Project Management in the Fast Lane

Foreword xvii(4) Preface xxi(4) About the Author xxv(2) About APICS xxvii(2) Introduction xxix SECTION I: PROJECT MANAGEMENT TODAY 3(52) 1 Bidding for the Project 3(6) Janet's Project 4(1) The Planning Conflict 5(1) Dealing With Uncertainty 6(1) Key Concepts 7(1) Questions for Further Thought 7(2) 2 The Worker's Viewpoint 9(6) Joe's Story 9(4) Discussion 13(1) Key Concepts 14(1) Questions for Further Thought 14(1) 3 Hidden Costs: Work-in-Process 15(10) The Traditional WIP Tradeoff 15(1) The TOC WIP Tradeoff 16(3) Working on Large Batches 19(2) Keeping Busy by Multitasking 21(1) Key Concepts 22(1) Questions for Further Thought 22(3) 4. Hidden Costs: Lost Productivity 25(6) Parkinson's Law 25(2) Setting Up 27(1) Using More People 28(1) Manana 28(1) Starting or Finishing Early 29(1) Key Concepts 30(1) Questions for Further Thought 30(1) 5 The Generic Current Reality 31(10) Core Problems 37(2) Key Concepts 39(1) Questions for Further Thought 39(2) 6 The Project Manager's Viewpoint 41(4) Monday 41(1) Current Reality 42(1) Discussion of "Use of Resources" Tree 42(2) Key Concepts 44(1) Questions for Further Thought 44(1) 7 Mirabilia 45(6) Key Concepts 50(1) Endnotes 51(4) SECTION II: CRITICAL BUT STABLE 55(64) 8 A Critical Chain Schedule 55(10) Saturday Morning Blues 55(1) Interlude: Schedule #1 56(3) The Blues, Verse 2 59(1) Interlude: Schedule #2 59(1) The Blues, Verse 3 60(1) Interlude: Schedule #3 61(3) Key Concepts 64(1) Questions for Further Thought 64(1) 9 Managing Uncertainty 65(8) Managing Janet's Buffers 65(2) Risk Placement 67(1) Buffer Types 67(1) Rescheduling 68(1) Information Flow 69(2) Key Concepts 71(1) Questions for Further Thought 72(1) 10 Resolving the WIP Conflict 73(6) Key Concepts 77(1) Questions for Further Thought 78(1) 11 Identifying the Critical Chain 79(12) Step 1: Create the Initial Plan 80(2) Step 2: Load Leveling 82(3) Step 3: Determine the Critical Chain 85(3) Key Concepts 88(1) Questions for Further Thought 89(2) 12 Adding Buffers 91(10) Step 4: Identify the Buffer Points 91(2) Step 5: Decide on Buffer Sizes 93(1) An Alternative Calculation 94(1) Step 5b: Adjusting Buffer Sizes 95(1) Step 6: Insert Buffers 96(1) Pushing the Project 97(1) Comparison with Traditional Scheduling 98(1) Key Concepts 98(1) Questions for Further Thought 99(2) 13 Planning the Critical Chain Project 101(14) Step 1: Clearly State the Objectives of the Project and of the Project Plan 103(2) Step 2: Determine the Needs to be Met and the Tasks Needed to Meet Them 105(2) Step 3: Determine the Logical Relationships between Tasks and Needs 107(2) Step 4: Estimate the Resource Requirements, Task Durations, and Costs 109(3) Step 5: Calculate the Critical Chain Schedule, Including Buffers 112(1) Step 6: Evaluate the Plan According to Budget and Timing Restrictions 113(1) Step 7: If Necessary, Go Back to an Earlier Step and Revise the Plan 113(1) Complex Projects 113(1) Key Concepts 114(1) Questions for Further Thought 114(1) Endnotes 115(4) SECTION III: GLOBAL VIEWPOINT, GLOBAL LEVERAGE 119(70) 14 The Goal 119(6) The System-Level Approach 119(3) Not-for-Profit Organizations 122(1) Understanding the Goal 123(1) Key Concepts 124(1) Questions for Further Thought 124(1) 15 Throughput: Ichiban 125(10) The Traditional Priority of Measurements 125(1) Cost vs. Throughput 