Theory of Constraints Project Management System. Theory of Constraints for IT project management using the “Critical Chain” method. th day. Project environment and management behavior in project management

Sergey Goncharenko
Leading specialist of management systems, project management consultant at ARB-Consulting

When scheduling any project, all tasks eventually have a specific calendar start and end date. And it would be just great for the project if all tasks began and ended strictly in accordance with these dates. Or at least those that lie on the Critical Path of the project. Therefore, at project management, at least the project manager, makes a huge effort to ensure that each task is completed on the scheduled date.

But the vast majority of projects are still behind schedule. It is practically impossible to know the duration of all tasks with 100% accuracy at the planning stage, even in cases where such a task has already been done before. This can be prevented already at the execution stage. unseen circumstances:

• Change of performer, for example, due to illness or dismissal of a previously appointed
• Problems with suppliers if the task is related to external resources
• Funding problems
• and just Murphy's law - if something bad can happen, then it will definitely happen

Any project has risks associated with uncertainty. This means that each task will have a probability of completion on the scheduled date less than 100%. So why do we expect the entire project, consisting of many sequential and parallel tasks that do not have a 100% chance of completing at the scheduled time, to complete on the scheduled date?

To this we must add that the probability of completion of two consecutive tasks with a probability of completion at the scheduled time equal to 90% is already 81%. In other words, if we do not use positive deviations for those tasks that finish earlier than the scheduled date on the calendar, then the probability of completing the entire project on time tends to zero.

But therein lies one of the problems. scheduling . Tasks that were completed ahead of schedule cannot pass the baton to the next ones. The resources that are required for this task are not ready, they are busy in other tasks and on other projects. The time of these resources was pre-allocated according to calendar plans all projects where they participate. Therefore, there is often simply no one to go to the task that they could complete earlier.

Moreover, if you try to remember cases from your practice when tasks were completed earlier than on the planned date, then you will not remember many such cases. The vast majority of tasks were completed late, or at best, at a strictly appointed time. Why is this happening? What would happen if someone during planning told us that he needed 20 days for this work, and he did it in 10 days? Most likely, we would immediately plan 10 days for a similar task in the next project.

Therefore, realizing that this will happen, people continue to perform the task, trying to double-check the result again, or improve it. And since there is no limit to perfection, you can improve indefinitely, or until the desired date. Although, of course, more often people still switch to other tasks, but they do not inform the project manager about this, so that the next time they do not reduce the time for this task, and there is a reserve for unforeseen circumstances. Thus, positive variances in the duration of tasks performed rarely help the project to complete on time.

How to proceed in such a case? One of best practices work on projects that solves this problem, offers Theory of Constraints. Critical chain method takes into account the psychology of the performer and promotes the use of positive deviations in the duration of tasks, for the successful completion of the entire project. To begin with, you will have to shift your mindset and move away from exact calendar completion dates for each task and focus on the end date of the entire project.

During the course of the project, you should focus on current assessment performers about the remaining duration of the task, and not on some date by which, as you predicted at the planning stage, you need to have time to complete the task. Critical chain method will allow you to respond in time to problems in tasks from the very beginning of the project, but it is focused on the main date - the end date of the entire project.

It is on how often the entire project is completed on time that the reputation of the project manager and the entire firm depends. Clients will not be satisfied that most tasks are completed at exactly the scheduled time if the entire project is late. Investments in most projects begin to return only after its completion. By applying the Critical Chain method, you will significantly increase number of projects completed on time.

Whether you work in the service industry, industry, IT technology, design or marketing, project management is an indispensable part of your business. Every company is constantly changing. And in order to cope with the problems that have arisen and solve them on time, you need to manage changes as a project.

Every project has a goal, a beginning and an end. Only the end of the project leads to the opportunity to earn new money. Therefore, the most important question becomes: can we meet the deadline and within the allocated budget? The traditional approach to project management looks like this: the project is divided into separate tasks, which are assigned calendar start and finish dates. A well-designed plan is supposed to be easy to implement. But how in this case to take into account all the unforeseen circumstances? Is it possible to effectively initiate, plan and control projects based on intuition alone? How, then, to reduce the risks? At the same time, it is known that even well-planned projects, in the course of their execution, are knocked out of the budget and calendar dates.

Managing a project means being able to deal with uncertainty. Projects are never similar to each other and they always contain some probability of events. But modern market requires projects to be completed on time and in full. Therefore, when implementing most projects, only experience and common sense are not enough; an appropriate project management methodology is also required.

The critical chain method, based on the principles of the Theory of Constraints, allows you to effectively manage uncertainty in projects. Using the project buffer tool helps to receive timely information about those tasks that are now leading to delay and jeopardizing the budget. At this seminar, you will receive a tool that will allow you to prioritize, determine the actual tasks of the project, and accurately allocate resources.

The target audience: managers who manage a multitasking environment, project managers, marketers, designers, IT specialists.

