Page 468 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

426 Chapter Twelve

Fluctuations become bottlenecks

Progressively larger capacity downstream will make clogs unlikely
Figure 12.10 Balanced Capacity versus Unbalanced Capacity

there will always be another part of the process (second weakest link) that
becomes a constraint. Example 12. 5 shows this process.

Example 12.5: Constraints in a Restaurant
At the opening of a new restaurant, marketing is not good; there are only
50 customers per hour entering the restaurant. The dining room capacity is 100,
and the kitchen capacity is 200 meals per hour. Clearly marketing is the con-
straint (Fig. 12.11). After a marketing campaign, more customers are attracted
to the restaurant, at a rate of 250 customers per hour. But the dining hall can
only hold 100 customers per hour, so the dining hall becomes a new constraint
(Fig. 12.12).

1. Marketing 2. Dining hall 3. Kitchen
capacity: capacity: capacity:
50 customers/hour 100 customers/hour 200 meals/hour
Figure 12.11 Restaurant Grand Opening