Bottleneck Analysis

A system can only move as fast as its slowest stage. Improving any stage other than the bottleneck does not improve overall throughput — it just creates more work waiting in front of the constraint. Finding and addressing the bottleneck is the highest-leverage intervention available.

Your Process

Step 1: Map the Process or Value Chain Describe all the stages in sequence. What enters each stage, what happens, and what exits? The map should cover the full flow from input to output.

Framing check: Confirm the specific system before continuing. State what you've identified — the process or value chain being mapped and its start and end points — in one sentence, then use AskUserQuestion:

• Question: "I'm reading this as: [your one-sentence framing of the specific process or value chain, including what the input and output are]. Is that right?"
• Header: "Framing"
• Options:
  • Yes — proceed — framing is correct
  • Adjust — one element is off; user will correct it before you continue
  • Reframe — different system than read; incorporate the correction before proceeding