This Focused Performance Weblog is a "business management blog" containing links and commentary related primarily to organizational effectiveness with a "Theory of Constraints" perspective. TOC is noted for its applications in Project Management and Multi-Project Management (Critical Chain) and Operations Management (Drum-Buffer-Rope), as well as in Marketing, Strategic Planning and Change Management (TOC Thinking Processes). If you are on an archive page, current postings are found here.
Monday, January 19, 2004
Critical Chain - Old Wine, New Bottle? -- In the seven years since the publication of Goldratt's Critical Chain (sheez! Has it been that long?), one of the most common comments I've heard about it from seasoned project managers and project management thinkers is that it is "nothing more than old wine in a new bottle." I just heard it again last week.
I've got some argument with this assertion, but I must say, to some degree, there is something to it, as I see many project managers trying to do in an ad hoc manner many of the things that are institutionalized in critical chain-based project environments. I can even point to parallels of pieces of the critical chain approach in PMI's PMBOK Guide. But then, common sense is just common sense. The problem is, common sense is too often not common practice.
Having recently sub-contracted myself out to teach a non-critical chain, PMBOK Guide oriented class in estimating and scheduling, I came to realize that if one takes PERT to its logical conclusion -- something that is rarely, if ever done -- you've got a historical basis for rationally buffered schedules. But like I said, it's rarely ever taken to that logical end. Like much of the body of knowledge associated with project management, it's good practice, just not common practice.
But back to the oenological metaphor...
Old wine Critical Chain-based Project Management may be, but if it's been largely overlooked in the back dusty shelves of the wine-cellar, better it be put in shiny new bottles with modern, informative labels, so that it will be drunk and appreciated.
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