# Thinking Theory Of Constraints

When throughput or latency is pipeline-limited, identify the single binding constraint...

- Repository: https://github.com/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills (1690 stars)
- Category: Security
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-08-07
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-theory-of-constraints -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-theory-of-constraints -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-theory-of-constraints -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-theory-of-constraints -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills`

## Description

When throughput or latency is pipeline-limited, identify the single binding constraint and exploit, subordinate, elevate, then recheck, ignore non-constraints.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Theory of Constraints

A throughput-limited system has one binding constraint. Improve only that constraint; local optimization of non-constraints wastes effort and often grows WIP.

## When to Use

- Latency or throughput goal where one stage dominates time or rate.
- Work piles up before one stage; downstream idles.
- Adding capacity/workers elsewhere does not raise end-to-end output.
- Need ordered plan: exploit cheaply before spending to elevate.

## When NOT to Use

- Load is spread; no stage dominates, use systems for interactions.
- Problem is correctness/fault, not flow rate, debug the fault.
- Bottleneck hops every run due to coupling/contention without a stable stage, systems or concurrency design, not five focusing steps.
- Constraint already known and a cheap fix is ready, apply it without ceremony.

## Procedure

The rest: https://github.com/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills/blob/HEAD/skills/thinking-theory-of-constraints/SKILL.md