Theory of Constraints and Bottleneck Management

Operations across South Africa often add resources everywhere to lift output, when the real limit sits at a single bottleneck that governs the whole flow. This course teaches the theory of constraints so managers can find the true constraint, protect it, and get more throughput from the plant or process they already have. The approach is practical and works in factories, workshops, and service operations alike.

What you will be able to do

Explain how a single constraint governs the output of an entire system.
Identify the true bottleneck in a production or service process.
Apply the five focusing steps to exploit and elevate a constraint.
Protect the constraint using buffers without building excess stock everywhere.
Measure throughput, inventory, and operating expense to guide decisions.
Sustain higher output by managing the constraint over time.

Course outline

01How Constraints Govern System Output
02Finding the True Bottleneck
03The Five Focusing Steps
04Exploiting and Protecting the Constraint
05Buffer Management and Flow
06Throughput Accounting for Decisions
07Sustaining Higher Output

Who should attend

This course is designed for operations managers, production supervisors, planners, and continuous improvement practitioners who want to lift throughput without major capital investment.

Dates, venues and fees

Dates	Venue	Days	Fee
17 to 18 Aug 2026	Lagos	2	US$1,100
24 to 25 Aug 2026	Harare	2	US$1,100
31 Aug to 1 Sep 2026	Kampala	2	US$1,100
7 to 8 Sep 2026	Dar es Salaam	2	US$1,100
14 to 15 Sep 2026	Pretoria	2	R10,000
21 to 22 Sep 2026	Cape Town	2	R10,000
5 to 6 Oct 2026	Online	2	US$900
12 to 13 Oct 2026	Mozambique	2	US$1,100
19 to 20 Oct 2026	Cairo	2	US$1,100
26 to 27 Oct 2026	Accra	2	US$1,100
2 to 3 Nov 2026	Lusaka	2	US$1,100
9 to 10 Nov 2026	Kigali	2	US$1,100
16 to 17 Nov 2026	Nairobi	2	US$1,100
23 to 24 Nov 2026	Durban	2	R10,000
30 Nov to 1 Dec 2026	Johannesburg	2	R10,000
14 to 15 Dec 2026	Mauritius	2	US$1,100
21 to 22 Dec 2026	Dubai	2	US$1,100

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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Training a whole team?

We can run Theory of Constraints and Bottleneck Management privately for your team, on your dates and built around your own systems. Group delivery is usually more cost effective from about six delegates.

Run this in-house