Finding and Breaking the Bottleneck: Theory of Constraints

Stop improving everywhere at once. Find the one constraint that governs your system — and manage it so the whole thing delivers more.
  • Author: Dr. Zitianellis

  • Level: Foundational
  • Study Mode: Self-paced
  • Recommended Period: 1 Week
  • Estimated Learning Time: ~7 Hours
  • Proficiency: 1 Graded Assessment
  • Award: 1 Certificate
Write your awesome label here.
To ensure the best continuity in your learning, we recommend completing the course within the recommended completion period. The course is self-paced, so you can adapt your learning schedule around work and other commitments.
Course overview
Finding and Breaking the Bottleneck is a one-week applied micro-course on the Theory of Constraints. It teaches a single, practical skill: viewing an organization as a system limited by one constraint, identifying that constraint rather than chasing symptoms or local inefficiencies, and managing it to increase the system's overall throughput. In the opening lesson, you choose one real process or system you own and carry it through all six lessons, learning to locate its constraint, measure whether the whole system is really improving, exploit the constraint and subordinate the rest of the system to it, and judge when to add capacity. By the end of the week, you will have a defended plan that raises what your system delivers rather than how busy its parts are.

Empty space, drag to resize
  • Operations Management
  • Process Improvement
  • Systems Thinking
  • Leadership & Decision-Making

Your Instructor

Taught by a practitioner. Moderated by the same.
PROFESSOR OF DATA SCIENCE
Dr. Janine Zitianellis is an applied data scientist and responsible-AI specialist with professional experience across financial services, retail, supply chain, operations and pharmaceutical manufacturing. She has developed practical solutions in forecasting, segmentation, anomaly detection, data quality, credit analytics and decision support for organizations including SubjectWell, IQbusiness, PBT Group, Sanlam and Standard Bank Group. Her research integrates AI, machine learning, behavioral science and ethical data use. At Monarch, she directs the Doctor of Applied Behavioural Data Science and supports curriculum and instructional design, helping MMI participants translate complex data into responsible, evidence-based managerial action.