Overview of the concepts of bottleneck in the operation process

Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to provide insight into currently available corporate operation and control management approaches through the examined articles, focusing on bottlenecks and closely related theories. Design/methodology/approach: The reviewed publications, which focus on the theory of constraints, different approaches, the concept of bottlenecks, and the presentation of related methods, bring us closer to understanding the changes that have taken place in the past decades. Findings: The immense impact of digitization and changes in demand affect the requests placed on companies; the way consumer needs are met has changed and accelerated, to which companies must adapt. In the case of services and products, the primary goal of manufacturers and service providers is to generate revenue and profit by satisfying consumer needs. For this, creating and maintaining an efficient operating system that does not contain restrictive elements is necessary. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of how the approach to the unified concept of the bottleneck is an effective tool for companies to improve their processes. Research limitations/implications: The current study analyzed some of the most relevant publications in the ScienceDirect database based on the keywords. This approach certainly serves as a beginning point for the understanding that to focus on the researched problem space, a systematic literature review is required. Originality/value: This study provides insight and supports the importance of a unified approach to identifying constraints for effective operational processes. Keywords: operation management, operation control, bottleneck, Theory of Constraints. Category of the paper: General review.