Look for work that waits
Three signs show up more often than a clever diagnosis:
- A queue that grows because nobody owns the next action.
- A decision that sits in an inbox until the owner happens to see it.
- A task that only moves when the owner personally touches it.
Ask where the owner gets interrupted. The interruptions are often the bottleneck wearing a different coat: a stall, an urgent exception, or a yes-or-no that never got asked cleanly.
Name one constraint
Write one sentence: “The thing that is stuck is ____.” If you can point at a number you already have, use it. If you cannot, write that the data is missing. A guessed figure will send the next decision the wrong way.
Do this per business, not as a ten-item wishlist. A second constraint can wait until the first one actually moves.
A tool on top of an unnamed bottleneck does not remove the wait. It gives the wait a new screen.