constraint within it. You must
then focus all of your en-
ergies on alleviating that single choke point.
Identify the Limiting Factor
In virtually every task, large or small,
a single factor sets
the speed at which you achieve the goal or complete the
job. What is it? Concentrate your mental energies on
that one key area. This can be the most productive use of
your time and talents.
This constraint may be
a person whose help or deci-
sion you need, a resource that you require, a weakness in
some
part of the organization, or something else. But the
limiting factor is always there, and it is always your job
to find it.
For example, the purpose
of a business is to create
and keep customers. By doing this in sufficient quanti-
ties, the company makes a profit and continues to grow
and flourish.
Every business has a limiting factor or choke point
that determines how
quickly and well the company
achieves this purpose. It may be the marketing, the level
of sales, or the sales force itself. It may be the costs of op-
eration or the methods of production.
It may be the level
of cash flow or costs. The success of the company may be
determined by the competition, the customers, or the
current marketplace.
One of these factors, more than
anything else, determines how quickly the company
achieves its goals of growth and profitability. What is it?
Identify Your Key Constraints
71
The accurate identification
of the limiting factor in
any process and the focus on that factor can usually
bring about more progress in a shorter period than any
other single activity.
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