--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: STEP 1. Identify the system’s…" description: "\"“STEP 1. Identify the system’s bottlenecks. (After all it wasn’t too difficult to identify the oven and the NCX10 as the bottlenecks of the plant.) STE..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e1/eliyahu-m-goldratt-19919_decision-making_step-1-identify-the-system-s-bottlenecks_1459008.png" --- # STEP 1. Identify the system’s bottlenecks. (After all it… ![“STEP 1. Identify the system’s bottlenecks. (After all it wasn’t too difficult to identify the oven and the NCX10 as the bottlenecks of the plant.) STEP 2. Decide how to exploit the bottlenecks. (That was fun. Realizing that those machines should not take a lunch break, etc.) STEP 3. Subordinate…” quote by Eliyahu M. Goldratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e1/eliyahu-m-goldratt-19919_decision-making_step-1-identify-the-system-s-bottlenecks_1459008.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e1/eliyahu-m-goldratt-19919_decision-making_step-1-identify-the-system-s-bottlenecks_1459008.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e1/eliyahu-m-goldratt-19919_decision-making_step-1-identify-the-system-s-bottlenecks_1459008.png) > ““STEP 1. Identify the system’s bottlenecks. (After all it wasn’t too difficult to identify the oven and the NCX10 as the bottlenecks of the plant.) STEP 2. Decide how to exploit the bottlenecks. (That was fun. Realizing that those machines should not take a lunch break, etc.) STEP 3. Subordinate everything else to the above decision. (Making sure that everything marches to the tune of the constraints. The red and green tags.) STEP 4. Elevate the system’s bottlenecks. (Bringing back the old Zmegma, switching back to old, less “effective” routings. . . .) STEP 5. If, in a previous step, a bottleneck has been broken go back to step 1.”” [Eliyahu M. Goldratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliyahu-m-goldratt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identify constraints, exploit them, align all actions, then raise the constraint; repeat when a new one appears. **In simple terms:** Focus on bottlenecks, use them, align everything, then improve them. Key Takeaway Manage constraints, then iterate. Themes process improvement systems thinking continuous improvement Mood analytical determined pragmatic Type instructional strategic When to use this quote - manufacturing - project planning - software development - logistics - service industry Key Concepts Theory of Constraints operations management Questions to Reflect On - What constraint is limiting your current performance? - How can you ensure the next step adds value? 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Goldratt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliyahu-m-goldratt/) ## More Decision making quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. 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"A process by which I use my brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/cheshvan-starts-tonight-rixon-said-what-are-you-doing-arsing-around/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [The right decision is the wrong decision if it's made too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-right-decision-is-the-wrong-decision-if-it-s-made-too-late/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [“The decisions we take reflects our belief and our charachter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajnish-borah/the-decisions-we-take-reflects-our-belief-and-our-charachter/) Rajnish Borah > [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) [Browse all 4,912 Decision making quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“STEP 1. Identify the system’s bottlenecks. (After all it wasn’t too difficult to identify the oven and the NCX10 as the bottlenecks of the plant.) STEP 2. Decide how to exploit the bottlenecks. (That was fun. Realizing that those machines should not take a lunch break, etc.) STEP 3. Subordinate everything else to the above decision. (Making sure that everything marches to the tune of the constraints. The red and green tags.) STEP 4. Elevate the system’s bottlenecks. (Bringing back the old Zmegma, switching back to old, less “effective” routings. . . .) STEP 5. 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