TOCICO

Critical Chain Project Management has been used for decades to realize extraordinary performance gains in single and multi-project environments. Time and again, we find that the potential performance leaps are compromised by the fact that the necessary paradigm shifts are accepted and confirmed by principle, but then not actually implemented, or only partially implemented. For example: The need for WIP reduction is accepted. However, instead of freezing projects, only a (sometimes even clear) strategic prioritization of projects is made - assuming that the people in the company will then implement the higher-priority projects on their own accord in an accelerated manner and defer the lower-priority projects. The need to bundle collateral is accepted. Nevertheless, project managers feel compelled to fix (many) deadlines (for milestones and individual tasks) in order to keep their project under control and to be able to demand binding participation from resources and external partners. Other examples are too precise planning - more precise than the noise of the world - and too much interference in the self-organization of the people and organizations involved. Another impairing factor is the tendency to continue with implementation even when a previous transformation step has not yet been fully implemented and has not yet produced its expected effect. In our estimation, these unproductive approaches result from the established ways of thinking and acting in the company (and among the people) (especially the socialization to local optimization, not being allowed to make mistakes and the search for culprits) as well as the repeatedly observed tendency to make compromises, which often seems easier than solving emerging dilemmas and conflicts at the root. In this presentation, we show how companies (and the consultants supporting them) can succeed in deriving full benefit from critical chain project management. We uncover common mistakes and show simple solutions to recurring challenges.