Theory of constraints

Theory of constraints (TOC) is a body of knowledge on the effective management of (mainly business) organizations, as systems.

TOC consists of (1) some basic concepts and principles, (2) the five thinking processes, and (3) their applications to various domains, such as:

• managing manufacturing operations (synchronous manufacturing[?]),
• project management (critical chain),
• accounting and performance measurement (throughput accounting[?]).

TOC has been initiated by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and is being actively developed by a loosely coupled community of practicioners around the world.

TOC is sometimes referred to as "Constraint Management".

See also: throughput, constraint, Donella Meadows' twelve leverage points to intervene in a system