Viable Vision: Transforming Total Sales into Net Profits

Supported by significant testing and proven results in real companies, it is now conceivable that even large companies can grow profits at double digit rates. Concisely packed with the proven principles of 25 years of scientific research and real-life application, readers will learn about the holistic implementation of constraints management in strategic planning, operations, supply chain/logistics, sales and marketing, project management, technology, metrics and finance. Whether or not you are one of the millions of people who have read "The Goal" or other fine books on the Theory of Constraints, you will gain enormous benefits from reading this book. Viable Vision is a must read for anyone interested in rapidly increasing their company's net profits.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Structured, focused but light and self-promotional, 2008-02-12
Except for Throughput Accounting: A Guide to Constraint Management, this is the first TOC related book that I've read and that's not in the form of a novel. It's very well structured and easy to follow and offers a birds eye view of the necessary of what needs to be done to bring your business to the next level.

The book starts by introducing the T (Throughput), I (Investment) and OE (Operating Expense) framework for decision making. It doesn't go into any detail but gives references to appropriate works. I liked the way
this topic was presented in "Throughput Accounting". Then a system plainly called the "Five Focusing Steps" is used to leverage TOC in all aspects of a manufacturing business. Finally, the most interesting chapters (to me) are at the end and discuss resistance to change and show how the TOC Thinking Process should be used to obtain buy-in from upper management.

I'm a bit critical of the authors position when it comes to project management as it could apply to IT. I do agree that IT projects that support the global constraint should have a higher priority than all other projects but where I don't agree is in the use of the critical chain for the project management activities. It might work well in some areas but in software projects the requirements are never sufficiently well expressed or change too quickly for this type of approach to work successfully. A much better way to manage projects would be to use Scrum, which is better suited to the software world and is also concerned with project velocity.

Though its sold as a "executive overview" book, I still think that it's a bit too light. It lacks depth on all topics. I also find it somewhat too self-promotional.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Don't Miss This, 2007-11-19
It is a must read for anyone into management. It is short and concise but very much straight to the point. How much you can really take away depends how it inspire you to change your current methodology. It is common sense really but walking the path is no easy task.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Excelent view of all TOC tools, 2006-08-16
I have studied a lot of TOC bibliography but this book connects all in a very simple and easy way to learn


2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Good introduction to E. Goldratt's Viable Vision Proposition, 2005-03-09
In this book, Gerry attempts primarily to demonstrate two things. First, that contemporaneous complex and fast-changing business environment can best be managed through simplicity. Second, that the successful application of this approach can unleash the potential for organisations to achieve, in less than four years, net profits equal to current sales (Eli Goldratt's Viable Vision Proposition).

After introducing Eli Goldratt's Viable Vision Proposition in chapters 1 and 2, Gerry provides a concise summary about the frameworks of reference, logic, application and expected results when applying the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to the different areas of the organisation (chapters 3 to 10). With this approach he seeks to prove his first claim.

Throughout the book, the reader will find examples and valuable information about the applicability of the TOC to managing businesses operations. Also, about new business propositions that organisations can take advantage of and that arise thanks to this TOC's management approach. Without doubt, Gerry's book makes the reader wiser and does help experience a paradigm shift.

Finally, and in Part IV of the book, Gerry describes a powerful buy-in process (chapter 11) and criteria to construct lasting competitive advantage (chapter 12) with chapter 13 explaining different phases through which managers can aspire to move their organisations towards a period of unparalleled growth.

If the reader is in need of gaining a good overview of TOC and of getting new breakthrough ideas to increase organisation's competitiveness and sales, this book won't disappoint. However, the reader must be warned that this book is not sufficient neither to implement some of the changes necessary to achieve sustainable results nor to develop and implement a Viable Vision that will generate, in less than four years, net profit equal to current sales. To this ends, the reader must seek professional advice!

...more in www.TOCworld.com


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

First TOC book for smart but busy exsecutives, 2005-02-23
I have just completed translating this book into Japanese. Actually I translated several TOC books into Japanese in the past, because many Japanese readers want them to read in Japanese. However, in order for those who want to understand what TOC is all about, they had to read several books in the past before they understand whole of TOC and its implications to their business.
One of the unique points of this book, in my opinion, is that this is the first TOC book ever written specifically aiming at smart but busy executives as the target audience. In the Acknowledgments, Gerry wrote "...my original idea - a short, to the point Theory of Constraints (TOC) book for executives." Exactly this is why I decided to translate this book into Japanese so that the Japanese executives can read it quickly in Japanese without language barrier. Therefore, by investing little time, say, while traveling, executives can grasp all of the guts of TOC and its implications to their business.
The second uniqueness of this book is that, although it is concise, it is still comprehensive to cover every aspect of TOC - in other words it is full of messages that can make your business achieve high growth, and therefore, these messages should not certainly be overlooked by the Japanese executives who are keen to regain their success in world markets by applying the holistic approach explained plainly in this book to marketing and logistics.

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