Editing Theory of constraints (section)

===Constraints===
A constraint is anything that prevents the system from achieving its goal. There are many ways that constraints can show up, but a core principle within TOC is that there are not tens or hundreds of constraints. There is at least one, but at most only a few in any given system. Constraints can be internal or external to the system. An internal constraint is in evidence when the market demands more from the system than it can deliver. If this is the case, then the focus of the organization should be on discovering that constraint and following the five focusing steps to open it up (and potentially remove it). An external constraint exists when the system can produce more than the market will bear. If this is the case, then the organization should focus on mechanisms to create more demand for its products or services.

Types of (internal) constraints
* Equipment: The way equipment is currently used limits the ability of the system to produce more salable goods/services.
* People: Lack of [[skill]]ed people limits the system. [[Mental model]]s held by people can cause behaviour that becomes a constraint.
* Policy: A written or unwritten policy prevents the system from making more.

The concept of the constraint in Theory of Constraints is analogous to but differs from the [[Constraint (mathematics)|constraint]] that shows up in mathematical [[optimization (mathematics)|optimization]]. In TOC, the constraint is used as a focusing mechanism for management of the system.  In optimization, the constraint is written into the mathematical expressions to limit the scope of the solution (X can be no greater than 5).

Please note: organizations have many problems with equipment, people, policies, etc. (A breakdown is just that – a breakdown – and is not a constraint in the true sense of the TOC concept). The constraint is the [[limiting factor]] that is preventing the organization from getting more throughput (typically, revenue through sales) even when nothing goes wrong.