Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What does "bottleneck" mean?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)A **bottleneck** is the stage of a process where tasks are delayed longer than at other stages, which slows down the entire flow of work. **Key point:** just like in a bottle with a narrow neck - liquid does not pour faster than the narrowest point allows - in a team, speed is limited by the slowest stage.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)ImageA **bottleneck** is the stage of a process where tasks **get delayed longer than at other stages**, which slows down the entire flow of work. Just like in a bottle with a narrow neck - liquid does not pour faster than the narrowest point allows - in a team, speed is limited by the slowest stage. --- ### Signs of a bottleneck - The column on the Kanban board fills up with tasks. - The cycle time at this stage keeps growing. - The team is often waiting for results from a specific specialist or step. - On the CFD (cumulative flow diagram), the zone for this stage widens sharply. --- ### Why it matters to find and remove them 1. **Increases flow speed.** Removing the bottleneck speeds up the whole process. 2. **Reduces stress and overload.** A balanced workload makes the work more sustainable. 3. **Transparency.** It becomes visible where time is being lost, so resources can be managed consciously. --- ### How to remove one - redistribute tasks among team members; - introduce automation or simplify the step; - temporarily raise the WIP limit at earlier stages to unload the critical point; - analyze the causes - lack of skills, unclear requirements, manual checks. --- ### Conclusion A **bottleneck** is the point that limits the throughput of the whole system. Finding and removing bottlenecks is the key to a **smooth, predictable, and efficient flow of work**.For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.