Target: master the critical chain method and Scrum for project management.

In this seminar you:

• Familiarize yourself with the TOC and Agile approach;
• learn all about the critical chain method and Scrum for project management;
• learn how to plan the project's critical chain and scrum sprint;
• understand how to manage a project using the project buffer;
• get ready-made solutions for managing uncertainty in the project.

Seminar program

1st day. Project environment and management behavior in project management

1. Undesirable phenomena in projects: failure to meet deadlines, repeated postponement of completion dates, budget overruns, rush and processing, cuts in functionality and specifications, constant lack of resources, competition for them.
   • Problems that hinder project management.
   • Features of project management of the participants of the seminar.
   • The main characteristics of the project management environment: uncertainty, multitasking, local performance indicators.
2. Typical behavior for the project management environment: drawing up detailed project schedules, monitoring the accuracy of fulfilling obligations on task deadlines, early launching projects for execution, “bad” multitasking.
3. Introduction to TOS. Principles and assumptions.
4. The root conflict of the design environment.
5. Major misconceptions in project management:
   • a game that demonstrates the impact of multitasking;
   • discussion of student syndrome and the Parkinson effect.
6. Competitive advantage in the project environment (time reliability, quality assurance and budget compliance).
7. The concept of the critical chain (CCPM) and its difference from the concept of the critical path.
8. Philosophy Agile. Scrum concept for project management.

2-3rd day. Critical chain project management

1. Management setting and the introduction of new performance indicators that allow you to see the dynamics of income from projects.
2. Reducing multitasking:
   • freezing of a part of ongoing projects;
   • accelerate the implementation of the remaining projects;
   • defrosting projects as the previous ones are completed, "virtual drum";
   • launch of new projects.
3. Tool Kit (complete preparation of the project for launch):
   • preparation of projects in accordance with priorities;
   • determination of the scope of work for the preparation of projects;
   • exclusion of the risk of losing customers due to the late launch of projects.
4. Planning:
   • building good PERT plans;
   • definition of a critical chain, taking into account the limited resources, the concept of a project buffer, the concept of a feeding buffer;
   • separation of the project portfolio.
5. Project execution management:
   • daily reporting on the implementation of tasks, communication issues;
   • ensuring the implementation and preparation of tasks in accordance with established priorities;
   • timely adoption of corrective measures by top management;
   • regulation of execution speed at the project integration point.
6. Elimination of project delays due to the fault of clients.
7. Placement of orders with subcontractors:
   • control of work performance;
   • use of effective incentives for on-time performance by the contractor.
8. Selling the reliability of project completion on time.
9. Workload control: regardless of sales growth, the company always meets deadlines.
10. Continuous improvement process:
    • report on the reasons for delays;
    • analysis of reasons for delays;
    • initiation of projects to improve performance.
11. Power extension:
    • identification of resources responsible for delays in projects;
    • ensuring the timely availability of the necessary labor resources.
12. Implementation competitive advantage"early delivery":
    • formation of a "bonus market";
    • development of a bonus offer;
    • sale of "early delivery";
    • fast completion of the project.
13. Project management software for TOC and Scrum.
14. Organization of work in the project according to the Scrum method:
    • planning and prioritization of work;
    • Product Owner and Scrum Master roles
    • holding scrum meetings;
    • holding a retrospective.
15. Sharing of CCPM and Scrum methods.
16. Examples of the application of the critical chain method and Scrum in enterprises of various industries.

Each system has its own goal, in order to achieve the goals of the PM system, it is necessary to constantly improve it. Goddratt's Theory of Constraints is based on identifying constraints in systems, identifying key problems, and eliminating them. The author of the theory proposes to use a five-step algorithm to identify the "weak link in the chain". The algorithm of the continuous improvement process for TOC is presented below.

Figure 6. Algorithm of the continuous improvement process for TOC

In addition to the five guiding steps, Goldratt suggested using sequential methods of logical reasoning for TOC, presented below in Fig. 7.

Figure 7. Sequential reasoning method for TOC

In order to understand what needs to be changed in order for the system to become better, it is necessary to analyze the current reality. Building a tree of current reality will help in identifying the key conflict of the system. The tree is built on the basis of “if, then” relationships and is read from bottom to top. If we consider project management as a system, sometimes what you don’t like about it is not always the problem itself, but can only be a signal of its existence. The problem itself lies in the root causes of the conflicts that exist in the system. Identifying and eliminating a key problem not only eliminates all undesirable effects associated with it, but also prevents their occurrence. The construction of the TDR begins with the identification of adverse events (AEs), which lead to the identification of a key conflict.

The Thundercloud Conflict Resolution Diagram (DRC) aims to resolve the conflicts that usually lie at the root of the problem. The main idea of ​​the DRC is that most of the real problems are caused by confrontation or conflict, which prevents the problem from being solved in the usual way.

