Bottleneck In a Process

Bottleneck in a Process

The identification of a bottleneck in a practice is a crucial factor for improvement for a much needed process. According to Chase, Jacobs, and Aquillano (2006), a bottleneck is a source that confines the volume of maximum output of a process. If an operations manager believes that a process can run smoother and recognizes a bottleneck, he or she receives the opportunity to use that awareness and alter the procedure making it particularly operative and efficient.

The process I identified in week one was a procedure I tolerate every day, which is my commute to work. To be successful, I must arrive to work by nine o’clock in the morning. After collecting data throughout the past four weeks, I determined that my average drive to work takes 49.4 minutes. Although this is under the allowed time of 50 minutes, it is dangerously close. This average number does not convey the days that I arrived at least five minutes late for work, which is unacceptable. This process possesses room for improvement; therefore after much review I identified a main bottleneck in the process.

The main bottleneck in the process of driving to work and arriving on time is traffic. Because of traffic, my allotted drive time reduces by at least 20 minutes. Vehicle congestion is a constraint in my process. Because so many people live and commute in Los Angeles, vehicular traffic is a main bottleneck that must be evaluated. According to Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints, I can answer three questions, which are what needs to be changed, what should the change be, and how to execute the change (Lisa, 2010). After identifying that traffic is the main cause of tardiness to work, I must evaluate alternatives. Luckily there is an alternative process for my commute. Because traffic is an external factor out of my control, I can choose to take an alternative route to work. I live on the intersection of two separate freeways. I can choose to commute on the alternate freeway half...