Get it Done On Time! (eBook)

Eric Bergland has worked in product development for over 20 years. He attended the TOC (Theory of Constraints) college training program taught by Eli Goldratt the founder of TOC, worked for the Goldratt Institute (inventors of TOC) and trained in their methodology, and was involved in TOC / Critical Chain implementations at Interactive Networks, 3DO, Goldratt Consulting, and Intel.

Contents 4
About the Author 6
About the Technical Reviewer 8
Acknowledgments 10
Preface 12
Chapter 1: Introductions 14
LivingTV 14
Tim and Randal Reconnect 15
Chapter 2: High-Level Critical Chain Overview 17
Critical Chain Issues, Benefits, and Sample Results 20
Avraham Goldratt Institute (AGI) 22
Goldratt Marketing Group 23
Realization 23
ProChain 23
Key Parts of Critical Chain 24
Project Buffers to Better Manage Variability 24
Reducing Bad Multi-Tasking to Find Hidden and Misused Resource Capacity 27
Setting Goals and Building Schedules (Back to Front) 28
Organizational Analysis to Better Understand the Environment (Creating the CRT and FRT) 29
Mixing Multiple Project Management Methodologies 30
Wrapping Up 30
Current Reality Tree (CRT) 31
Future Reality Tree (FRT) 33
Chapter 3: Factors for Successful Implementations 36
Key Characteristics of Successful Implementers and Implementations [frt 2] 38
Critical Chain Implementation Expert 38
Critical Chain Software Tool 39
TOC Thinking Process Background 40
Compelling Reason to Change 41
Setting Up the Correct Metrics 42
Environmental Factors 43
Wrapping Up 45
Future Reality Tree (FRT) 46
Chapter 4: How Does the Critical Chain Solution Work? 48
Key Critical Chain Benefits 49
Project and Feeding Buffers 50
Padding Dates: 50
Project Buffers: 50
Feeding Buffers: 53
Safety Time 54
Overall Benefit, Managing Project Variability 56
Reducing Bad Multi-Tasking 57
Highway Analogy 57
Bad Multi-Tasking Example 59
Defining the Project Goal and Building Schedules Back-to-Front 62
Organizational Analysis 67
Chapter 5: Championing Ideas 68
LivingTV Interactive Company Background 69
LivingTV Interactive’s Dilemma 70
LivingTV Interactive’s Conflict Cloud 70
Looking for Possible Resolutions 71
Spark of an Idea 72
Initial Manager Meeting 74
Lobbying in Preparation for the Exec Review 75
Meeting with Peter 77
Prep for the Exec Review 77
The Exec Review 78
Back to Tim and Randal 79
Future Reality Tree (FRT) 80
Current Reality Tree (CRT) 82
Core Conflict 82
Bottom of the CRT 84
Chapter 6: High-Level Implementation Steps 87
Phoenix Network Build 89
Phoenix Execution 94
Phoenix Post-Mortem Plan 96
Micky’s Urgent Requests 97
CRT 99
FRT 100
Chapter 7: Using Ambitious Targets to Handle Past Issues 103
Define a Clear, Concise, and Measurable Goal 105
List the Clear Issues and Their Impact 105
Define Intermediate Objectives (IOs) 106
Sequence the Intermediate Objectives (IOs) 111
Results 114
FRT 115
Chapter 8: Individual Buy-In 117
Meeting with the Sales and Marketing Director 118
Meeting with Human Resources (HR) 120
Randal and Tim Prep for the Meeting with Grant 122
Meeting with Grant 127
Quantifying the Issues 128
Explaining the Core Conflict and Key Injection 128
Walking Through the Vision/FRT 129
Walking Through the Vision: Throughput 129
Walking Through the Vision: Project Buffers and Behaviors 130
Walking Through the Vision: Organizational Analysis 130
Walking Through the Vision: Summary 131
Close the Deal 132
Final Current Reality Tree 132
Future Reality Tree 136
Chapter 9: Almost 138
Tim Meets with Micky 139
Step 1: Show the Cloud 139
Step 2: Blame the System and Highlight Key Issues from CRT 140
Step 3: Introduce the Key Injection and Vision 140
Next Steps 141
Chapter 10: Board Room Meeting 144
Gary and Randal Present 145
Micky Presents 147
Board Review 149
Epilog 150
Final Future Reality Tree (FRT) 152
Appendix A: 154
Key Concepts 154
Chapter 1: Introductions 154
Chapter 2: High-Level Critical Chain Overview 154
Chapter 3: Factors for Success 156
Chapter 4: Concepts 157
Chapter 5: Championing Ideas 157
Chapter 6: Implementation Steps 158
Chapter 7: Ambitious Targets 160
Chapter 8: Individual Buy-In 161
Chapter 9: Almost 164
Chapter 10: Exec Review 164
Chapter Questions 164
Chapter 1: Introductions 164
Chapter 2: High-Level Critical Chain Overview 165
Chapter 3: Factors for Success 166
Chapter 4: How Does the Critical Chain Solution Work 166
Chapter 5: Championing Ideas 167
Chapter 6: Single Project Implementation Steps 169
Chapter 7: Ambitious Targets 170
Chapter 8: Individual Buy-In 170
Chapter 9: Almost 171
Chapter 10: Exec Meeting 171
Basic Answers to Chapter Questions 172
Chapter 1: Introductions 172
Chapter 2: High-Level Critical Chain Overview 173
Chapter 3: Factors for Success 176
Chapter 4: How Does the Critical Chain Solution Work 177
Chapter 5: Championing Ideas 180
Chapter 6: Single Project Implementation Steps 183
Chapter 7: Ambitious Targets 186
Chapter 8: Individual Buy-In 188
Chapter 9: Almost 191
Chapter 10: Exec Meeting 192
TOC Resources 194
Bibliography 194
Chapter 2: High-Level Critical Chain Overview 194
Chapter 4: How Does the Critical Chain Solution Work? 195
Chapter 5: Championing Ideas 195
Chapter 6: Implementation Steps 195
Chapter 7: Ambitious Targets 196
Chapter 8: Individual Buy-In 196
Basic Answers to Chapter Questions 196
Chapter 2 196
Index 197