Bottlenecks_in_a_Process

In week one I identified a process I perform daily and would like to do less of. The process is driving to work. To be more specific, spending less time driving is ultimately my goal. I am looking to find the most efficient method to do so. I have identified various bottlenecks in the process that prevent me from my goal. A bottleneck is a resource that is overloaded (more work than capacity) during a particular period of time (www.pinnacle-strategies.com). To further break down this task I used Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints. A constraint is anything that prevents the system from achieving more of its goal (Chase, Jacobs & Aquilano, 2006). Theory of Constraints uses a 5 step process, called a ‘Process Of On-Going Improvement’ to improve any system. These steps are called the 5 Focusing Steps. (http://www.goldratt.com.uk) Step 1. Identify the System’s Constraint(s). Step 2. Decide how to Exploit the System’s Constraint(s). Step 3. Subordinate everything else to the above decisions. 
 Step 4. Elevate the System’s Constraint(s). 
 Step 5. If in the Previous Steps a Constraint has been Broken, go back to Step 1 Traffic bottlenecks can be caused by a wide variety of things. A construction zone, where one or more existing lanes may become unavailable. An accident site can also temporarily close lanes. A highway that turns from two lanes to one reduces the capacity of cars therefore reducing the flow of traffic at a consistent speed and rate. These are examples of System Constraints. After a couple of weeks of tracking my driving, I realized that checking the traffic report before leaving my home was not enough to overcome the bottlenecks. According to Chase, Jacobs & Aquilano, bottlenecks can cause a restriction of throughput (defined as sales). In my case, bottlenecks have a direct impact on the time I am able to spend selling. I realize I have no control over the flow of traffic and the reasons why bottlenecks occure. However, I did discover an “exploitable” solution around my problem. One of the simplest “fixes” is to change the time I am leaving home to drive to work. I found that timing played a key role in how much time I spent in traffic. I typically leave around 7:45 a.m., however when I left by 7:15 a.m., traffic flow was more consistent and less congested. I was able to shave anywhere between 15 and 20 minutes of driving using this method. Although the distance is the same, I am not bogged down with as many bottlenecks, thereby reducing the time I spend in traffic. REFERENCES Chase, R.B., Jacobs, F.R., & Aquilano, N.J. (2006). Operations management for competitive advantage (11th ed). New York:McGraw Hill/Irwin http://www.goldratt.com.uk www.pinnacle-strategies.com