In analyzing production flow,a bottleneck is
A)an intermediate inventory.
B)always off the critical path.
C)a capacity constraint.
D)related to a non-value-adding activity.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A bottleneck is a capacity constraint, which means it is a process step with the slowest or lowest output rate that limits the overall capacity of the production flow. An intermediate inventory (option A) is not necessarily a bottleneck, as it can buffer the flow between faster and slower production steps. A bottleneck is often on the critical path (option B), which means it is a required step that determines the overall lead time or cycle time of the process. However, it can also be off the critical path, depending on the production sequence and variability. A bottleneck process can be a value-adding activity (contrary to option D), but it creates a delay or backlog of work-in-progress that reduces the efficiency and throughput of the entire system. Therefore, option C is the best choice for defining a bottleneck in production flow analysis.

In Analyzing Production Flow,a Bottleneck Is