Bottlenecks
Bottlenecks
OPS/571
Dr. Tom NeSmith
University of Phoenix
January 19, 2011
Bottlenecks in a Process
Getting up and ready for work is a daily process. This process can have many bottlenecks that will hinder the process. After collecting two weeks of data and analyzing the flowchart presented in week one, I could identify the main bottleneck. A bottleneck is defined as “any resource whose capacity is less than the demand placed on it. A bottle neck is a constraint within the system that limits throughput” (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano, 2006, p. 725).
Bottlenecks
Throughout my flowchart I have identified three bottlenecks, am I ready to get up, are my clothes selected or ironed and is my hair comb or done already. The main bottleneck identified would be “are my clothes selected and ironed.” This process takes the most time to complete. Not only do I have to iron the clothes but also select what to wear for the day and usually this is determined by the weather.
Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints
According to Dr. Goldratt, he developed “five focusing steps of theory of constraints (TOC): 1. Identify the system constraints. 2. Decide how to exploit the system constraints 3. Subordinate everything else to that decision 4. Elevate the system constraints 5. If, in the previous steps, the constraints have been broken, go back to step 1, but do not let inertia become the system constraint” (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano, 2006, p. 721).
The constraint identified in the first week of getting ready for work is ironing/selecting clothes for the day. This process can be done on weekends or the night before. The constraint that does not allow me to do this is procrastination. Instead of doing this task ahead of time, I would rather wait and use time that could be used for another task in the process.
In conclusion, by improving the bottleneck and applying Dr. Goldratt theory to the process I hope to reduce
OPS/571
Dr. Tom NeSmith
University of Phoenix
January 19, 2011
Bottlenecks in a Process
Getting up and ready for work is a daily process. This process can have many bottlenecks that will hinder the process. After collecting two weeks of data and analyzing the flowchart presented in week one, I could identify the main bottleneck. A bottleneck is defined as “any resource whose capacity is less than the demand placed on it. A bottle neck is a constraint within the system that limits throughput” (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano, 2006, p. 725).
Bottlenecks
Throughout my flowchart I have identified three bottlenecks, am I ready to get up, are my clothes selected or ironed and is my hair comb or done already. The main bottleneck identified would be “are my clothes selected and ironed.” This process takes the most time to complete. Not only do I have to iron the clothes but also select what to wear for the day and usually this is determined by the weather.
Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints
According to Dr. Goldratt, he developed “five focusing steps of theory of constraints (TOC): 1. Identify the system constraints. 2. Decide how to exploit the system constraints 3. Subordinate everything else to that decision 4. Elevate the system constraints 5. If, in the previous steps, the constraints have been broken, go back to step 1, but do not let inertia become the system constraint” (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano, 2006, p. 721).
The constraint identified in the first week of getting ready for work is ironing/selecting clothes for the day. This process can be done on weekends or the night before. The constraint that does not allow me to do this is procrastination. Instead of doing this task ahead of time, I would rather wait and use time that could be used for another task in the process.
In conclusion, by improving the bottleneck and applying Dr. Goldratt theory to the process I hope to reduce
References: Chase, R. B., Jacobs, F. R., & Aquilano, N. J. (2006). Operations management for competitive advantage (11th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin