Bottlenecks in a Process - Essay Example

Bottlenecks in a Process Bottlenecks in a process Introduction A bottleneck is defined as a resource whose capacity is less compared to the demand set upon it. It is a constraint within a system that limits the throughput. Bottlenecks are not exceptional to any industry and can hamper the efficiency of any process in case remedial actions are not taken. Processes that depend on departments, teams, managers or others are potential grounds for bottlenecks to transpire. This paper will focus on identifying and discussing the major bottleneck in the operation of a vehicle speed sensor by applying Goldratt’s theory of constraints to identify and conquer bottlenecks in the process.

Bottleneck in the vehicle speed sensor flowchartThe main bottleneck in the case of operation of the vehicle speed sensor is the limitations which crop up due to a shift in the methods of manufacturing from service oriented manufacturing to luxury and leisure manufacturing. Vehicles built on different technological designs with very complicated parts are difficult to operate. The problem cannot be easily solved automatically and a lot of time is required to manually understand the actual problems and solve them appropriately.

Another bottleneck is failure of a vehicle to restart for extreme cases. The technique would not appropriate due to lack of low or high levels of fuel to the engine. The theory of constraints can be applies to overcome these bottlenecks. Goldratt’s theory of constraintsGoldratt’s theory of constraints is a significant instrument for improving process flows. The consequences of this theory are extensive in terms of comprehending bottlenecks to a process and efficiently taking care of these bottlenecks to develop a competent process flow.

The theory of constraints in a critical technique that operations managers employ to deal with bottlenecks and make process flows more efficient. The theory states that, “the throughput of a system depends on one constrain (bottleneck).” (Heizer & Render ,2001) Therefore to increase the throughput, the bottleneck or constraint must be identified and improved. This theory comprises five steps. The initial step is the identification of the constraint to be improved. Applying Goldratt’s theory to the vehicle speed sensor flow chart, one major constraint is the shifting trend in the methods of manufacturing vehicles and failure of a vehicle to ignite.

The constraint has been identified therefore we need to make an improvement. The subsequent step is to align every part of the system to support the constraint regardless of whether it lowers the efficiency of the other free resources or not. This is done by ensuring vehicle operators remain cautious of any pointers on the dust board. In case the result is not at the desired level, more resources need to be outsourced to ensure that the constraint is no longer a problem. This step is fulfilled by requesting urgent attention from the vehicle mechanics.

After resolving the constraint, the process is replicated to discover new constraints because the process involves continuous improvement. This is carried out by creating a metrics to measure the process, performing a run-time analysis and a design matrix evaluation. The effectiveness of the process in terms of time efficiency during its use is tested by running a run time analysis- total time required for the entire process.ConclusionSuccessful Implementation of the Vehicle Speed Sensor Flowchart requires that new design factors are devised to tackle bottlenecks.

By following the five steps of Goldratt’s theory of constraints, the defaults in the process are precisely identified and noted. In this case speed levels and fuel levels to the engine are two parameters whose identification indicates a defect. ReferencesHeizer, J. H., & Render, B. (2001). Principles of operations management (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.