Glossary
Throughput
How much the operation actually produces in a period.
Technical definition
The rate of good output a system delivers over time, ultimately governed by the bottleneck.
Formula
Throughput = good units produced ÷ time
Manufacturing example
A plant producing 40,000 good cases per day has a throughput of 40,000 cases/day.
Common misconception
Running every machine flat out does not maximize throughput; only relieving the bottleneck does.
Why it matters operationally
Throughput is the top-line operational outcome most improvement efforts target.
Related terms
Put throughput to work
See how ConstraintFlow turns operational concepts into optimized decisions.