Theory Of Constraints

The Theory of Constraints promotes an optimization strategy focusing on identifying and managing constraints to maximize the overall performance of an industrial production system. The Theory of Constraints thus serves to set up a continuous process based on the control and optimization of the weakest resource or part of a process (also called a bottleneck).

Implementation of the Theory of Constraints: #

1. Identify the constraint
2. Exploit the constraint to the maximum
3. Subordinate all processes to the constraint
4. Increase the constraint capacity
5. Continuous improvement cycle

The 9 rules of the Theory of Constraints: #

1. Balancing flows rather than abilities
2. An hour lost on a bottleneck is time lost for the whole system
3. An hour gained on a non-neck is an illusion
4. The level of use of a non-neck is not determined by its own potential but by other constraints in the system
5. Use and activation of a resource are not synonymous
6. Bottlenecks determine both throughput and inventory levels
7. Transfer batch and production batch don’t need to be equal
8. Production lots must be variable rather than fixed
9. Establish a master plan that takes into account all constraints