126(3) Automobile Production 129(3) Total Quality 132(1) Key Concepts 133(1) Questions for Further Thought 133(2) 16 The Throughput World: Climbing Out of the Box 135(12) The Systems-Level Viewpoint 135(1) Example: DOD Contracting 136(3) Constraints and Leverage Points 139(2) "Optimization" -- The Best? 141(2) Not-for-Profit Throughput 143(2) The Japanese Advantage 145(1) Key Concepts 145(1) Questions for Further Thought 146(1) 17 Global Improvement: The Five Focusing Steps 147(10) The Five-Step Logic Tree 149(3) Longer-Term Success: The Revised Five Steps 152(1) The Market as a Leverage Point 153(1) Selecting a Strategic Leverage Point 154(2) The Five Steps and the Critical Chain 156(1) Key Concepts 156(1) Questions for Further Thought 156(1) 18 Global Improvement: TOC Accounting 157(6) Throughput Pricing 157(3) Budgeting 160(2) Key Concepts 162(1) Questions for Further Thought 162(1) 19 The Project Dice Game 163(10) Playing the Dice Game 163(2) Analyzing the Project Dice Game 165(1) Unbalancing the Capacity 166(1) Protective Capacity and Inventory 166(3) A Resource-Constrained Schedule 169(3) Key Concepts 172(1) Questions for Further Thought 172(1) 20 Multiple Projects 173(10) The Strategic Resource Buffer 175(1) Approach 1: All Together 176(2) Approach 2: Successive Projects 178(1) Approach 3: The Strategic Resource 179(2) Recommendations 181(1) Key Concepts 182(1) Questions for Further Thought 182(1) Endnotes 183(6) SECTION IV: IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES 189(50) 21 What Is a Schedule? 189(10) The Worker's Point of View 190(1) Resource Manager Information Needs 191(1) Project Manager Information Needs 192(1) Critical Chain Principles 193(2) The Pit Crew 195(1) Key Concepts 196(1) Questions for Further Thought 197(2) 22 Measurements 199(10) Measurement Basics 199(2) Global Measurements 201(1) Local Measurements 201(1) Throughput Dollar Days 202(2) WIP as a Global Measurement 204(2) Measuring Schedule Changes 206(1) Implementing Measurements 206(1) Key Concepts 207(1) Questions for Further Thought 207(2) 23 Leveraging The Critical Chain 209(8) The SWAT Team 209(1) Throughput Pricing 210(1) Small Batches of Work 211(1) Focus on Strategic Resources and Strategic Tasks 212(1) Win-Win 212(2) Key Concepts 214(1) Questions for Further Thought 215(2) 24 Weak Links 217(10) The NIH Law 217(3) Boundless Optimism 220(1) Milestones 220(1) Good Enough 221(1) The Cost World 222(1) Leverage Outside the Box 223(1) Education 224(1) Key Concepts 224(1) Questions for Further Thought 225(2) 25 Implementation Checklist 227(10) Take Stock 227(1) What Is Your System? 227(1) What Are Your System's Goal and Necessary Conditions? 228(1) What Are the Implications of the Throughput World? 228(1) Where Are the Leverage Points? 229(1) Which Policies Are Constraints? 230(1) How Can the Five-Step Improvement Process Be Applied? 231(1) Where Does It Make Sense to Start? 232(1) Which People Will Block Implementation? 232(2) What Is the Status of the Leverage Points and Their Buffers? 234(1) How Do Causes Relate to Effects in Your Environment? 234(1) Key Concepts 235(1) Questions for Further Thought 235(2) Endnotes 237(2) Afterword 239(4) APPENDICES 243(32) Appendix A: Answers For Further Thought 243(20) Appendix B: Glossary 263(6) Appendix C: ProChain(TM) Project Scheduling 269(6) Index 275