Figure 8. Thundercloud Conflict Resolution Diagram

The Future Reality Tree (FRT) is a tool to make sure that the actions that are going to be implemented to fix the problem will lead to the desired results. In addition, DBR allows you to determine which Negative consequences can trigger intended actions.

Figure 9. Future reality tree

The transition tree allows you to build a strategy to achieve the goal of the system. After identifying problems and formulating a strategy, a change plan is drawn up, which should be a clear guide to action in order to achieve the goals set to improve the system.

For many years, the systems approach to improving systems has dealt with three main questions: the problem, the solution, and the implementation of the solution. Theory of Constraints (TOC) provides practical solutions to improve systems in key areas of management. One such area is project management. This article aims to improve the project manager's ability to manage projects in a complex and stressful environment.

The success of synchronized management of an environment where many projects are being implemented simultaneously depends on two global factors: the availability of good professional project managers and the project management method used.

In this article, we want to consider a solution for managing projects according to the method " Critical Chain» ( English Critical Chain project management, CCPM). The name "Critical Chain" was chosen to emphasize the difference between the approach CBT away from the traditional Critical Path method. Solution CBT focuses on completing the entire project on time. It is holistic, because it considers the project as a whole, and not each individual task in isolation. It makes sense because we can provide a conceptual framework for the solution using Thinking Processes. TOC. It is mutually beneficial because it takes into account and supports the important needs of key stakeholders.

Projects as a kind of activity are more than a thousand years old. Some of them have resulted in majestic structures that are rightfully considered wonders of the world. However, it was only in the second half of the twentieth century that the importance of project management became so obvious. Demands regarding the time and money invested in projects have become dominant. It turned project management into a profession. The official "start" is the development and use of the diagram for the construction of the Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine in the early 1950s. It was imperative that this major project within certain time frames. For planning and management method PERT used the concept English, CPM, Critical Path Method). It subsequently became the predominant approach to project management. It is amazing that the basic principles of project management are still the same as they were 60 years ago, despite the fact that the vast majority of projects fail to complete on time, within budget and original specifications.

USMC - Heavy Equipment Maintenance Base - Albany, GA, USA

Implementation in 2001 of TOC solutions for project management "Critical Chain" and production management "Drum-Buffer-Rope".

Implementation goals:

• Increase the passage (Throughput);
• Reduce costs;
• Reduce the volume of work in progress (WIP);
• Reduce the cycle of repair work;
• Follow the work schedule in 90+% of cases.

Implementation results presented by the base management in the official presentation:

Figure 13. The results of the implementation of TOC solutions based on the maintenance of heavy equipment of the US Marine Corps.

Oded Cowen, International Director of Goldratt Schools,

Elena Fedurko, regional manager Goldratt Schools in Russia and Russian speaking regions

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There is nothing more permanent than something temporary. In project management, the project itself can seem like something small, easily manageable. But the week turns into a month, a month into a quarter, deadlines are burning, and a small, temporary project grows into a monster that devours time and resources.

We have already considered different project management methodologies in past reviews. You can familiarize yourself with,, and.

Today we will talk about:

• how to estimate and predict project timeline from scratch in CCPM?
• what rules do you need to know for the correct calculation of time?
• Why is the critical chain method the choice of hundreds of successful companies?
• how to introduce the critical chain method (CCM) in your company?
• How can I implement CCPM using the Worksection service?

Origin of methodology

For the first time the concept of "critical chain method" sounded in the book. Eliyahu's predecessor books presented separate ideas and techniques that later merged into CCPM: from drum-buffer-rope (DBR) to theory of constraints (TOC). The latter eventually transformed into one of the most popular project management methodologies.

TOC (Theory of Constraints) is a project and organization management methodology created by Eliyahu Goldratt. TOC is based on finding and managing the key limitation of the system, which determines its effectiveness.

DBR (drum-buffer-rope) is one of the methods of the theory of constraints, aimed at "expanding" the constraints of the system, subordinating production to the most efficient use of the constraint. It is built on the use of a work schedule for restriction (drum), which contains a protective buffer that protects against downtime (buffer), and on the organization of a mechanism for the timely release of work into production.

Already in 1997, Goldratt, the creator of the theory of constraints, realized that in order to implement the methodology in life, it must be as simple and understandable as possible. User-friendly approach 20 years after the creation of the theory of constraints resulted in its business version - CCPM - Critical Chain Project Management. And since everything new is a well-forgotten old, CCPM turned out to be similar both to the TOC of the same Goldratt, and to PERT method. The latter was developed to calculate the expected duration of the project or the time to achieve tasks at certain stages of it, and has been used in modifications in many organizations.

PERT is both a method and a network planning tool. The method allows you to estimate the duration of tasks based on 3 estimates with their further use when building a diagram.

All previous methods developed before the beginning of the second half of the 20th century are obsolete. The critical chain method was the first effective method project management after the development of PERT, and after all, 45 years have passed since the invention of the latter!

