Questions

Frequently asked questions about thinking, epistemology, and cognitive tools. 9,738 answers

All topics agents1,675 behavior607 decision-making8 emotion631 meaning622 operations1,214 organization300 perception1,498 schema1,480 sovereignty1,703

All types definition6,402 how-to1,668 why1,668

beginner4,568 intermediate3,617 advanced1,553

operationsintermediate

What is Goldratt subordination step five focusing steps?

Adjust other parts of your system to support the bottleneck rather than running at their own pace.

Also asked: drum-buffer-rope scheduling personal systemsWIP limits Kanban David AndersonHerbert Simon information overload attentionplanning fallacy Kahneman Tversky overloading constraintnon-bottleneck resource utilization wastesubordinate non-bottlenecks theory of constraints

How tooperationsintermediate

How do I practice subordinate non-bottlenecks theory of constraints?

Identify three non-bottleneck processes that currently feed into or interrupt your constraint (the bottleneck you identified and exploited in L-0945 and L-0946). For each one, answer: How much output does this process produce per day? How much of that output can my bottleneck actually consume per day?

operationsintermediate

Why does subordinate non-bottlenecks theory of constraints fail?

The most common failure is treating subordination as a permanent reduction rather than a strategic alignment. You cut your information inputs, cancel meetings, and restrict communication channels — and your colleagues think you have checked out. Subordination is not withdrawal. It is synchronization.

How tooperationsintermediate

How do I apply the idea that elevate the bottleneck?

Return to the bottleneck you have been measuring and exploiting throughout this phase. Write down your current throughput at the constraint after exploitation and subordination. Below it, write the throughput you need to keep your system flowing without accumulating queues. If the gap is zero or negative, you do not need elevation — revisit whether the bottleneck has shifted (L-0949).

Whyoperationsintermediate

What goes wrong when you ignore that elevate the bottleneck?

Elevating before exploiting. This is the most expensive mistake in the entire Theory of Constraints sequence. You hire a second person before you have ensured the first person is fully utilized. You buy a faster tool before you have removed the interruptions that prevent you from using the current tool at capacity.

What isoperationsintermediate

What does it mean that elevate the bottleneck?

Once exploited invest in increasing the capacity of the bottleneck.

operationsintermediate

What is bottleneck constraint shift theory of constraints inertia?

The constraint shifts — return to step one and find the new bottleneck.

Also asked: goldratt step 5 do not let inertia become the constraintfixing one bottleneck creates anotherconstraint migration personal systemsMeadows shifting dominance feedback loopsAshby law of requisite variety continuous adaptationSchumpeter creative destruction personal scalebottleneck constraint shift theory of constraints inertia

How tooperationsintermediate

How do I practice bottleneck constraint shift theory of constraints inertia?

Return to the bottleneck you have been working on throughout this phase. Assume, hypothetically, that you have fully resolved it — that the constraint is gone, throughput at that stage is unlimited. Now ask: where does the queue build up next? What stage of your personal system would become the new slowest point?

operationsintermediate

Why does bottleneck constraint shift theory of constraints inertia fail?

Inertia — continuing to optimize a constraint that is no longer binding. You built systems, habits, routines, and mental models around the old bottleneck. You invested effort. You are proud of the improvement. And now you keep tuning, refining, and protecting those systems even though the constraint has moved elsewhere.

How tooperationsintermediate

How do I apply the idea that bottleneck cascades?

Take the system you have been analyzing throughout this phase. Map every step from input to output. For each step, estimate its maximum throughput — the most units it could process per time period if nothing upstream were constraining it. Now mentally remove the current bottleneck. Which step has the next-lowest maximum throughput?

Whyoperationsintermediate

What goes wrong when you ignore that bottleneck cascades?

Assuming that fixing the primary bottleneck will solve the system. You invest weeks addressing the most visible constraint, succeed, and expect throughput to leap to your target. When it barely improves, you conclude that the intervention failed or that bottleneck analysis does not work. Neither is true.