Hidden Bottleneck
Line throughput was limited; capacity expansion was planned. But without understanding which machine/process was constraining throughput, investment decisions were made blindly.
What Became Visible
Cycle-time analysis by machine revealed: Machines A-G averaged 45-48 sec/cycle. Machine X averaged 78-82 sec/cycle. Machine X was the bottleneck, limiting overall line throughput 15-20% below theoretical capacity.
Bottleneck-Focused Investment
Instead of distributed line investment, resources concentrated on Machine X. Targeted optimization improved Machine X cycle-time from 80 sec to 52 sec.
How it worked: Bottleneck identification enabled constraint-focused improvement. Theory of Constraints principle: improve the bottleneck first.
Results
from bottleneck removal
focused vs distributed
from throughput improvement
Every line has a bottleneck. Improvement is constraint-focused or it's waste. Identifying the bottleneck is prerequisite for effective line optimization.
Operational Reality
The facility could have upgraded all machines. Bottleneck analysis revealed where investment would have highest impact.