Theory of Constraints and Specification by Example
May 27, 2011
Since I first encountered Specification by Example (or BDD as it’s also known), I felt it had a natural alignment with Lean thinking and related theories. Today, I want to explore how the Theory of Constraints can be applied through Specification by Example to enhance the system development process.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
This post reflects my own thoughts and tries to piece together insights from various experts. I owe much to pioneers like Dan North, Eliyahu Goldratt, and Gojko Adzic, among others.
Theory of Constraints
Last year, I read the insightful book, The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt. Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints (TOC) asserts that every system has at least one bottleneck that limits its overall performance. Improvements to other areas are less effective if they don’t address the bottleneck.
Here’s a simple example:
Imagine Marcusoft Welded Steelplates,...