If so, perhaps you have encountered some of the following project performance issues:
Then you need to consider using Critical Chain Project Management in a Multi-Project environment.
Many companies and organizations from Boeing, to NASA, to Texas Instruments, use CCPM to speed up their processes and ensure they complete projects on-time.
Although there are a series of steps involved in The Thinking Process, which forms the foundational tool for working through a CCPM based project, I wanted to simplify them for the project managers out there based on my experience in aircraft depot repair and in Supply Chain Management software implementations (primarily on the A380 program).
The thinking processes, which are derived from the Theory of Constraints, are somewhat difficult to work through without continuous practice in a real environment and deserve separate treatment on their own. First, a quick overview of what a TOC Thinking Process is.
The Theory of Constraints (TOC) 'Thinking Processes' are a powerful tool that helps project managers identify and address constraints that hinder project performance. In a multi-project environment, it can be challenging to identify the main constraint, but the sooner you do it, the better. Buffers, which are critical elements in CCPM projects, can also be challenging to identify and manage in software implementation projects.
As a project manager you need to be aware of the three types of buffers in the Critical Chain Project Management Methodology:
With regular practice, project managers who are adept at Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) can learn how to force each of these types of buffers to appear and assume any reported buffer status is somewhat managed.
As a CCPM project manager, you will need to communicate more information about buffer status with the customer management team to survive politically.
Here are my basic steps and assumptions when using TOC and CCPM on software projects as well as aircraft depot overhaul projects:
In TOC, whether you're managing a SAP Project Implementation or manufacturing an aircraft, as we were doing on the Airbus A380 program, you still need to know, understand use the concept of a Critical Path.
As a project manager, it's important to understand the concept of a critical path in order to ensure project success. The critical path is the sequence of tasks that determine the earliest possible completion date of the project. When you are managing project using the critical path approach to project management, it's important to identify the critical path and make sure that the tasks on it are completed on time, as any delay in these tasks can cause the entire project to be delayed.
It's important for a project manager and project team members to understand the concept task relationships relationship types.
Those relationship types are typically:
It is also important to understand the concept of lead and lag time. During initial project planning, when you are identifying the tasks it will take to accomplish your project, you will identify the tasks, deliverables and the lag time (rarely lead time, but it can happen), between tasks. Your critical path then, depends on the sequence of tasks and the lag time between them. As your project progresses, and it tasks consume this lag time, you will notice the phenomenon of your critical path bouncing around. This problem is one of the reasons for the need of Critical Chain Project Management, especially within the Multi-Project environment.
In a multi-project environment, identifying the critical path can be challenging, but using Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) can help. CCPM involves the use of buffers to manage project timelines and identify constraints that hinder project performance. By using the thinking processes derived from the Theory of Constraints, project managers can identify and address these constraints early on, ensuring that the project stays on track and is completed successfully.
In a multi-project environment, project managers face several performance issues, such as projects not completing on time, team conflicts, and financial losses. To address these challenges, critical path method (CPM) and critical chain project management (CCPM) methodologies are used. While CPM helps identify the sequence of tasks that determine the earliest possible completion date of a project, CCPM involves the use of buffers to manage project timelines and identify constraints that hinder project performance. CCPM is derived from the theory of constraints and involves thinking processes that help project managers identify and address constraints that hinder project performance. Unlike CPM, CCPM requires regular practice and communication with the customer management team to ensure project success. By using these methodologies, project managers can overcome the challenges of managing a multi-project environment and ensure successful project completion.
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More reading:
5 Surprising Reasons Enterprises Don’t Use An ERP
Leverage SAP BW to Increase Supply Chain Inventory Accuracy