Constraint discovery in production lines
The challenge
Every production line has constraints—bottlenecks that limit overall throughput regardless of how efficiently other stations operate. Finding these constraints quickly and accurately determines whether you can meet production targets or fall behind. Traditional methods require manual observation, guesswork, and trial-and-error adjustments.
Why it happens
Constraints move and change throughout the day. A station that's the bottleneck in the morning may not be in the afternoon. Operator fatigue, material variations, machine performance, and task complexity all shift dynamically. By the time you've manually identified a constraint, conditions have already changed.
Our solution
OpenSeam's Constraint Discovery System (CDS) applies Theory of Constraints principles automatically to your live production data. Our system continuously analyzes every station's performance—pace, proficiency, stoppage patterns—to identify which stations are actually limiting line throughput right now. The CDS surfaces these constraints in real-time through visual interfaces that show you exactly where the bottleneck is and what's causing it.
The outcome
You move from educated guessing to knowing. When a line falls behind target, you immediately see which station is the constraint and can route resources there. When constraints shift—from machine issues to operator fatigue to task complexity—you see the change as it happens. This visibility enables precise intervention rather than broad corrective actions that may miss the actual problem.
How we deliver
The CDS integrates seamlessly with our seambit sensor network, requiring no additional hardware. Constraints appear visually in Yamazumi charts on your desktop dashboard, with drill-down capabilities to understand the underlying causes. Industrial engineers can analyze constraint patterns over time to make strategic line balancing decisions, while floor supervisors get immediate notifications when new constraints emerge.