What is a constraint?

We often hear the term “constraint” or “bottleneck” applied to a process, but what does it mean? The constraint is the process step or resource that limits the capacity of the process. In other words, it’s the weakest link – even if the rest of the process can move faster, the constraint will determine the rate of completion. Eli Goldratt memorably illustrated this issue with the story of “Herbie” slowing down a Boy Scout hike in his bestselling business novel, The Goal.

Constraints occur in all types of processes – manufacturing production, software development, knowledge work – any series of steps taken to achieve a business outcome. Some common examples include:

• Reviews and approvals – for example, a policy requires that the global communications team must review any new material before it can be published to external websites.
  

• Shared resources – perhaps you have one cybersecurity expert who must validate all production code and security patches, as well as any new software requests across the organization.
  

• Labor-intensive steps – there may be a piece of your process that simply requires more time and effort than the rest, such as visual inspection for quality control.

It’s important to understand that bottlenecks are a normal part of process design and are not necessarily a bad thing. Organizations often create “gates” in their product development and project management processes in order to control the flow of work and make informed decisions about how to prioritize resources. However, you can and should be strategic about where the constraint exists in your process and how it’s managed.

Process mapping can reveal hidden constraints in your business. You may not realize that you have only one person in your organization with a particular technical expertise, who quietly plays a key role in every project. This knowledge is critical when you’re making decisions about budget, resources, and outsourcing strategies, to name a few. Constraints can often be managed with simple process changes, rather than spending heavily on hiring, automation, or third-party solutions.

Where is the constraint in your process? Please share your experience in the comments below.