Case Study
Abbott
Laboratories
Application of Constraint Critical Chain Methodology to
120 Concurrent Timelines
Presenter:
Doug Brandt, Abbott Laboratories
Evaluation of over
150 Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEAs) associated with
marketed products prompted the creation of a 500+ team to address
key issues. A team of 12 timeline coordinators worked with team
leaders over 2 months to create 120 timelines that detailed project
activities for closure of these issues.
Timelines were
created utilizing ProChain and ProChain Plus software and teams were
divided into 6 groupings based on product family. Real-time status
updating and dedicated, centralized project status rooms were
utilized in each group to maintain day-to-day managerial support.
Management attention was focused on clearly defining priorities,
encouraging single-tasking, defining the criteria for task
completion and hand-off, and utlizing project buffer consumption as
an indicator of project progress.
Attention was further
focused by utilizing "fever charts" in each group to quickly
identify projects requiring special attention and to communicate
overall timeline status to upper management. Constraining issues
were identified in weekly formal update sessions and resources were
deployed both within and across groups to address resource
constraints. This approach has allowed appropriate focus on projects
at risk of delay within a dynamic work environment while minimizing
confusion, changes to direction, and disruption of ongoing
activities. |
