The Goal: Theory of Constraints (TOC) and Care Management

While the Theory of Constraints (TOC) is a well-known product management methodology, it seems that care considered from this perspective could also be highlighted as a valid methodology. This is a management theory established by the Israeli physicist Eliyahu M. Goldratt, who states in his book, "The Goal," that the ultimate objective for a company is profit.

Certainly, the objective of a company is to reliably generate profit. However, at the same time, for care workers like us who handle aspects of social security and are part of the public insurance system, it feels as though the phrase "user satisfaction" is more important than the pursuit of profit. And I believe this can become the goal for us. The importance of sharing this objective within an organization was also mentioned.

Efficiency can also be measured by the "level of satisfaction" relative to the labor or capital invested. In other words, for those of us who support people, the pursuit of efficiency does not necessarily have a negative connotation. In this case, the concepts of the Theory of Constraints also seem to be beneficial for improving labor productivity.

In the Theory of Constraints, facing a constraint known as a bottleneck is one of the key concepts. And in a constantly changing situation, how can we identify this bottleneck? I feel that this way of thinking is also useful in the daily care environment.

For example, if we are caregivers like us, I think it can be applied when managing a series of tasks, such as how to guide users who have finished their meals through the entire process of oral care and toilet assistance safely.

In this case, we must ensure there are absolutely no mistakes in medication management for users who have finished their meals, guide each person to oral care, perform checks, guide them to the toilet, and ensure that no fall accidents occur among the entire group, including those waiting at tables and those moving about.

Users are also full of uncertainties, such as their physical functional status, the time it takes for them to use the toilet, or the time required for oral care itself. In this case, according to the Theory of Constraints, if the toilet takes the most time, we must improve the overall workflow while focusing on this as the bottleneck. I feel that this can be greatly utilized in how we handle such situations.

Furthermore, in the thinking process, methods such as creating trees for DE (Desirable Effects) and UDE (Undesirable Effects), or mapping problems into clouds, are also introduced. The idea that one can solve overall issues by improving core problems using such methods seems practical in care management as well.

Until recently, I myself had never thought of learning product management theories like the Theory of Constraints (TOC) or the Toyota Production System (TPS) and applying them to care management, but I decided to try learning them first. As a result, I feel like I can add even more value to the management methods and care I have cultivated so far.

However, I believe that learning and practicing are two completely different things, so how to appropriately apply these to the practical field is a challenge for me moving forward. Along with that, I am also realizing the significance of repeatedly re-learning theories and exploring new ones.

I was also happy that a comic version is available for learning the essence quickly. Being able to read it easily even during busy times was a plus.