The development of CCPM did not end with the release of four books that popularly talk about the implementation of methodology in business project management. Dozens of books on project management appear on the shelves every year, which in one way or another use the critical chain method (we recommend), and the British company Goldratt, created by the founder of the Goldratt method, offers services for the implementation of CCPM in the project management of firms.

Estimating project timelines from scratch using CCPM

When starting to work on the critical chain (CC) of the project, it is impossible to ignore the issue of assessing the timing of tasks and the duration of the project as a whole.

Calculating project timelines is more difficult than it might seem at first glance. If you directly ask performers to indicate the average time for which the task will be completed, they will, at best, indicate the time with a margin, and at worst, they will assure that the task will be completed quickly and expose the entire project to a blow.

To avoid this common mistake, you need to consider the following rules:

• Timing should be estimated based on 100% artist download. This, firstly, will keep all performers in good shape, preventing downtime, and, secondly, it will significantly reduce the overall duration of the project.
• part of the estimated time should be allocated to buffers- you can calculate this part according to a simple scheme: the total estimated time is halved, and the second half becomes a buffer;
• the difference between the average and probable time estimates should be significant − use a factor of 2x or more(more on this later). This will help avoid the formal distinction between different types timing and is useful when using the PERT method.

It is convenient to calculate the execution time of individual tasks in a project and its completion using the PERT method. But timing based on 3 times (best, likely and worst) does not include the possibility of failures and delays. The most important tool for dealing with them is the project buffer, which is placed between the completion date of the last task and the project completion date. Thus, the length of the critical chain, which means the project time is calculated from the very first task within the CC to the start of the project buffer.

In the Worksection service, the calculated deadlines can be entered directly into the assigned tasks and subtasks, respectively.
It is worth deciding in advance whether deadlines for tasks will be indicated with buffer or related tasks will have start dates shifted.

In addition to the project buffer, it is important to take into account the feed buffer (path merge buffer)- the margin of time that is located between the stage of work of the non-critical chain and the stage of work within the framework of the critical chain. Typically, the length of such a buffer is 50% of the length of the non-critical circuit to which it is added.

Deciphering PERT as a Method and Chart

Speaking about the critical chain method, it is impossible to ignore one of the popular network planning methods - PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique).

It was first used on the Polaris submarine in 1958 to build a schedule that included more than 3,300 contractors. This shows the specificity of PERT as a network planning method for large projects (on average, above 300-400 operations).

According to the method, the duration of each task has limits, which are calculated according to the statistical distribution.

The key point is that 3 values ​​​​are used at once to estimate the time of each task:

1. optimistic (best);
2. expected (probable);
3. pessimistic (worst).

The longer the total duration of the project, the higher the cost of an error: the number of variables increases, the statistical errors in time estimates increase, and the risk of changes in the key elements of the plan appears. To deal with these problems, you can look at the surfer. He constantly balances to stay on the crest of the wave on the board as long as possible. There is no one correct body position!

This is what inspired the creation of "traveling wave planning". So, the project of Buns Landsdorp Mars One assumed the duration of the Mars colonization project in 22 years - from 2011 to 2033. Each stage took 1-2 years, and was scheduled on the official website of the project. But the lack of experience in solving the tasks and the uniqueness of the project led to the fact that the expected timeline shifted. The expected duration of the project has grown to 24 years!

Why do we need three whole values ​​at all? They are used in the mathematical formula for estimating the weighted average completion time of an operation (project):

tE = (tO + 4tM + tP) / 6

• where tE is the operation (project) time;
• tO is the optimistic (best) time;
• tM is the expected (probable) time;
• tP is the pessimistic (worst) time.

As with any calculation, errors are possible here. The PERT method, by its very nature, underestimates the estimated duration of the project task.
This means that the more tasks there are, the more errors you may encounter.

For the same reason, it would be correct involvement of experts in the project area, which can reduce the spread between the three estimates of the project time, and thereby reduce the error rate.

This is what a PERT chart looks like

The PERT chart represents the tasks that need to be completed to complete the entire project. It consists of elements:

• Arrows- determine the direction from one task to another, and indicate the events that should occur;
• Rooms- are assigned to each task;
• Days/weeks/months- are indicated both under each task based on the results of applying the PERT formula, and in a horizontal schedule that determines the time within which all project tasks are completed.

How to create a working PERT chart? Here are 4 simple steps:

1. Make a list of milestones (large sections of the project) and tasks within the milestones of the project. Write them down as tasks in the project.
2. Use the PERT formula to determine the time required for each event to complete. Specify start and end dates for tasks.
3. Define dependencies between tasks to create links. Consider buffer zones.
4. The lines in the diagram should come to tasks that are related to the completion of the previous one. Visualize the diagram on paper or whiteboard in a team meeting.

