Although combining TOC and LP should improve product mix decisions, the
information obtained from this combination may be incorrect, especially for companies
with high overhead costs and a large variety of products, if a traditional overhead cost
allocation method is used in calculating the profitability of a product. The result of an LP
solution may even suggest that management should produce unprofitable products. What
is needed is a model that will help managers in determining the optimal product mix by
using the more accurate product cost information. This new model must be able to give
management the right information about the capacity-constrained product mix of a
company. It must also be able to determine right processes the management should focus
on to improve the performance of the system. Finally, it must be able to demonstrate the
effects of various alternatives, such as outsourcing one or more of the activities
performed in the company or increasing the capacity of the bottleneck operation by using
an inefficient method to produce products, on the performance of the whole system.