Projects are regularly over budget, behind schedule, and deliver less than originally promised. Why? A normal, obvious answer is that projects are inherently unpredictable. There are always unexpected hiccups and problems that require more time/resources. This is a reasonable response, except for one thing: We know this going into a project, so don’t we take […]
I’m working on the algorithm for automatically generating and updating project schedules according to Critical Chain principles. Using a set of random, dependent tasks (represented by an identifier and estimated time), I can create a full schedule that identifies the critical chain, adds the necessary buffers, and sets the start dates for tasks. Special considerations […]
I’ve been heads down researching and prototyping. Much of that work was deciding on the tech I’m going to build with. There were a few main criteria I’m using: Clojure There wasn’t much doubt that I’d build with Clojure. It’s been my main language for many years now. It’s productive and enjoyable to work with. […]
Hypothesis: By building software that takes a principled stance on effective project management, specifically Critical Chain, I can better address the uncertainty that makes project management difficult. “Deliver projects on time, on budget, and on scope, with less team stress, by simply tracking critical tasks and monitoring buffers.” Less stress, less tracking, better results. Small […]
This is part of an ongoing series. It continues from Evaluating a Root Cause. Visit Walking, Peanuts, and Systems if you’d like to start at the beginning. Hypothesis for invalid assumption: We assume uncertainty is binary. We know nothing, or we know everything. Maybe Not After thinking some more about it, I’m less than convinced that my hypothesis […]
This is part of an ongoing series. It continues from Evaluating a Root Cause. Visit Walking, Peanuts, and Systems if you’d like to start at the beginning. Recap Project management is hard because of uncertainty. Current solutions provide minimal support to address the difficulty of uncertainty. The problem of uncertainty is obvious, so I should […]
This is part of an ongoing series. It continues from Finding a Root Cause. Visit Walking, Peanuts, and Systems if you’d like to start at the beginning. Does our root cause make sense? My hypothesis is that our inability to capture uncertainty is at the root of why there are so many problems with delivering […]
This is part of an ongoing series. It continues from Coming up with a business idea, part 2. Visit Walking, Peanuts, and Systems if you’d like to start at the beginning. To find a root cause, I want to examine all of the leaf nodes and see which nodes affect the entire tree if changed. […]
Read Part 1 if you haven’t already. To find a root cause given a list of symptoms, I use a Current Reality Tree (CRT), a tool from the TOC thinking processes. As the name suggests, I want to build a tree that represents our current reality. Basics of Reading a Current Reality Tree: For example, […]
I have zero illusions about my ability to intuit some great idea, even less so in my ability to do it on demand. Thankfully, Eli Goldratt wrote about how to systematically approach generating ideas for any domain. The goal is to come up with a Mafia Offer: an offer so good my customers can’t refuse. […]