It is not necessary to draw a schedule manually - you can use a special software(for example, ).

Advantages and disadvantages of the methodology

CCPM, like any other project management method, has its pros and cons. Whether you will use it to achieve the company's goals or not depends on the format and size of the company, the scope of services or products provided, corporate culture and other factors.

So why do companies like American Express, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Ford Motor Company and Heineken use the critical chain method in their daily work?

Benefits of CCPM:

1. time-balanced resource load - unlike the critical path method, you are not constrained by a rigid sequence of tasks or strict planning.
2. one task is performed per unit of time - it can be considered both a plus (there is no danger of task overlapping) or a minus, because the performer is subject to increased requirements for the ability to quickly switch between tasks and task chains.
3. it is easy to detect emerging delays and threats of disrupting project deadlines - thanks to buffers (project buffers, resource and time buffers and a feeding buffer), the project manager is able to “protect” the project completion date from task variations.
4. resource focus on critical important tasks- allows you to eliminate competition for resources within the project.
5. relieves such diseases of the project as "student syndrome", the use of multitasking, from the effects of Parkinson's and Murphy's laws.

In the case of Eurovision 2017, the available resources are enough to significantly save budget costs. So, the venue is the International Exhibition Center, which was opened in 2002. It fits perfectly into the existing concept of a television show with the involvement of a large number spectators.

So for every plus of the critical chain method there is a minus.

Disadvantages of CCPM:

1. increased project implementation time - this happens at the expense of time buffers, since when using the critical chain method, the key is the completion date of the entire project, and not the deadline for completing a separate task. In most cases, the longer a project takes to complete, the higher the cost.
2. increased requirements for the qualification of a project manager - for the successful implementation of CCPM, it is not enough to read a couple of books, you need practice and careful study on paper. Can't do without either.
3. the bulkiness of the critical chain method in a “dry” form - when creating a plan for CCPM, you have to take into account a dozen factors: tasks, deadlines, buffers, and much more. Even if the project manager sorts out these complexities, how to show management how it really works? After all, the original plan will change with the further development of the project. And the main goal of the project is not the implementation of the plan (albeit a detailed one), but the effective achievement of the stated goals.
4. the need to form separate teams for each project stems from the impossibility of using one resource simultaneously in several different projects. In this regard, Oded Cowen, an international expert at TOC, noted that the MCC is more suitable for large projects and enterprises, in particular, in the areas of installing telecommunications networks, repairing and re-equipping aircraft, and developing products for next-generation wireless technologies.

What project management issues do project managers not talk about?
Four barriers in the life of any organization that all project managers go through - or give up and the project does not reach the final stage.

• "Student Syndrome" - the more time is allotted to complete the task (including safety net), the later the person will begin to complete this task. The desire to put off completing a task until the last minute is explained by procrastination, laziness, and ill-conceived management. The latter can be combated by limiting the time to complete the task.

• Multitasking is the performance of several tasks at the same time, which usually leads to a failure of the planned deadlines or to a deterioration in the quality of the work performed. According to research by the University of Utah’s Department of Psychology, only 2% of people on Earth are able to effectively multitask. And the American Psychological Association has noted that constantly switching between tasks reduces productivity by up to 40% than if you completed them in a queue.

• Parkinson's Law - the amount of work tends to increase in order to fill the time allotted for its implementation.

• Murphy's Law - If something bad can happen, it will happen. The subconscious mind also knows about Murphy's law, so the project participants seek to insure themselves by laying a reserve of time and lengthening the deadlines for completing the task several times.

Alternative View: Differences between Critical Chain Method (CCPM) and Critical Path Method (CPM)

Key differences between the critical chain method and the critical path:

1. the critical path in CPM has an "idealized" character, in CCPM the path is built taking into account resource constraints.
2. the main tasks of CPM are project planning, determination of the most priority tasks; The main task of the critical chain method is to complete the project as quickly as possible, taking into account resource constraints.
3. The critical path method is based on predicting the project timeline, while CCPM is based on the initial uncertainty of the duration of the work.
4. the critical path method is more suitable for determining the timing of the release of a product, and CCPM is more suitable for projects in which the deadline is already known.
5. The critical path method is based on a rigid task sequence, while the critical chain method is based on flexible planning.

There are two hard-pegged deadlines in CCPM − product launch and release dates(delivery of the project). Development and work with a chain of tasks and is main goal method. The critical chain is a sequence of project tasks. The implementation of the project itself depends on their implementation. The length of the critical path and the project completion date depend on the size of the tasks and resources for their implementation. In this, CCPM is similar to CPM (which is why they are so often confused): longest chain path - critical .

Lawrence Leach, in On Time and On Budget: Critical Chain Project Management, warns against a common mistake. Often, managers use the originally built critical chain as the basis of constraints for project execution. It would be more correct to build a new one on the basis of the primary chain, already taking into account resource constraints.

