TOC 4 Softwaretag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-495662005-12-31T12:12:46+00:00Goldratt's Theory of Constraints applied to Software Development .. hosted by Clarke Ching TypePadSummary pagetag:typepad.com,2003:post-81476822005-12-31T12:12:46+00:002005-12-31T12:12:46+00:00Welcome RSS feed for yahoo group Invites sent The WhiteBoard 1 The process - part 1a - The undesireable effects Converting UDE 040 into a Cloud. Turning the UDE into a cause-effect-cause tree The top of the tree A little...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2005/12/summary_page.htmlThe Bridge IV - the injectiontag:typepad.com,2003:post-25205892004-10-25T17:53:46+01:002004-10-25T17:53:46+01:00Using this method, the "injection" - i.e. a new action/policy/rule that “breaks” the cloud - is the exact opposite of the core problem. [note: small wording change made 25/10/04] i.e. the injection is: A way of managing projects that allow...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/the_bridge_iv_t.htmlThe Bridge III - the core problem emergestag:typepad.com,2003:post-25201952004-10-25T17:15:04+01:002004-10-25T17:15:04+01:00Now turning to the assumptions surfaced between D and D', we are able to determine a sentence that describes the core problem: [click on the thumbnail to see a larger image] [note: small change to wording made 26/10/04] I defined...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/the_bridge_iii_.htmlThe Bridge II - turning "the cloud" into the trunk of the treetag:typepad.com,2003:post-25196272004-10-25T16:45:42+01:002004-10-25T16:45:42+01:00The next step was to turn the "cloud" into the trunk of the tree, which is done by turning it anticlockwise 90 degrees and rewording it.clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/the_bridge_ii_t.htmlThe Bridge I - surfacing the assumptions under "the cloud"tag:typepad.com,2003:post-25177682004-10-25T15:42:07+01:002004-10-25T15:42:07+01:00This entry, and the few following, summarises the conversation Jim and I had trying to “break” the cloud at the bottom of the CCRT. 1. We started with “The problem” - the conflict at the bottom of the tree -...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/the_bridge_i_su.htmlBuilding the CCRTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-24755932004-10-21T14:25:26+01:002004-10-21T14:25:26+01:00It took me a long time to come up with the 5-page Communications Current Reality Tree (CCRT). Much of that is down to inexperience, confusion, multitasking, holidays, book writing, struggling with visio, long distance learning ... but mostly inexperience on...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/building_the_cc.htmlUsing the three cloud method to find the core conficttag:typepad.com,2003:post-24751282004-10-21T13:20:14+01:002004-10-21T13:20:14+01:00Several months ago, before I had constructed the communications current reality tree (CCRT) that we've just been looking at, I used the 3 cloud method to create the following core conflict cloud, that you see at the bottom of the...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/using_the_three.htmlUpdated versions of the Current Reality Treetag:typepad.com,2003:post-24478252004-10-18T22:08:16+01:002004-10-18T22:08:16+01:00Following Jim and Rajeev's comments to the yahoo group, I've updated the visio diagrams. Here are the 5 new pages:1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/updated_version.htmlCurrent Reality Tree - page 5tag:typepad.com,2003:post-23248622004-10-07T16:45:19+01:002004-10-07T16:45:19+01:00Page 5 brings it all together. With the UDEs at the top and feeds coming in from pages 1, 2, 3, and 4. Notice how "120 There is often lots of rework in the project" and "570 It takes much...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/current_reality_4.htmlCurrent Reality Tree - page 4tag:typepad.com,2003:post-23248042004-10-07T16:37:02+01:002004-10-07T16:37:02+01:00Page 4 shows the game that gets played when staff provide estimates and how we often end up with a schedule that has a little, but not much, wriggle room in it.clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/current_reality_3.htmlCurrent Reality Tree - page 3tag:typepad.com,2003:post-23247872004-10-07T16:34:06+01:002004-10-07T16:34:06+01:00Page 3 shows that we try to solve the "manage schedule and budget" side of the tree by having aggressive schedules and that defects and changes result.clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/current_reality_2.htmlCurrent Reality Tree - page 2tag:typepad.com,2003:post-23247652004-10-07T16:31:16+01:002004-10-07T16:31:16+01:00Page 2 shows that even though we try to prevent change, change happens anyway.clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/current_reality_1.htmlCurrent Reality Tree - page 1tag:typepad.com,2003:post-23247492004-10-07T16:29:28+01:002004-10-07T16:29:28+01:00Page one shows conflict at the base of the tree. I'll explain later how I got to the conflict, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it's our good old friend the "iron triangle" - the conflict between schedule,...