Putting the Pipelining Rule into Practice

In this minute we outline how to apply the Pipelining Rule to multi-project environments. The Pipelining Rule is to concentrate resources on a few projects (or work streams). Its benefits are fewer shortages of resources, more attention from experts and managers to resolve problems and faster completion. It also allows you to do more projects with the same resources as work flows faster with fewer interruptions. This rule is typically put into practice in two steps:

STEP 1: Transition to Low WIP

  • Temporarily freeze 25% of the projects (by workload), both in the overall pipeline and in "system integration and testing" (SI&T) phase.
  • Accelerate remaining projects using a simple priority process, e.g.: project due-dates. The project that is due first gets the first shot at resources; remaining resources are given to the project due next and so on.
  • Deploy any remaining resources on "Full Kitting" (preparing for execution) the frozen projects. It is important to distinguish between “preparation” and “project execution”. Typically customer approvals, sign off’s, staging of drawings and materials etc. – activities that allow project tasks to be done without interruptions are included in Full Kit, whereas activities that directly progress the project should be excluded from the Full Kit list.
  • As in-process projects are completed, unfreeze the frozen projects one by one.
  • Avoid paralysis by analysis.

STEP 2: Establish a Pipelining Process

  • Set targets for cycle time by project type, this ensures that projects are planned with concentrated resources.
  • Decide on the pacing resource. The pacing resource determines the rate at which projects can be completed (and started) in execution. Typically the overall throughput is determined by the rate of project completion in the SI&T phase, because of the considerable effort spent in synchronizing resources and resolving problems as they are found. It is possible, in very few cases, that an upstream resource or phase is a constraint and should be the pacing resource rather than SI&T.
  • Establish a management meeting for setting project priorities and committing due-dates. Typically a dedicated "Master Scheduler" or "Pipeline Analyst" is required for providing analytical support.
  • Close the loop with a resource planning process that ensures that enough of all the other resources are available. This may require creating additional resource flexibility in the organization to support the execution of the pipeline plan.

An excellent resource for understanding the details of pipelining is Session 1 of the Goldratt Webcast on Project Management. Visit:
www.toc-goldratt.com/index.php?cont=568