Project Management in the Fast Lane: Applying the Theory of Constraints

by Robert C. Newbold

This cutting edge, "how to" manual details proven methods for turning around chronically late, overbudget, and underperforming projects. Project Management in the Fast Lane explains how Theory of Constraints tools can be applied to achieve effective, breakthrough solutions in virtually any environment. It includes a complete discussion of the Critical Chain scheduling approach pioneered by Eli Goldratt-the most significant new development in project scheduling in the last 40 years!
The project management tools described in Project Management in the Fast Lane are clearly outlined and will help project managers in manufacturing, construction, and new product development in any field find efficient, practical, and sound solutions to management issues. Common problems related to deadlines, budgets, project performance, and more are thoroughly treated, providing a solid basis for applying tools to familiar problems. This book is sure to inspire managers, executives, engineers, and MIS and quality assurance professionals to rethink their management approaches and create dramatic, profit-driven improvements in their organizations.

318 pages, Hardcover

First published March 25, 1998

Reviews

[Steve Whiting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking back over the previous comments on this book, I was quite surprised how positive they all are. It's not that it's a particularly bad book, but I think it's quite limited in a number of areas. Although it's ostensibly a book about doing project management using TOC, in reality it's actually a Theory of Constraints book with a bit of project management - there's an awful lot of TOC, including many things you will have seen before in other TOC books, and not all that much PM.

It also doesn't really cover how to transition from being a critical-path / shared resource / multitasking organisation to a critical-chain / dedicated resource one, and in particular, how you might be able to do that piecemeal in a larger organisation which has not yet bought into TOC. This is probably the single biggest issue in adopting critical chain & TOC, and is only mentioned in two paragraphs, right at the end of the book. I would have liked to have seen an awful lot more on this: for example, it's all very well to talk about relying on end buffers and not managing to intermediate milestones, but how do you convince your non-TOC management that the project is on track if you're missing interim milestones? Managing to an end-point is fine for a self-contained project, but how do you synchronise activities with other non-critical chain groups (for example, non-project operation groups) who need to get ready for your delivery?

I can see how this could all work in a wall-to-wall TOC environment, but it's the mixed or transitional environment that has all the complexity, and I don't think the book addresses those areas anywhere near enough.

[Jack Vinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second reading. Familiar content for the CCPM crowd. Seems like the book focuses heavily on planning and lot of TOC information. But what about execution? I find execution rules and behaviors to be just as valuable as a different mindset in planning.