Virtual critical circuit
its properties are similar to the usual chain.
It is important to stay strong in a state of tension.
The strength of each chain is determined
strength of the weakest link.
If you hang a multi-ton load on a chain, where one link is made of wood, and all the rest are made of the strongest titanium, then it is better to move away,
because it will fall in the next second.

The most striking example of how the weak link destroys the entire project is the computer game No Man’s Sky. An entire marketing campaign was launched for it, tied to the dates of the major gaming exhibitions E3 2014 and 2015. They were strong links in the critical chain of the No Man's Sky Game Release, which earned the project high marks in the press in absentia and the title of "Best Original Game" and " Best game from an independent developer" even before the release. One of the most important links was the creation of a design document and, as shown by negative reviews after the release of the product on the market, the weakest.

Boring gameplay, no original ideas and a slender game concept buried the hope of success. And even a powerful marketing campaign, ordering advertising in the largest specialized publications and good graphic design did not save from a complete failure in the market. So the weak link burst - the design document ( detailed description developed computer game, the plot and the essence of the project), the foundation of the foundations of the game project - and the whole chain crumbled, having lost its meaning.

The No Man's Sky example shows that The strength of a chain is determined by the weakest links in it. Rules real life work for the conditional chain too: strengthen the weak link and the critical chain will become viable. What is it for?

Comes into action theory of constraints (TOC), which reinforces the critical chain method. One of the rules of TOC is that a project can do as much work as allows you to make the weakest link in the chain. talking plain language, it is necessary to start work in accordance with the power of the weakest link.

In the case of No Man's Sky, having determined the dizdok as the weakest element, the developers had two ways:

• redistribute the load and increase the amount of resources for creating a development document;
• reduce the amount of resources spent on marketing campaign and other links that take most of the resources.

No one will dispute the uniqueness of each project: goals, deadlines, resources, the degree of novelty, the scale of the company differ in each case and the only correct one, 100% working scheme impossible to create.

We offer a squeeze-a set of practical steps for using the MCC in individual project planning. They will be useful to you, even if you have already encountered CCPM in project work. If the MCC is new to you, a detailed checklist will be below. With its help, it is easy to build a project plan diagram using the critical chain method.

7 practical steps:

1. Explain to the team that will be working on the project the importance of protecting task duration and resource estimates from management. Unfortunately, the chaotic and fast execution of tasks can look spectacular, but not efficient, and become a real disaster for the project manager.
   In Worksection, you can assign the rights of each team member so that only the PM can set deadlines and budget, but he will prescribe this only after agreement and approval with the entire team.
2. Eliminate resource contention by load balancing. Thanks to this, the need to switch resources between tasks will also disappear.
   Notice uneven load you can in the People tab, where you can see how many tasks each individual performer has.
3. Plan tasks that do not depend from any other tasks, starting from project end date to its beginning!
   On the built-in Gantt Chart, you can specify which tasks are related and which are independent from others.
4. To permanently solve the resource unavailability problem, add resource buffers to the critical chain.
   You can specify with Tags which resources are needed for a task and control the load in the list of tasks.
5. Insert a design buffer at the end of the project to accumulate spare time (about 50% of the length of the entire critical chain).
   Specify it in the name of the project or root task. You can make the task "Final / Delivery of the project" and assign its Start Date to the day after all the tasks a plus backup time. The same date should be announced to customers.
6. Calculate and arrange feed buffers for all paths that critical circuits depend on.
   This should be done before setting Start and End Dates for tasks.
7. Develop a working scheme for tracking the performance of performers in working on tasks. They should work as quickly as possible and not delay the delivery of the results of the work upon its completion.
   In the Reports section, you can select the By people format and track completed tasks for a selected period of time.

CHECK-LIST on the example of Eurovision 2017 and Lockheed projects

Creating a project plan in the form of a critical chain from scratch is not an easy task, but if you have a checklist for choosing the optimal CC path, everything becomes easier. If you were the organizers of the largest international Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine, what would you need to do according to CCPM?

1. Determine all the tasks needed to complete the project.

This is a number of large blocks (advertising, technical support, security), which are divided into a number of small ones: advertising - on SMM, recording radio jingles, release of thematic TV programs; technical support - for the analysis of the riders of the artists, the search and selection of specialists, the creation single network technician; security - for briefing the police and the National Guard, planning street closures, organizing points with metal detectors.

2. Build the formed tasks into a logical chain, specifying the average value as the duration.

If your team is responsible for organizing Eurovision, then you won state tender, and you have enough experience to determine the average duration of each of the tasks. So, the briefing of the police and the National Guard will take about a week - with a high-quality study of conflict situations and theoretical lectures, but it will take about 8 hours to block the streets during the opening ceremony.

3. Indicate the initial resources - performers, finances, material and technical base. Most companies have a base of specialists with whom it maintains links.