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/current_reality.htmlFinally ... something to look at.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-23247062004-10-07T16:24:36+01:002004-10-07T16:24:36+01:00Well it's been an interesting trip so far - for me (and Jim). I imagine it's been fairly dull for the rest of you. This entry introduces the "Current Reality Tree": The CRT is spread over 5 separate pages. I'll...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/10/finally_somethi.htmlnow I'm having troublestag:typepad.com,2003:post-19805332004-08-18T13:26:28+01:002004-08-18T13:26:28+01:00I'm trying to convert the cloud for UDE 21 "Many quality problems are not revealed until the integration phase." and I need some help. Here's what I have so far. You can see the conflict cloud is made up of...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/now_im_having_t.htmlJohn Sambrook's commentstag:typepad.com,2003:post-19802772004-08-18T11:46:04+01:002004-08-18T11:46:04+01:00Here are the comments I got from John Sambrook about yesterdays tree. I've put my initial comments in-line, but this would be an excellent time to get more input especially about 280 > Email Address: john_sambrook@yahoo.com > URL: http://www.common-sense.com >...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/john_sambrooks_.htmlA little scrutinytag:typepad.com,2003:post-19801882004-08-18T11:07:37+01:002004-08-18T11:07:37+01:00Jim took a look at my last diagram (that started with UDEs 21, 22 and 23) and made some tweaks. Jim was using, what TOC calls, the Categories of Legitimate Reservation (CLR). The CLR are a set of rules or...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/a_little_scruti.htmlThe top of the treetag:typepad.com,2003:post-19748962004-08-17T17:24:15+01:002004-08-17T17:24:15+01:00Following Jim's process I've now started working on the top of the tree. Jim suggested picking 1 UDE, or since I had quite a few, a collection of related UDES and mapping out the effects of the UDE(s) and any...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/the_top_of_the_.htmlTurning the UDE into a cause-effect-cause treetag:typepad.com,2003:post-19665742004-08-16T12:23:15+01:002004-08-16T12:23:15+01:00Having converted UDE 40 into a cloud Jim then showed me how to convert the cloud into a fragment of the current reality tree. You've already seen the current reality tree I ended up with in my dissertaiton - this...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/turning_the_ude.htmlConverting UDE 040 into a Cloud.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-19663812004-08-16T10:58:22+01:002004-08-16T10:58:22+01:00Over the last few days I've been working, with Jim's help, and attempting to convert each UDE into a TOC cloud. Jim is currently helping me to review those, but in this note I'm going to demonstrate the process using...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/converting_ude_.htmlThe process - part 1a - The undesireable effectstag:typepad.com,2003:post-19511612004-08-13T09:45:31+01:002004-08-13T09:45:31+01:00Here's the list of undesirable effects I came up with. I really probably only need 5-7, but I got carried away. Many of them a related. Statement Is it a complete sentence? Does it exist? Is it negative? Do we...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/the_process_par.htmlThe WhiteBoard 1tag:typepad.com,2003:post-19511712004-08-13T08:52:29+01:002004-08-13T08:52:29+01:00These are the UDEs written on yellow stickies and put on our virtual whiteboard. As I stuck them up I instinctively grouped - it helped me get my head around things.clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/the_whiteboard_.htmlInvites senttag:typepad.com,2003:post-19334852004-08-10T11:14:41+01:002004-08-10T11:14:41+01:00I've sent invites to the cmsig, SellingAgile, ShareholderValue lists and a few special invitees. Let's see what happens. I'll wait until tomorrow (Wednesday) morning to post the first stage of the process.clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/invites_sent.htmlRSS feed for yahoo grouptag:typepad.com,2003:post-19253712004-08-08T21:36:14+01:002004-08-08T21:36:14+01:00Here's the RSS feed for the yahoo group: http://rss.groups.yahoo.com/group/TOCSoftware/rssclarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/rss_feed_for_ya.htmlWelcometag:typepad.com,2003:post-19253642004-08-08T21:32:23+01:002004-08-08T21:32:23+01:00Hello and welcome to the TOCSoftware blog: http://clarkeching.blogs.com/tocsoftware/. This blog has a companion to the Yahoo group http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/TOCSoftware/. They will be used together to complete a Theory of Constraints analysis of traditional Software devleopment (i.e. waterfall). The yahoo group will...clarke chinghttp://tocsoftware.clarkeching.com/2004/08/welcome.html