Bottleneck Analysis

How do you identify limits in the production process and mitigate its effects to your production capacity?
Garrett J. van Ryzin  | Spring 2008
Print this page

In production, a bottleneck is a resource or operation that limits output, essentially determining the capacity of the entire process. Even marginal changes in the capacity of a bottleneck will change the capacity of the process. This case teaches students about the economics of bottlenecks, and how bottlenecks can affect a firm's management decisions. Students also learn a method, using three inputs, that facilitates bottleneck analysis.

Case ID: 090205

This case is used in core curriculum

Buy select cases through The Case Centre,  Ivey Publishing and Harvard Business Publishing.

Contact us by e-mail at Columbia CaseWorks or 212-853-8585.