Principlev1PR-1064
Before investing resources to expand constraint capacity…
Before investing resources to expand constraint capacity, extract maximum throughput from the constraint as it currently exists by eliminating waste, idle time, and unnecessary overhead at the bottleneck.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from The behavior of a system arises from its structure… (system structure determines behavior) and Behavior follows the path of least resistance due… (systems follow path of least resistance). This is Goldratt's 'exploit the constraint' step translated into a prescriptive principle. It's general enough to apply across domains.