Checklist

Line Balance & Bottleneck Checker

A practical, data-friendly checklist and observation form to identify line bottlenecks, record measurements, recommend quick fixes, and run short tests to validate changes.

Interactive Tool

Line Balance & Bottleneck Checker

Line Balance & Bottleneck Checker

This quick diagnostic helps you find where the line is unbalanced and what to test first. Use it during a normal service period and again during a controlled low-risk test (for example, during a quieter shift) after making a change. Capture simple measurements so you can compare shifts and validate whether adjustments actually improve throughput and ticket times.

How to use

  • Observe a consistent time window (15–60 minutes) during a typical service or during a planned test.
  • Record average prep, cook, and plating times for the station(s) you observe.
  • Estimate station utilization as percent busy time and count remakes coming from the station.
  • Look for growing queues, downstream idle time, or repeated remakes—these are signs of a bottleneck.
  • Use Recommended Reassignments and the Test Plan fields to run a short, low-risk experiment and measure impact.

Quick diagnostic signals

  • Station utilization consistently above ~85% while downstream stations are below ~60%.
  • Visible queue length or backlog at the station.
  • Frequent remakes or reworks originating at the station.

Record at least one observation per shift and repeat after making a change so you can compare results.

Date of observation (YYYY-MM-DD)
Name of restaurant, kitchen, or area
Time window observed (e.g., 11:30–12:30)
e.g., Grill, Fry, Salad, Expedite; list multiple if relevant
Mean time from order arrival to cook start (estimate)
Mean active cooking time
Time to finish and send to service
Percent of observation time station was actively working on orders (0-100)
Number of remakes originating at this station during the observation period
Does this station slow down the whole line?
Describe timing, behaviors, queues, communication breakdowns, or equipment issues
List contributing causes: missing prep, slow protein flow, equipment waits, unclear handoffs, etc.
Short-term changes to test (e.g., temporary helper, move prep earlier, adjust station responsibilities)
Who will do what, when to run the test, success metric(s) and how long the test runs
Optional link to an image showing layout or bottleneck
Person completing this checklist
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