image

Blog

Constraints and Non-Constraints

Satyashri Mohanty

Constraints-and-Non-Constraints

An hour lost on the bottleneck is an hour lost on the entire system;

An hour gained on a non-bottleneck is a mirage’

There isn’t a more grave mistake than to equate non-constraint with non-important. On the contrary, due to the dependencies, if you ignore a non-constraint it can impact the constraint to the extent that the performance of the entire system severely deteriorates.

vcg-7

What is important to notice is that the prevailing notion that “more is better” is correct only for the constraints, but it is not correct for the vast majority of the system elements—the non-constraints. For the non-constraints, “more is better” is correct only up to a threshold, but above this threshold, more is worse.
This threshold is dictated by the interdependencies with the constraints and therefore it cannot be determined if you examine the non-constraint in isolation. For the non-constraints, local optimum is not equal to the global optima; more on the non-constraints does not necessarily translate to better performance of the system.

We now recognize that the vast majority of the elements of a system are non-constraints. We also recognize that for non-constraints more might not be better but worse. So, what must be the unavoidable result of following the prevailing notion that more is better?

The number one reason for not doing what should be done is doing what should not be done. We don’t have a choice but to define focus more narrowly: do what should be done AND don’t do what should not be done. Learn more about Theory of constraints based solution.

Talk to Us

Your Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

decision-making
“Pull” Solutions for Manufacturing

Battling the efficiency syndrome. Effortlessly!

With implementation of Theory of Constraints solution, it is expected that all plant managers align their thinking and decision making to the paradigm of flow rather than local efficiencies.

Shailesh Ranjan
decision-making
Nuances of TOC Concepts

Know your ‘constraints’

Almost every manager trying to meet targets, is dealing with obstacles that come his way. He overcomes a few, stumbles over the others. He is identifying constraints and removing them. Is this Theory of Constraints?

Satyashri Mohanty
decision-making
Systems Thinking & Innovation

Theory Of Constraints and the Thinking Process

Though Theory of Constraints was originally offered by Eliyahu Goldratt as a manufacturing scheduling method, over the course of his career, Goldratt evolved TOC into a systems methodology which encompasses a wide range of concepts, principles, solutions, tools and approaches

Dr. Shelja Jose Kuruvilla

Get in touch

Registered Office:
Vector Management Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
10th floor, Thane One, DIL Complex,
Ghodbunder Road, Majiwada,
Thane (West), Maharashtra - 400610, India.
Phone:
022 6230 8800, 022 6230 8801

Corporate Identity Number:
U74140MH2006PTC164922
For any queries, contact:
Mr. Hemal Bhuptani
[email protected]