Theory of Constraints applied to Projece Management

As a novel, it is a failure. As a text for the implications of theory of constraints to the context of project management, it is proper. It explores the discussion of " throughput vs cost model" explained in his book "Goal", to the field of project management. The plot is a set of classroom discussions by a management professor, who is unsure of his tenure. ( In the family angle, he has his wife who overspends, with no possibility for having a kid , in a traditional way). The effect of theory of constraints is revisited through other professor. Later, our hero starts to apply this in his class room discussion. The key idea is to recognise how each step in a project is given extra safety by concerned person. The buffers are moved to a creat a common project buffer. Instead of looking at time aspect only, the issue of critical resource is given attention. ( Like bottleneck in production case). After a lot of discussions, he is led to discover the abstraction of critical chain ( rather than critical path) as the basis of project management. The evolution of the concept is explained with diagrams in a highly readable way. (At the end of novel, in the family front, they decide to try surrogate motherhood since they can afford it with his tenure position). The book is relevant for mangement educators. It can not be considered as a novel. GOAL is a unique event. Critical chain is a let down.

TOC applied to Uncertainty

In this book Goldratt is applying the TOC to PM. Here He is introducing a new approach to PM called Critical Chain, applying concepts such as scheduling at 50% of completion time, using early finishes, avoiding student syndrome and Parkinson Law, etc, Goldratt promise that projects using this concepts would finish on time and under budget.

I find very innovative the concept of Buffer Management. Here we are taking the slack time from all the project activities and place that time at the end of the project in an activity called "project buffer". Other great concept is do not Multitask, which in my oppinion is one of the principal project of why projects do not finnish on time.

A weakness in this book is: there is not an application of Critical Chain in a multi-project environment.

In summary, I've found in this book several interesting concept to improve project performance. Now, there are much better bookS than critical chain, in example Critical Chain Project Management by Leach and Project Management in the Fast Line by Newbold.

Wow, it works in the novel...

As with the Goal, the concepts that Goldratt uses to proselytize are a subtle mix of concepts that are on the border of being completely natural to the reader. Anyone who has managed projects, worked with EVM or other common methods will find a lot of the material that he presents to be just a slight twist on what they are used to seeing. In doing so, he manages to introduce a number of concepts that are new to the audience, but are not totally alien to their knowledge of how projects ought to work.

Unfortunately, he goes one step further (as in The Goal) and uses the form of fiction to tie the whole thing together. When I was done with the book, I set it down and said "those were some interesting concepts, and they sure helped the folks in the book". It was a few moments later that I realized that the characters, plot and workability of the concepts in the book was complete fiction. Everything worked so well when the characters used his methods, and didn't work at all when they didn't. That has a disturbing tone to it, since I know plenty of projects that have gone the other way in both cases.

This is not to say that the concepts that Goldratt brings forth aren't interesting, valid or usefull (especially when effectively tied to other management concepts), but it is to say that you won't get anything useful out of this book, aside from a desire to attend one of his seminars.