This constraint occurs when a specific machine or workstation operates at a lower capacity than the steps preceding or following it. Work-in-progress inventory piles up before this point and downstream stations are left waiting. Process engineers focus on this exact step to increase throughput, as improving any other part of the line yields no total capacity gain.
Heard on the job
The curing oven is our main bottleneck right now so we need to run it through lunch to keep the line fed.
Insider tip
In lean manufacturing, you always want to find your bottleneck and ensure it never stops running, as an hour lost there is an hour lost for the entire factory.