Theory of Constraints

The Theory of Constraints (TOC) Concepts and Principles Workshop Series explores strategies for applying TOC principles to increase efficiency and achieve dramatic bottom-line improvement. You can register for one, multiple or all courses.

Topics Include:

  • Constraints Management Overview
  • Performance Measures
  • Critical Chain Project Management
  • Production Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Thinking Processes

Each topic is covered in a 4-hour, instructor-led workshop.

Constraints Management Overview

This workshop introduces participants to the basics of constraints management: the business system and various types of transformation processes (production, projects, and supply chain), the goal of business systems, definitions of constraints management terms, and the types of constraints. Theory of Constraints performance measurements and simple drum-buffer-rope concepts are introduced through Socratic exercises and games. 4-hour workshop.

Thinking Processes

This workshop introduces participants to the Theory of Constraints Thinking Processes. These powerful logic tools provide skills to answer the three basic questions facing a manager today – what to change, what to change to, and how to create the change without creating resistance. Necessary and sufficient condition thinking is described and illustrated. An in-depth discussion of the use of the evaporating cloud technique is presented. This tool is used to solve problems by surfacing assumptions and challenging assumptions related to the way we view the problem. 4-hour workshop.

Performance Measures

This workshop introduces participants to the problems of using traditional performance measurements. Cost-world measurements of managerial accounting versus the Throughput-world measurements of Theory of Constraints are illustrated through the use of the evaporating cloud technique of the TOC Thinking Processes. An extended case study on production batch sizing is used to illustrate the focus of cost world thinking versus the focus of throughput world thinking. The relationships of drum-buffer-rope scheduling and buffer management to each step of the five focusing steps are introduced. 4-hour workshop.

Production Management

This workshop introduces participants to the production paradigm of constraints management. Simple games comparing balanced capacity and constraint-based capacity production environments are used to illustrate the impact of statistical fluctuation and dependent events on line throughput. The control points in a production environment are described and how to plan and control these points using the drum-buffer-rope scheduling methodology is illustrated. VAT flow analysis and buffer management are described. 4-hour workshop.

Critical Chain Project Management

This workshop introduces participants to the basics of managing a single project using constraints management. The four-step process of scheduling a project using Critical Chain scheduling is illustrated and compared to traditional project management. Several major problems existing in project environments are presented and solutions are illustrated using games and exercises. The concepts of strategic buffering, project decision support systems, and multi-project scheduling using Critical Chain are introduced. 4-hour workshop.

Supply Chain Management

This workshop introduces participants to the basics of managing a supply chain using constraints management. Topics include the process of identifying the constraints (internal and external) of a supply chain, supply chain performance and flow concepts, the core problems and basic solutions for different links in the supply chain, and the dilemma of supply chains – holding too much inventory versus too little inventory. 4-hour workshop.