The Five focusing steps

1. Identify the System's constraints.

• Here a process is analyzed so that a task or activity that limits the productivity of an entire system can be identified. A system constraint may be identified by a long queue of work or long processing times.

2. Decide how to exploit the system's constraints.

• In this step, decisions must be made on how to modify or redesign the task or activity so that work can be performed more effectively and efficiently.

3. Subordinate everything else to the above decision. (step 2)

• Now, management directs all its efforts to improving the performance of the constraining task or activity and any other task or activity and any other task or activity that directly affects the constraining task or activity.

4. Elevate the system's constraint.

• In this step, additional capacity is obtained that will increase (elevate) the overall output of the constraining task or activity. This differs from step 2 in that the added output comes from additional purchased capacity, such as buying a second machine tool or implementing a new information technology.

5. If, in the previous step, a constraint has been broken, go back to step 1 but do not allow inertia to cause a new constraint

• This sets up a process of ongoing improvement. As a result of the focusing process, the improvement of the original constraining task or activity may cause a different task to become a constraining task or activity. Inertia could blind management from taking steps to improve the system's output now limited by a new constraint.(1)

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