The Theory of Constraints (TOC) is well-established management philosophy made popular by Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt in the "The Goal" - first published in 1984.
Goldratt contends that at any time any manageable system is held back from fully achieving its primary goal by at least one - but at most a few - significant constraints.
The nature of constraints...
Constraints can come in a variety of forms, but the most common ones are those of resources, people, policies or markets.
The logical thinking process that underpins the Theory of Constraints seeks to identify these constraints and, through targeted action, progressively eliminate their impact on system performance.
Beyond the production line...
The initial impact of the Theory of Constraints was in the fields of manufacturing and logistics - but it's become obvious that the logical thinking principles upon which it is based can be highly effective in improving other processes - including sales and marketing.
We're amongst a growing group of enthusiasts who have seen the potential of TOC to diagnose and deal with the constraints that are preventing sales and marketing operations from realising their full potential.
The 5 focusing steps...
Assuming that the goal of the organisation has been clearly articulated (usually some variation on "make money - now and in the future"), Goldratt identifies what he refers to as five focusing steps:
- Identify the constraint (the thing that stands between the organisation and its' goal)
- Exploit the constraint (make sure the constraint's finite capacity is not wasted)
- Subordinate all other processes (align the organisation in support of the constraint)
- Elevate the constraint (permanently increase the capacity of the constraint)
- If as a result of these actions the constraint has changed return to Step 1 and repeat...
The TOC toolkit...
We've tuned the TOC toolkit to reflect the classic challenges faced by sales and marketing organisations. We apply these logical thinking processes to help our clients see beyond the immediate symptoms and address the fundamental issues that are holding them back.
Here's how we might be able to help...
Achieving sales and marketing alignment is particularly important to any organisation that is trying to achieve a step-function improvement in marketing effectiveness or sales productivity, to out-perform strong competitors, or to successfully launch new products or enter new markets.
We've been able to help a growing number of B2B organisations to realise their ambitions by diagnosing and dealing with the constraints that have been holding them back. We may be able to help your company achieve the same. You can learn more about our approach by browsing this website.
When you are ready, please complete our contact form, drop us a line at info@inflexion-point.com or call us on +44 (0) 845 519 0295.
We look forward to finding out more about what you are trying to achieve, to sharing some ideas - and to helping you achieve the benefits of alignment throughout your sales and marketing organisation.