Unlocking Hidden Capacity: A Systematic Approach to Bottleneck Identification and Non-Capex Throughput Enhancement in Food and Beverage Manufacturing

Author(s)	Nishchay Selot
Country	United States
Abstract	The imperative for U.S. manufacturing to enhance productivity and expand capacity is relentless, driven by global competition and the need for economic resilience. However, many organizations incorrectly assume that significant capital expenditure is the only path to meaningful growth. This paper challenges that assumption by presenting a systematic, data-driven methodology for identifying and resolving the true bottlenecks within a production system. We introduce a zero-based benchmarking framework that moves beyond surface-level metrics to uncover the greatest points of capacity loss. By applying this rigorous analytical approach, manufacturers can deploy targeted, non-capex strategies-including workflow optimization and process reliability improvements-to unlock substantial throughput gains. The methods detailed have been proven to unlock multi-million-dollar capacity and generate significant cost savings, thereby strengthening the overall competitiveness and resilience of American manufacturing operations.
Keywords	Bottleneck Analysis, Throughput Optimization, U.S. Manufacturing, Zero-Based Benchmarking, Non-Capex Capacity Expansion, Operations Optimization, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Lean Manufacturing.
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 4, July-August 2025
Published On	2025-07-22
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i04.50899
Short DOI	https://doi.org/g9tx9q

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International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research