In a production line, a common sign of a bottleneck is

In a production line, a common sign of a bottleneck is

• A. Long cycle time relative to takt
• B. Not enough demand
• C. Short cycle times
• D. Higher efficiency

Answer: (A)

The sign is when the pace that a station can complete its work actually falls behind the required pace of production. Takt time represents the speed at which the line must finish products to meet customer demand. If a station’s cycle time—the time it takes to complete one unit at that station—exceeds takt time, that station becomes the bottleneck, slowing the entire line. You’ll see work pile up before it and downstream work waiting for inputs, which is a classic symptom of a bottleneck. Not enough demand would typically create idle capacity rather than a bottleneck, so it doesn’t indicate the constraining step. Short cycle times suggest the station can meet or beat the required pace, which argues against a bottleneck. Higher efficiency is about how effectively time is used, not about whether a specific step is limiting overall throughput.

The sign is when the pace that a station can complete its work actually falls behind the required pace of production. Takt time represents the speed at which the line must finish products to meet customer demand. If a station’s cycle time—the time it takes to complete one unit at that station—exceeds takt time, that station becomes the bottleneck, slowing the entire line. You’ll see work pile up before it and downstream work waiting for inputs, which is a classic symptom of a bottleneck.

Not enough demand would typically create idle capacity rather than a bottleneck, so it doesn’t indicate the constraining step. Short cycle times suggest the station can meet or beat the required pace, which argues against a bottleneck. Higher efficiency is about how effectively time is used, not about whether a specific step is limiting overall throughput.