the book, I found myself thinking about the endless debate over who has the upper hand in MMA fight; the grappler or the striker. The result, grappler is the winner but definitely could use the knock-out skills of the striker.
October 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this- it is fairly honest about what I would call dogmatic lean and/or six sigma and how it requires perspective as well to really implement well.
I was surprised to find adult themes, even if most of that is 'off screen' in what I saw as a business title. I can see how it kind of mattered- these are humans and interpersonal dynamics can definitely be a big issue in getting an initiative implemented. I was in a hurry to read it, so I just wished it had been a little more clinical in addressing that the relationships existed and moved into how the impacted the work, but it is a fairly small gripe.
I was surprised to find adult themes, even if most of that is 'off screen' in what I saw as a business title. I can see how it kind of mattered- these are humans and interpersonal dynamics can definitely be a big issue in getting an initiative implemented. I was in a hurry to read it, so I just wished it had been a little more clinical in addressing that the relationships existed and moved into how the impacted the work, but it is a fairly small gripe.
March 26, 2017
Like the book "The Goal", this is a business novel too. It explains / walks the user about the LSS and TOC and use them together to achieve the needs.
The book is more of a novel and could have introduced the LSS / TOC concepts in an effective way. Characters are very loosely assembled and the plot is shallow.
This book will be a good introductory book to LSS and TOC for people who might not have read "The Goal".
On a side note, some of my friends really loved the book. It could be a hit or miss with people depending on their level of understanding of LSS and TOC.
The book is more of a novel and could have introduced the LSS / TOC concepts in an effective way. Characters are very loosely assembled and the plot is shallow.
This book will be a good introductory book to LSS and TOC for people who might not have read "The Goal".
On a side note, some of my friends really loved the book. It could be a hit or miss with people depending on their level of understanding of LSS and TOC.
December 17, 2019
The characters are cardboard, but I guess it tells tells a story and gets the point across: how to combine ToC with lean and six sigma. But it took the long way 'round. Personally I would rather have read a more academic book that just tackled the concepts in themselves without wrapping it up on made-up scenarios.
September 19, 2017
Save yourself a few days and just read The Goal. This came across very strongly as a way to influence companies driving Six Sigma and Lean to not let go of Theory of Constraints.
Whole story line done. Oh, and they get married in the end.
Whole story line done. Oh, and they get married in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2025
A fascinating way of integrating lean, six sigma, and ToC in the enterprise, on a rather "lean" (to use a pun) story. Some details of lean six sigma are a bit shaky, and this novel clearly prioritizes the viewpoint of Goldratt's theory of constraints. Worth a read, with a grain of salt.
November 29, 2017
Not a big fan of TOC or Six Sigma, so I won't critique this business novel.
December 19, 2018
Good snack book. Not wow as the rest
February 26, 2019
Velocity
An enjoyable story around Theory of Constraints and Lean Six Sigma in a style similar to The Goal, even if more story like.
An enjoyable story around Theory of Constraints and Lean Six Sigma in a style similar to The Goal, even if more story like.
August 3, 2019
I like this book, easy to ready smart princess sitting behind.
December 2, 2019
Excellent read especially if you work in a manufacturing or production environment.
June 26, 2021
Bardzo fascynująca powieść biznesowa. W dość interesujący, oryginalny sposób przedstawiona jest teoria lean management oraz teoria ograniczeń Goldratta. Z zainteresowaniem przesłuchałem całość.
March 4, 2017
Nerdy from an Industrial Engineers perspective
February 25, 2025
2025 Update: Many of my original thoughts are still the same. The one new interjection I have is that, in this book, the ones with the least acceptance to change were the ones with the "single best" way to improve. Lean, DMAIC, and TOC all have value. Choosing one over the other is like picking your favorite child. As I've entered my second full decade in operations improvement, I've learned that all my tools (like my children) have special gifts that bring value.
