It's Not Luck.

• Author: Pincock, Andrew
• Position: Brief article

It's Not Luck, by Eliyahu Goldratt, is a quick-read business novel where you follow the main character, Alex Rogo, through a series of business turnarounds at three divisions of Unico.

Goldratt builds upon the principles of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) that he outlined in his first book, The Goal. TOC takes a holistic look at businesses as a system and attempts to eliminate constraints on growth and profits. While The Goal focuses primarily on the manufacturing process, It's Not Luck opens up and expands TOC application to marketing, sales, inventory control, distribution channels, strategic alliances and conflict resolution.

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The key tools that are described center around core problem identification and resolving the conflicts that underpin those problems. The thinking process that is introduced can help engineer breakthrough results, rather than rely on luck.

I've read the book at least three times over the past six years and have used the principles and tools it contains on the job in multiple industries and even at home with my...