Therefore, the search and selection of specialists who will technical support Arenas will be held first according to the already existing list. Before making a request, you need to update the material, technical and financial base in order to understand what specialists, in what quantity and under what conditions you can attract.

4. Identify possible resource conflicts - the fewer resources, the more such conflicts can occur during the life of the project. By changing the deadlines for completing tasks, completely get rid of resource contradictions. The resulting chain of interrelated tasks with resources and deadlines will be critical.

Two coordinators of volunteers at Eurovision in your team have 900 volunteers under their supervision. Moreover, each of them often works in two sectors. The ill-conceived use of such a powerful human resource can lead to confusion and low efficiency. Therefore, it is more logical to put down a schedule of shifts, according to which some of the volunteers will always be free and can be involved in solving "urgent" or small current tasks, such as creating packages with souvenirs for foreign delegations, checking documents for press accreditation, etc.

5. Work through the resulting chain, reducing the duration to the maximum. This can be achieved by changing the priority and order of tasks in the schema.

You can randomly arrange briefings for Eurovision volunteers: on the first medical care, evacuation, conversation course of English language etc. But when selecting among the conditions, you already put “knowledge of English at a level not lower than intermediate”. And if not all volunteers will directly communicate with foreign delegations, then everyone may need to save a person's life. Therefore, we give priority to trainings in first aid, which we make mandatory, and remove the status of “mandatory” from the course of spoken language, which automatically frees up 2 days in the critical chain.

6. Add a project buffer at the end of the project life (up to 50% of the total CCPM duration).

Let's digress from Eurovision. Lockheed, which specializes in the creation of aircraft in the field of civil aviation, decides to launch new project unmanned aircraft for aerial photography of hot spots on Far East. The project date is quite clear - February 19, 2017. Having worked out a plan using the critical chain method, you understand that 1 year 3 months is enough for you to launch an experimental prototype.

Taking into account possible technological innovations, bureaucratic problems with the registration of the prototype and the novelty of the project in civil aviation, it is worth adding a project buffer of 9 months. As a result, you get a clean 2 years, during which you can confidently provide a working, and most importantly, a safe prototype, for which you will receive the necessary certification.

7. Make sure that all tasks are necessary to achieve the final goal.

It is Lockheed's policy to publicize the inner workings extensively, not least to publicize the company and make it more attractive to potential shareholders. But when developing a drone for aerial photography for a military order, you don’t need the “Advertising” task block to achieve the final goal. In the future, when you can adapt the device for civilian needs, this block of tasks will become relevant. The same goes for design decisions.

8. Add safety buffers - the same mechanism as in the design buffer, only for a single critical chain, not the entire project. It's an airbag for executives and teams working on projects with tight deadlines.

A clear example of howsaves the project from missed deadlines

Several departments of Lockheed are involved in the work on the drone, each of which is responsible for a separate aircraft unit. To perform their tasks within the framework of a common critical chain, the rule from clause 6 works - a security buffer of 50% of the duration of the critical chain to create a separate node unmanned vehicle will protect the project from problems over time.

9. Check the resulting critical chain for errors, resource and time conflicts.

On Habrahabr, a team of 7 people plus or minus two employees is considered optimal. And if there are 30 of them, as in the Lockheed project to create a drone? And if there are more than 1,000, as in the case of the Eurovision preparation project?

By substituting financial, material and technical resources, buffers and other variables into the formulas, the probability of error will increase significantly. That's why large companies when implementing new management methods, coaches or entire teams are involved who teach project management based on the methods of the critical path and chain, as well as TOC in general.

Double check has not interfered with any plan yet (even if several days are allotted for it in the critical chain), and there is no need to talk about how much it will save resources if an error is detected early.

Critical Chain Project Management Plan

The critical chain plan is the basis for the exchange of information, thanks to which the actions within the critical chain are clear not only to the project manager, but also to other executors of the plan.

The project management plan includes:

1. detailed description of the content of the project- without understanding the specifics, importance of the project, its purpose, it is impossible to draw up a high-quality working plan for managing this project.
2. work breakdown structure for project execution- to create an unmanned vehicle for aerial photography and video shooting, the simplified hierarchy looks like this: first, you need to create the concept of the device, then you need to carry out all necessary calculations and only then build prototype. If you change the order, the project will never reach its logical end.
3. a list of those responsible for performing tasks within a hierarchical structure- this is a project manager, specific departments of the company, specialists who are planned to be outsourced.
4. project schedule according to the critical chain method.