2023 Update: The first time I read this book probably close to 10 years ago and never put any notes in my Goodreads to remind me about it is about....so after listening to the audiobook...here we go
Velocity is about using Theory of Constraints, lean, and Six Sigma to truly get the most out of your improvement system. Like many of the TOC books (ie the goal), Velocity is written in a fictional novel type mode so the reader can interpret different emotions. Having this book audio read to me reminded me how much I enjoy business novels.
My experience has shown that "lean zealots" or "Black Belts" tend to disregard TOC's benefits which is exactly the plot of the book.
Velocity is a fictional novel about a successful company that uses TOC, gets sold, and the company purchasing it runs it to the ground. In an effort to turn it around they use lean and Six Sigma. What they experience, many of us have seen. Huge gains in local optimization, but less than stellar/measurable results to the bottom line.
It takes an independent third party to demonstrate how all three can be used to create robust, bottom line, measurable improvements.
I like this book very much. And now that I have a Audible, I will be able to reread it occasionally. I've TOC to discover the bottleneck and improve the bottleneck, but sometimes I forget the more subtle parts about the five steps of theory of constraints. Spoke with another good reminder and a quick entertaining listen
2023 Update: The first time I read this book probably close to 10 years ago and never put any notes in my Goodreads to remind me about it is about....so after listening to the audiobook...here we go
Velocity is about using Theory of Constraints, lean, and Six Sigma to truly get the most out of your improvement system. Like many of the TOC books (ie the goal), Velocity is written in a fictional novel type mode so the reader can interpret different emotions. Having this book audio read to me reminded me how much I enjoy business novels.
My experience has shown that "lean zealots" or "Black Belts" tend to disregard TOC's benefits which is exactly the plot of the book.
Velocity is a fictional novel about a successful company that uses TOC, gets sold, and the company purchasing it runs it to the ground. In an effort to turn it around they use lean and Six Sigma. What they experience, many of us have seen. Huge gains in local optimization, but less than stellar/measurable results to the bottom line.
It takes an independent third party to demonstrate how all three can be used to create robust, bottom line, measurable improvements.
I like this book very much. And now that I have a Audible, I will be able to reread it occasionally. I've TOC to discover the bottleneck and improve the bottleneck, but sometimes I forget the more subtle parts about the five steps of theory of constraints. Spoke with another good reminder and a quick entertaining listen
March 24, 2010
The central insight of this book is its combination of Theory of Constraints with Lean Production and Six Sigma. Lean Production and Six Sigma are focused on maximizing resource utilization and eliminating waste. They use phrases like "continuous improvement", which is all well and good. The problem is that they are, by their very nature, omnidirectional. Everything improving all the time. Which happens to be not very efficient.
The Theory of Constraints gives Lean Production and Six Sigma some direction. The Theory of Constraints at its simplest is "Every process has a limiting factor." A weakest link, if you will. This is a fact, not an option. Therefore, as much as it is possible, you should try to pick what step in the process or what resource that you want to be the constraint. Then you can optimize everything to make that constraint as productive as possible. This gives your optimizations directions and guarantees that the limiting resource/process in the system (and therefore the system as a whole) will be working at maximum velocity.
These insights are only of limited value on a smaller scale. They perform best on large, complex, interdependent processes.
This book also recommends single-tasking (to completion if possible) when working in interdependent groups to make sure that the people who are dependent on your work aren't constrained by your "in-process".
Velocity is a business book in the form of a terribly written novel, which was still more interesting than the average business textbook.
The Theory of Constraints gives Lean Production and Six Sigma some direction. The Theory of Constraints at its simplest is "Every process has a limiting factor." A weakest link, if you will. This is a fact, not an option. Therefore, as much as it is possible, you should try to pick what step in the process or what resource that you want to be the constraint. Then you can optimize everything to make that constraint as productive as possible. This gives your optimizations directions and guarantees that the limiting resource/process in the system (and therefore the system as a whole) will be working at maximum velocity.
These insights are only of limited value on a smaller scale. They perform best on large, complex, interdependent processes.
This book also recommends single-tasking (to completion if possible) when working in interdependent groups to make sure that the people who are dependent on your work aren't constrained by your "in-process".
