The GOAL

Operations... hmm... what is it all about? Wondering why am I talking about operations when I am doing an MBA??.. :) No I am still sane enough... this is related to the operations of a manufacturing firm that was being discussed in the book GOAL by Goldratt.. A nice book. Written like any other fiction novel but has a lot in it we could learn. Let me transfer a bit of this knowledge to you all.. ;) It mainly talks about 3 things: Increasing throughput, decreasing inventory and decreasing operating expense. Let me relate all this to me doing an MBA at ISB..

Increasing throughput:

Hmmm.. whats the output of doing an MBA? I would say a fat pay packet with a satisfactory job.. ;) How am I supposed to increase throughput in those terms then? I will just try and apply to those jobs meeting the above criteria... that solves my problem...

Next is decreasing inventory:

Oh come on!! I already have quite less when it comes to inventory. My brain's shelf space is almost zero.. it might have been that way since quite some time as it doesnt have the capacity to imbibe anymore. :) Inventory is already reduced to the minimum possible.. :) This goes out of the window!!

Now comes decreasing operating expense:

All expense that was supposed to come by has already gone by.. already paid my tution fees.. :( the only expense I can decrease now is my diet expense... I hope I dont have to decrease that.. Come on.. i dont think I will able to achieve my GOAL, if I decrease that operating expense.. ;)

So all in all, looks like the learnings dont apply to me at this moment.. :) Jokes apart, the book was really interesting with all the mix needed to keep you engrossed till the last page. A good buy for me!!

Mahesh Shenoy