The Goal

“You say your plant uses robots?” he asks.“In a couple of departments, yes,” I say.“Have they really increased productivity at your plant?”“Sure they have,” I say. “We had—what?” I scan the ceiling for the figure. “I think it was a thirty-six percent improvement in one area.”“Really … thirty-six percent?” asks Jonah. “So your company is making thirty-six percent more money from your plant just from installing some robots? Incredible.”I can’t hold back a smile.“Well…no,” I say. “We all wish it were that easy! But it’s a lot more complicated than that. See, it was just in one department that we had a thirty-six percent improvement.”Jonah looks at his cigar, then extinguishes it in the ashtray.“Then you didn’t really increase productivity,” he says.I feel my smile freeze.“I’m not sure I understand,” I say.Jonah leans forward conspiratorially and says, “Let me ask you something—just between us: Was your plant able to ship even one more product per day as a result of what happened in the…