Velocity is a business book in the form of a terribly written novel, which was still more interesting than the average business textbook.
December 23, 2011
If there was a 2.5 rating that is really what I would have given this book. I liked it a little bit. I really wanted to love this book. The premise was intriguing. A business novel that fuses lean six sigma and theory of constraints (TOC). However, it just did not quite deliver in the end.
The story is based around a woman, Amy Ceolara who has suddenly been thrust into the leadership position of a manufacturing company. Amy has a strong marketing background but lacks the experience in operations so she has a lean six sigma master black belt assigned to assist her in turning the company around. I felt that the book did not delve into six sigma as much as I would have liked and in my opinion TOC won out. And the end seemed rushed and rather abrupt. I know the message was supposed to be that both work well hand-in-hand.
The other thing that annoyed me was the side love story. It would have been better left out altogether in my opinion. It was very hokey and rather boring. The book The Goal delivered much better in all aspects in my opinion although it strictly focused on TOC.
I welcome more business novels that help teach the benefits of different business strategies and beliefs. It is a great way to reinforce learning.
The story is based around a woman, Amy Ceolara who has suddenly been thrust into the leadership position of a manufacturing company. Amy has a strong marketing background but lacks the experience in operations so she has a lean six sigma master black belt assigned to assist her in turning the company around. I felt that the book did not delve into six sigma as much as I would have liked and in my opinion TOC won out. And the end seemed rushed and rather abrupt. I know the message was supposed to be that both work well hand-in-hand.
The other thing that annoyed me was the side love story. It would have been better left out altogether in my opinion. It was very hokey and rather boring. The book The Goal delivered much better in all aspects in my opinion although it strictly focused on TOC.
I welcome more business novels that help teach the benefits of different business strategies and beliefs. It is a great way to reinforce learning.
May 3, 2017
Jeff Cox’un Eliyahu M. Goldratt ile birlikte yazdığı çok satan Amaç romanında gördüğümüz gibi Hız da bir fabrikada yapılan iyileştirmeleri örnek vaka olarak sunuyor ve Üretim Yönetimi alanında bazı teknikleri roman formatının sağladığı akıcılıkla öğretmeyi amaçlıyor. Hikayede Yalın Düşünce, Altı Sigma ve Kısıtlar Teorisi birlikte kullanılıyor.
Yalın Düşünce, Toyota Üretim Sistemi (TPS) içinde yerleşmiş olan kavramlar üzerine tesis edilmiştir ve birçok biçimiyle israfın yok edilmesini vurgular.
Altı Sigma, Toplam Kalite Yönetiminden ve başka kalite iyileştirme metotlarından türetilmiştir ve gücü sapmanın azaltılmasındadır.
Kısıtlar Teorisi (TOC), bir sistem kısıtının, karmaşık bir sistemi güvenilir şekilde yönetmenin en pratik yolu olduğunu ve sistem bir kez istikrarlı ve öngörülebilir olduğunda sistemik iyileştirme için odağı sağladığını savunur.
Hikayede konu edilen örgütsel iyileştirme yaklaşımı olarak Hız üç ayaktan oluşur: Mimari sistem olarak Kısıtlar Teorisi; odaklanılan iyileştirme süreci olarak Yalın ve Altı Sigma disiplinleri; konuşlanma çerçevesi olarak Strateji, Tasarım, Etkinleştirme, İyileştirme.
Yalın Düşünce, Toyota Üretim Sistemi (TPS) içinde yerleşmiş olan kavramlar üzerine tesis edilmiştir ve birçok biçimiyle israfın yok edilmesini vurgular.
Altı Sigma, Toplam Kalite Yönetiminden ve başka kalite iyileştirme metotlarından türetilmiştir ve gücü sapmanın azaltılmasındadır.
Kısıtlar Teorisi (TOC), bir sistem kısıtının, karmaşık bir sistemi güvenilir şekilde yönetmenin en pratik yolu olduğunu ve sistem bir kez istikrarlı ve öngörülebilir olduğunda sistemik iyileştirme için odağı sağladığını savunur.
