How do you apply the theory of constraints to an IT department?
The theory of constraints (TOC, by Eliyahu Goldratt) holds that a system's throughput is limited by its most constrained resource. In IT, that is often a small group of experts (architect, DBA, security) through whom many projects pass. You identify it by the highest allocation rates, protect its time, and subordinate the rest of the plan to its capacity.
The theory of constraints applied to IT
Overall throughput is set by the most constrained resource.
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The five steps
- Identify the constraint: the most allocated resource or team.
- Exploit the constraint: free it from low-value work.
- Subordinate everything else: align other plans with its pace.
- Elevate the constraint: train, hire, equip, or outsource.
- Repeat: once the constraint is lifted, another appears.
How to spot the constraint in IT
- A durably high allocation rate above 100%.
- Projects always waiting for the same person.
- A scarce skill held by a single person.
- Systematic queues in front of the same team.
FAQ
Is a constraint necessarily a person?
No, it can be a team, a test environment, or an approval. In IT, it is most often a scarce skill.
How do you elevate the constraint?
By training other people, hiring, using a contractor, or simplifying what is asked of it.
How does this relate to capacity?
A capacity view by skill reveals the constraint: it shows who is most allocated, and for which projects.
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