The specificity of large projects leads to additions to the plan. In addition to the immediate critical chain (project schedule with aligned resources), they add:

• separate subject plans for security, supplies, staffing, etc. AT international standard project management ISO 21500:2012 they are also called " subject groups". In the case of a drone being built by Lockheed, the substantive procurement plan will include the processes needed to acquire the services of outsourced specialists and electronic systems management of the apparatus, as well as to manage interactions with suppliers at the level of tenders and communication immediately after the conclusion of contracts.
• recommendations for the exchange of information in the project, rules for reporting, distribution and approval of documentation - for this, for example, are created standard forms reporting for large companies.
• specifications and standards– in the case of preparing catering for foreign delegations, these can be sanitary and hygienic and sanitary and anti-epidemic rules and regulations for enterprises Catering. They are important both from the point of view of food safety at the buffet table, and from the point of view of compliance with the tender conditions on the basis of which the catering was chosen.
• change management plan- makes sure that everyone is working on the same project management plan, on the same content and with the same product requirements.

The project management plan helps to solve the following tasks:

1. determining the direction for design work
2. fixing the starting conditions and settings that became the basis of the plan
3. tracking selection results when there are different options
4. establishing communication between project participants
5. definition of criteria by which the management, the project manager and the participants themselves will be able to control and analyze the project.

Despite the huge number of methods and proposed structures of project management plans, one thing remains common: the importance of following the project participants according to the current, approved version of the plan.

Companies critics

Successful cases are a must have for any project management method, which determine its future fate. Consider the most famous by the method of critical chain.

Tonebetsu River Bank Flood Protection Project, Sunagogumi (Japan)

Initially, the project was planned to be completed no earlier than mid-autumn, but using CCPM, it was completed two months earlier - in the first half of August. Thanks to this, Tonebetsu met the typhoon season fully armed. And not just because of the fortified shores: another benefit of using the critical chain method has been to keep local communities and governments informed about progress.

The company inspired the government to promote a human-centric approach to the concept of project management. In 2007, this initiative was launched along with Public Works Reform, which in turn became a public initiative that received national support in 2009.

Delivery of refrigerators and air conditioners, Danfoss

— international company selling cold rooms and air conditioners in more than 100 countries. Like any growing company, Danfoss faced the classic "management" problems: unproductive multitasking, lack of understanding of the status of projects and their priority. All this has led to long and untenable delivery times for goods. Customer loyalty was rapidly declining, and the company had to make a decision.

The choice turned out to be correct. For 2 years - from the beginning of 2015 to the end of 2016 - Danfoss managed to ensure the delivery of goods on time in 91% of cases. In 2016, the company received only one complaint from a buyer about delivery problems. In working with a new Danfoss methodology, they used project management from Exepron.

Taking projects to a new high level, Radianz

Having created a company - a network of financial services - in 2000, the management immediately encountered a dysfunctional team. Some specialists were guided by the theory of risks, others were focused on the pure sale of the product. Radianz projects involved a high level of uncertainty and complexity, so in order to succeed, it was necessary to find the ideal project management methodology for such conditions.

Mark Steven, director of business planning at Radianz, identified the following tasks:

1. clear visualization of reports on the status of all projects of the company;
2. the ability to plan the use of key resources in various projects;
3. the ability to track the relationship between the effectiveness of the project and the reasons for its success, in order to have an idea of ​​​​futher ways of development and improvement.

To begin with, Mark selected and paid for the training of specialists in the Critical Chain methodology, who later developed a program for introducing the MCC into the company over three stages - from March 2001 to September 2002.

At the first stage, the method was used in two pilot projects, at the second, six more projects were added, and by the fall of 2002, the critical chain method was used in the simultaneous launch of 35 projects.

As a result:

• project efficiency increased by 50%;
• there was a clear visual reporting of the company's activities and individual projects;
• it became possible to trace the relationship between the success and failure of the project and their causes;
• the formation of various kinds of statistics that helped improve the performance of the company.

As of 2016, Radianz has more than 900 employees and an annual income of $250 million.

Applications and Extensions

Critical chain algorithm software greatly facilitates the work of project managers and task executors within projects.

Before using applications or extensions, it will be useful to learn how to build a critical chain the old fashioned way - manually. Firstly, you will better understand how to use different functions of specialized software and what it will give to build a circuit, and, secondly, you will be able to figure out where the unexpected results of using programs come from.

Ukrainian cloud service for project management and joint work commands along the critical chain. Very convenient for digital and design agencies.

It for CCPM has:

• control of loading tasks of each team member (filter by people), avoids downtime and overload of colleagues
• building chronological links between tasks through a Gantt chart
• setting deadlines taking into account security buffers
• task priorities
• convenient calculation of resources spent on a task: time, money, employees.

Using the Edrow Max program, you can create diagrams not only using the critical chain method, but also the critical path - with drawing from scratch or using built-in templates.

Verdict

Each of the projects is characterized by certain parameters: purpose, term, resources, degree of novelty. But the main task is proper planning: setting goals, determining resources, both human and material, organizing tasks for the project.

The critical chain method was created to manage large projects, the number of performers and the format of which do not guarantee 100% timely completion of the project. By prioritizing tasks, allocating resources, and adding time buffers, CCPM can significantly reduce the overall time and resource costs of a project.