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Critical Chain Exercises

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Title: Critical Chain Exercises
Language: English
Authors: Doyle, John Kevin
Source: American Journal of Business Education. 2010 3(4):43-50.
Availability: Clute Institute. 6901 South Pierce Street Suite 239, Littleton, CO 80128. Tel: 303-904-4750; Fax: 303-978-0413; e-mail: Staff@CluteInstitute.com; Web site: http://www.cluteinstitute.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2010
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Critical Path Method, Program Administration, Manufacturing, Teaching Methods, Educational Practices, Case Method (Teaching Technique), Demonstrations (Educational), Scheduling, Simulation, Class Activities, Pretests Posttests, Achievement Gains, Instructional Effectiveness, Business Administration Education, College Students, Models, Productivity, Time Management
ISSN: 1942-2504
Abstract: Critical Chains project management focuses on holding buffers at the project level vs. task level, and managing buffers as a project resource. A number of studies have shown that Critical Chain project management can significantly improve organizational schedule fidelity (i.e., improve the proportion of projects delivered on time) and reduce average project duration, by reducing the unproductive time spent waiting for predecessor tasks to complete. Classroom exposition of Critical Chains requires mental models. Manufacturing examples, and particularly work in progress building up in front of specific bottleneck machines on the factory floor, have been effective examples for many years. Since many fewer practitioners have manufacturing experience than previously, the factory floor mental model does not work well with them. We describe a series of three "games" which have been used to teach managers and project managers about Critical Chains, and also used by the author in graduate Project Management courses the last two years. This paper describes more careful preparation for these simulations, to make them more useful in the classroom. Specifically, we more carefully define the setup, sequencing, instructions, and monitoring of each of the exercises, and develop a set of discussion questions for each exercise designed to lead the students to specific conclusions about the impacts of challenging objectives, multi-tasking, and the impact of randomness and batch size. We develop a pre-/post-test to assess student learning, and will use these to compare student learning before and after the modified improvements in the games.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 9
Entry Date: 2015
Accession Number: EJ1060323
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Critical Chain Exercises
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22American+Journal+of+Business+Education%22"><i>American Journal of Business Education</i></searchLink>. 2010 3(4):43-50.
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  Data: Clute Institute. 6901 South Pierce Street Suite 239, Littleton, CO 80128. Tel: 303-904-4750; Fax: 303-978-0413; e-mail: Staff@CluteInstitute.com; Web site: http://www.cluteinstitute.com
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+Path+Method%22">Critical Path Method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Administration%22">Program Administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Manufacturing%22">Manufacturing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Practices%22">Educational Practices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Case+Method+%28Teaching+Technique%29%22">Case Method (Teaching Technique)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Demonstrations+%28Educational%29%22">Demonstrations (Educational)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scheduling%22">Scheduling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Simulation%22">Simulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Class+Activities%22">Class Activities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pretests+Posttests%22">Pretests Posttests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+Gains%22">Achievement Gains</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Effectiveness%22">Instructional Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Business+Administration+Education%22">Business Administration Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Models%22">Models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Productivity%22">Productivity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Time+Management%22">Time Management</searchLink>
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  Data: Critical Chains project management focuses on holding buffers at the project level vs. task level, and managing buffers as a project resource. A number of studies have shown that Critical Chain project management can significantly improve organizational schedule fidelity (i.e., improve the proportion of projects delivered on time) and reduce average project duration, by reducing the unproductive time spent waiting for predecessor tasks to complete. Classroom exposition of Critical Chains requires mental models. Manufacturing examples, and particularly work in progress building up in front of specific bottleneck machines on the factory floor, have been effective examples for many years. Since many fewer practitioners have manufacturing experience than previously, the factory floor mental model does not work well with them. We describe a series of three "games" which have been used to teach managers and project managers about Critical Chains, and also used by the author in graduate Project Management courses the last two years. This paper describes more careful preparation for these simulations, to make them more useful in the classroom. Specifically, we more carefully define the setup, sequencing, instructions, and monitoring of each of the exercises, and develop a set of discussion questions for each exercise designed to lead the students to specific conclusions about the impacts of challenging objectives, multi-tasking, and the impact of randomness and batch size. We develop a pre-/post-test to assess student learning, and will use these to compare student learning before and after the modified improvements in the games.
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  Data: 2015
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  Data: EJ1060323
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 8
        StartPage: 43
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Critical Path Method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Administration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Manufacturing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Practices
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Case Method (Teaching Technique)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Demonstrations (Educational)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scheduling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Simulation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Class Activities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pretests Posttests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Achievement Gains
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Instructional Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Business Administration Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Productivity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Time Management
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Critical Chain Exercises
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