Local metric improved 50%+ but throughput gained less…
When a constraint is fixed but throughput increases less than 25% while the local metric improved 50%+, treat this as diagnostic evidence of a cascade and immediately map downstream capacity limits.
When This Fires
- After Re-measure 2 weeks after any constraint fix's two-week re-measurement reveals disproportionate improvement
- When workflow optimization produces "disappointing" results despite verified local improvements
- When the same total throughput persists despite fixing an obvious bottleneck
- Complements Map the constraint cascade before intervening (cascade mapping before intervention) with the diagnostic that triggers cascade mapping after intervention
Common Failure Mode
Doubling down on the fixed constraint: "The improvement wasn't enough, so we need to optimize step 3 even further." But step 3 is no longer the constraint — further optimization produces zero system benefit. The constraint has shifted, and the optimization effort must shift with it.
The Protocol
(1) After any intervention, compare local improvement vs. system improvement. (2) If local improved 50%+ but system improved less than 25% → cascade detected. (3) Immediately map downstream capacity (Map the constraint cascade before intervening): which step is now the binding constraint? (4) Redirect all optimization effort to the new constraint. Do not continue optimizing the old one — it's no longer the bottleneck. (5) Expect cascades as normal, not exceptional. In most multi-step systems, fixing one constraint reveals the next. The optimization process is iterative: fix → re-measure → identify new constraint → fix → re-measure.