SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.22 issue2Activity-based costing for vehicle routing problemsDetermining tactical operational planning policies for an auto carrier - A case study author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Article

Indicators

Related links

  • On index processCited by Google
  • On index processSimilars in Google

Share


South African Journal of Industrial Engineering

On-line version ISSN 2224-7890
Print version ISSN 1012-277X

S. Afr. J. Ind. Eng. vol.22 n.2 Pretoria  2011

 

Using game and statistical analysis to confirm Goldratt's logical analysis of poor delivery in a multi-project environment

 

 

Chia-Ling HuangI; Hao-Ging ChangI; Rong-Kwei LiI; Chih-Hung TsaiII

IDepartment of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Chiao-Tung University, Taiwan, rkli@cc.nctu.edu.tw
IIDepartment of Information Management, Yuanpei University, Taiwan, imtch@mail.ypu.edu.tw

 

 


ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to confirm Goldratt's logical analysis of poor delivery in a multi-project environment. Two hundred and ten experienced managers were invited to participate in a multi-project management game that simulates reality. A statistical analysis of the experimental data of this study indicates that the mode of project planning and execution (unrealistic project planning, a lack of clear working priorities, misuse of safety time, and bad multi-tasking), not uncertainty, is the root cause of poor delivery, and should therefore be improved first. The result confirmed Goldratt's logical analysis of poor delivery in project management.


OPSOMMING

Die doel van die studie is om Goldratt se logiese analise van swak dienslewering in 'n multiprojekomgewing te bevestig. Tweehonderd-en-tien ervare bestuurders is genooi om deel te neem aan 'n multiprojekbestuurspel wat die werklikheid naboots. 'n Statistiese analise van die eksperimentele data van die studie toon dat die metode van projekbeplanning en - uitvoering (onrealistiese beplanning, onduidelike prioriteite, misbruik van veiligheidstyd en swak multibetaking), en nie onsekerheid nie, die hoofoorsaak is van swak dienslewering, en moet daarom eerste aangespreek word. Die uitslag bevestig Goldratt se logiese analise van swak dienslewering by projekbestuur.


 

 

“Full text available only in PDF format”

 

 

REFERENCES

[1] Elmaghraby, E., Fathi, Y. & Taner, R. 1999. On the sensitivity of project variability to activity mean duration, International Journal of Production Economics, 62(3), pp 219-232        [ Links ]

[2] Takikonda, V. & Rosenthal, R. 2000. Technology novelty, project complexity, and product development project execution success: A deeper look at task uncertainty in product innovation, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 47(1), pp 74-87        [ Links ]

[3] Cohen, I., Mandelbaum, A. & Shtub, A. 2004. Multi-project scheduling and control: A process-based comparative study of the critical chain methodology and some alternatives, Project Management Journal, 35(2), pp 39-50        [ Links ]

[4] Project Management Institute. 2004. A guide to the project management body of knowledge, Project Management Institute: Newton Square.         [ Links ]

[5] Chen, J., Reilly, R. & Lynn, S. 2005. The impacts of speed-to-market on new product success: The moderating effects of uncertainty, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 52(2), pp 199-212        [ Links ]

[6] Herroelen, W. & Leus, R. 2005. Project scheduling under uncertainty survey and research potentials, European Journal of Operational Research, 165(2), pp 289-306        [ Links ]

[7] Santiago, P. & Bifano, G. 2005. Management of R&D projects under uncertainty: A multidimensional approach to managerial flexibility, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 52(2), pp 269-280        [ Links ]

[8] Zwikael, O., Cohen, Y. & Sadeh, A. 2006. Non-delay scheduling as a managerial approach for managing projects, International Journal of Project Management, 24(4), pp 330-336        [ Links ]

[9] Long, L.D. & Ohsato, A. 2008. Fuzzy critical chain method for project scheduling under resource constraints and uncertainty, International Journal of Project Management, 26(6), pp 688-698        [ Links ]

[10] Bregman, R.L. 2009. Preemptive expediting to improve project due date performance, Journal of the Operational Research Society, 60(1), pp 120-129        [ Links ]

[11] The Standish Group. 2007. CHAOS 2007 REX: A Standish Group Research Exchange. www.pinnacle-strategies.com/Project Management Consulting.htm, accessed 20 October 2009.         [ Links ]

[12] Jacob, D. & Mendenhall, B. 2008. Project management in a lean world, TOCICO International Conference: Las Vegas.         [ Links ]

[13] Watson, K.J., Blackstone, J.H. & Gardiner, S.C. 2007. The evolution of a management philosophy: The theory of constraints, Journal of Operations Management, 25(2), pp 387-402        [ Links ]

[14] Goldratt, E.M. 1997a. Critical chain. The North River Press Publishing Corporation: Great Barrington.         [ Links ]

[15] Goldratt, E.M. 1997b. Project management the TOC way. The North River Press Publishing Corporation: Great Barrington.         [ Links ]

[16] Newbold, R.C. 1998. Project management in the fast lane - applying the theory of constraints. The St Lucie Press: Boca Raton.         [ Links ]

[17] Rand, G.K. 2000. Critical chain: The theory of constraints applied to project management, International Journal of Project Management, 18(3), pp 173-177        [ Links ]

[18] Steyn, H. 2000. An investigation into the fundamentals of critical chain project scheduling, International Journal of Project Management, 19(6), pp 363-369        [ Links ]

[19] Steyn, H. 2002. Project management applications of the theory of constraints beyond critical chain scheduling, International Journal of Project Management, 20(1), pp 75-80        [ Links ]

[20] Goldratt, E.M. & Goldratt, A.R. 2003. TOC insights - project management and engineering. http://www.toc-goldratt.com/store/product.php?productid=16273, accessed 20 March 2010.         [ Links ]

[21] Goldratt, E.M. 2008. The strategy and tactic tree for projects. https://tocico.site-ym.com/default.asp?page=s_and_t, accessed 20 March 2010.         [ Links ]

[22] Herroelen, W. & Leus, R. 2001. On the merits and pitfalls of critical chain scheduling, Journal of Operations Management, 19(5), pp 559-577        [ Links ]

[23] Herroelen, W., Leus, R. & Demeulemeeter E. 2002. Critical chain project scheduling: Do not oversimplify, Project Management, 33(4), pp 48-60        [ Links ]

[24] Elmaghraby, E., Herroelen, W.S. & Leus, R. 2003. Note on the paper 'Resource-constrained project management using enhanced theory of constraint' by Wei et al., International Journal of Project Management, 21(4), pp 301-305        [ Links ]

[25] Realization Technologies Inc. 2009. Resource Library, http://www.realization.com/resource-library.html#casestudies, accessed 20 March 2010.         [ Links ]

[26] Sharma, S. 1996. Applied multivariate techniques, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., Hoboken, N.J        [ Links ]

 

 

* Corresponding author
1 The author was enrolled for a PhD (Industrial Engineering and Management) in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Chiao-Tung University.
2 The author was enrolled for a Masters degree (Industrial Engineering and Management) in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Chiao-Tung University.

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License