Input- Then- Output & BUTT

I have been working to better understand the Theory of Constraints or TOC. Goldratt, whom developed this method of improvement, came to business and started to apply his Physics training. In other words he looked at businesses as systems and was able to make a lot of interventions that generated significant improvements as a result of the clarity this produced.

In general a System has an Input, a Process and an Output.

Part of that Output is waste!

Our society considers waste a bad thing, that is, that the generator is not doing a proper job. However, Goldratt states that our detractors are a source of valuable information about something we are considered too shallowly. This got me thinking what is the value of waste?

I have also been watching video clips from the TED.com series and a recent one I watched was on learning from bio-systems. So I asked, what can I learn from bio-systems, about waste?

Here is my Conclusion -
The unused Output (Material, Energy or Information) of any system is Waste.
All Waste will be used by an associated system.

therefor I belive it follows -
1. The nature of the Waste will determine the associations.
2. The only way to "control the behaviour" of the associates is by controlling the Waste.
3. If the association is beneficial (e.g. it supplies an Input to the System) then the system boundary will grow.