THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS

nize that the most decisive step in reaching a solution wasactually the step where we precisely defined the problem. Buthow can we be sure that we have defined a problem preciselybefore having reached the solution?Let's first examine what is the meaning of a problem. Intuitivelywe understand that a problem exists whenever there issomething that prevents, or limits us, from reaching a desiredobjective. Therefore, defining a problem precisely must startwith a declaration of the desired objective. What should we donext? Let's remind ourselves that what we are dealing with arethe type of problems that involve compromise. A compromisebetween at least two bodies. In other words, we have to pacify,or satisfy, at least two different things if we want to achieve ourdesired objective.From this analysis we can"You can't have yourcake and eat it too."immediately conclude thatwhenever we are facing aproblem which involves a compromise,there are at least two requirements which must be satisfied.In other words to reach the objective there are at leasttwo necessary conditions which must be met. Thus, the next stepin precisely defining a problem is to define the requirementsthat must be fulfilled. But the definition of the problem cannotstop here. We should realize that whenever a compromise exists,there must be at least one thing that is shared by the requirementsand it is in this sharing that the problem, between therequirements, exists. Either we simply don't have enough toshare or, in order to satisfy the requirements, we must do conflictingthings, "you can't have your cake and eat it too." To putit more formally: to satisfy the requirements a prerequisite existsand it is here that the conflict arises—within the framework ofthe prerequisites.Let's start by calling the desired objective "A." In order toreach "A" we must satisfy two different requirements, "B" and"C," where the prerequisite to satisfying "B" is "D" and theprerequisite to satisfying "C" is the opposite of "D." Or theprerequisite to satisfying "B" is some amount "D" that must be39