Operational excellence and Theory of Constraints

The post-war boom years, dubbed the "Trente Glorieuses" by Jean Fourastié, led our manufacturers to develop, experiment with and validate a number of management rules perfectly suited to this context. These rules were subsequently incorporated into the ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning) software packages that now equip the majority of our companies.

Today, however, the situation has changed radically:

• demand is lower than supply, which has become globalized;

• products have extremely short life cycles;

• customers are increasingly demanding in terms of price, personalization and associated services.

In such a context, these productivist rules no longer deliver the results to which we've become accustomed.

Manufacturers, somewhat disoriented, are turning to new approaches. Among these, the Theory of Constraints is a highly relevant response to the new economic trend: it focuses more on the company's purpose and responsiveness, rather than its costs. The "Theory of Constraints" stems from the highly original thinking of Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt, who sadly passed away prematurely in June 2011.

The French translation of his book, as well as that of other Goldratt reference works, was provided by Jean-Claude Miremont, who, through his efforts and enthusiasm, made a major contribution to the dissemination of the author's thinking in France. From this original vision has gradually grown a formidable knowledge base for managing and steering organizations, the inherent simplicity of which Goldratt never ceased to extol throughout his life.