Hikayede konu edilen örgütsel iyileştirme yaklaşımı olarak Hız üç ayaktan oluşur: Mimari sistem olarak Kısıtlar Teorisi; odaklanılan iyileştirme süreci olarak Yalın ve Altı Sigma disiplinleri; konuşlanma çerçevesi olarak Strateji, Tasarım, Etkinleştirme, İyileştirme.
February 28, 2018
There are some good points to show the pitfalls of various process improvement methods.
The real downfall of this book is the weak connection of the plot. Too much time is spent elaborating on character depth instead of revealing character depth through the story. One example is the introduction of the names of wives of several key characters on the second page from the very end of the book. Flashback stories are used to fill in large time gaps and many of the learning adventures that could make the story good are glossed over.
The Goal and It's Not Luck are much better, although this book is not useless. The "love interest" of the story receives a lot of emphasis and comes to a rather rapid and undeveloped conclusion that makes it seems contrived.
I wouldn't recommend this book except to those who really want to capture a few nuggets of gold and don't mind the lengthy journey to get them.
The real downfall of this book is the weak connection of the plot. Too much time is spent elaborating on character depth instead of revealing character depth through the story. One example is the introduction of the names of wives of several key characters on the second page from the very end of the book. Flashback stories are used to fill in large time gaps and many of the learning adventures that could make the story good are glossed over.
The Goal and It's Not Luck are much better, although this book is not useless. The "love interest" of the story receives a lot of emphasis and comes to a rather rapid and undeveloped conclusion that makes it seems contrived.
I wouldn't recommend this book except to those who really want to capture a few nuggets of gold and don't mind the lengthy journey to get them.
January 16, 2010
Well...if you've read "The Goal", you know what to expect with this book. It follows the same format. New boss, struggling company, pressure from above, etc.
It is written in a somewhat "easy to read" manner and with a little soap opera tension. This is, of course, intentional to keep up interest in a rather dry subject.
Bottom line: If you have interest in, or want to learn more about, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma or the Theory of Constraints, this book is a good read. If you are already well versed in these manufacturing techniques, it may be a bit too simplistic. It does however, put these theories into a practical application that may help visualize how these theories may work for you.
It is written in a somewhat "easy to read" manner and with a little soap opera tension. This is, of course, intentional to keep up interest in a rather dry subject.
Bottom line: If you have interest in, or want to learn more about, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma or the Theory of Constraints, this book is a good read. If you are already well versed in these manufacturing techniques, it may be a bit too simplistic. It does however, put these theories into a practical application that may help visualize how these theories may work for you.
September 22, 2012
Great business novel. I liked the story delivery method because it help to better explain the issues with only using lean, six sigma, or constraints theory as well as the value of combining them to create throughput and velocity. I would have rated this a 5 had the author digested the valuable points at the end rather then just ending the story without a recap. This is a good read and valuable info for understanding the application of each of valuable theories.
August 20, 2015
If you read Goldratt books or The Phoenix Project for instance this one will be very disappointing for you.
Story takes too long (couple of years pass by with no real story moving forward) and should really start in last chapter or one before that. As I read through I got this feeling that authors are more and more biased towards ToC approach over LeanSixSigma. Book praises ToC (which is great idea don't get me wrong) almost from first page ,paying only lip service to LSS method.
Story takes too long (couple of years pass by with no real story moving forward) and should really start in last chapter or one before that. As I read through I got this feeling that authors are more and more biased towards ToC approach over LeanSixSigma. Book praises ToC (which is great idea don't get me wrong) almost from first page ,paying only lip service to LSS method.
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February 2, 2016This is a good book from the organization led by Dr. Goldratt, the man that gave us the Theory of Constraints. The book is written in novel form much like another book on my list called "The Remedy". This book shows how Lean/Six Sigma/Theory of Constraints work together in a company. It shows the personalities involved in change. Good read for leaders and managers who are having trouble seeing how things can change for the better.
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