EM 530 Applications in Constraints Management

Back to Dr. James R. Holt's Home Page
Email: jholt@wsu.edu
Home Office Phone: 503-669-6676
WSU Engineering & Technology Management Program.

Link to WebCT (Password access required).

Next Class Starts in January 2009

The EM 530 Curriculum now includes an overview and preparatory material for the TOCIOC Fundamentals Exam (See TOCICO Fundamentals Exam).

EM 530 has always included sufficient material to prepare students for the TOCICO Supply Chain Logistics Exam and the TOCICO Project Management Exam.

Stream Introduction to The Theory of Constraints: Constraints Management Overviews

Some other fun Video Clips from Previous TOC classes

The Intuition Trainer

Playing the Dice Game

Playing the Job Shop Game

Playing the Nickel Game

Playing the Dollar Game

These video stream run in RealOne. The free basic download is available at: http://www.real.com/ (Note, you only need the basic RealOne player. You don't need to buy the full up version.)

Next On-Line Internet Class Starts Fall Semester (August 2007):

EM 530 Applications in Constraints Management is now an On-Line course available to qualified graduate students world wide. Course work is available on the Internet in a self-paced manner. Some lectures are asynchronous archive video streams. Others are live synchronous office hours. Much of the course is self taught through PowerPoint slide lecture, student exercises and study.

The class focus is on the management of physical constraints. The class includes: Drum-Buffer-Rope (flow shop, A, V, T and job shop), Critical Chain Project Management (single and multiple project), Supply Chain (replenishment and enterprise wide implementations). Students work hand and computer simulations to develop their intuition. Student verions of Critical Chain scheduling software is also available.

Class communication is by email, chatroom, telephone and office hour discussions. Fax and mail are also acceptable. There are suggested discussion groups (on-line conferences) to discuss group issues and clarify issues.

The Fall 2007 Semester will be the seventh offering in this on-line format. We believe in continuous improvement and are getting better and better at dealing with the technology of on line courses.

Admissions and Registration

I. Admissions

Students wishing to register for this course must be first be admitted as undergraduate (EM 430) or graduate (EM 530) students. Students who have earned their bachelors degrees MUST register in the 500-level section. The enrollment cost varies from about $1000 for students with Washington state residency (and those qualifying for tuition relief ) to around $2500 for Internet and corporate rate students. Registration for this course will be facilitated by our program secretary. Directions for admission are also posted on the web site: http://www.engrmgt.wsu.edu/Admissions/index.html

Engineering Management Program
Patti Elshafei
ETRL 336
PO Box 642785
Pullman, WA 99164-2785

email to: pelshafei@wsu.edu
Engineering Management web page www.engrmgt.wsu.edu
Office (509) 335-0125
Fax (509) 335-4725

New students with undergraduate or graduate degrees earned in the US, should apply as soon as possible and have official transcripts requested to be sent directly from all colleges attended, no later than July 30, 2007. This will allow you to be completely admitted before class starts. Students need to test and debug their Internet receiving capabilities well in advance of the start of the course.

New international students with undergraduate or graduate degrees earned outside the US should apply by June 30, 2007. Ttranscripts and translations must be received by July 30; be sure and indicated on the application that you are not attending in the United States.

Continuing students may register in the normal way using METRO (http://www.metro.wsu.edu)

Former students will need to apply for re-enrollment if they did not enroll the previous semeser (not including summer). http://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/forms/Reenrollment.doc

Special Accelerated Registration Process for New Students (NOT TO BE USED BY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS UNLESS DIRECTED, this admission is extremely limited and should only be used if there is a time crunch, problem with undergraduate grades, or if the student only wants to take one class. All others should apply for regular admission and request official transcripts.)

1. Complete the following UND-G (Undecided Graduate) Application. http://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/forms/Und-g%20App%20Master.doc Send one copy to the WSU Graduate School at the address on the Form. Make sure and write legibly and send the $35 Processing Fee. This paper work should arrive at WSU about November 15th or before. Email a second copy to Engineering Management Program Secretary.
2. When you are admitted, you will be notified of your new WSU Identification number by letter or email (this may take two or more weeks after the Grad School processes your Application).

II. Registration

When you are admitted, and have received your WSU Identification number, you need to go on-line and create a Network IDentification (NID) http://www.it.wsu.edu/Nid/new_user.html name and password for yourself. http://www.it.wsu.edu/Nid/new_user.html The NID will give you access to the WebCT Classroom Software and other services on campus. When you create your NID make your NID something that helps faculty recognize its you (a few initials followed by last name seems fine).

Once you are admitted and have a NID, go to www.metro.wsu.edu and using your NID you register by following the instructions. Try first and if you have trouble contact Patti and she can help (only after you try and fail first) Patti Elshafei.

Once admitted and registered, you will need to pay for class. This should happen after Aug 1 and before Aug 30th. For instructions visit How to Pay,

All students should check out their ability to receive WebCT courseware by visiting WebCT Orientation. At this site, there are links where you can give your browser a WebCT Tune-up. www.webct.wsu.edu

Course Documents:

Class Syllabus

Dice Game Instructions

The Nickel Game

The Dollar Game

Job Shop Game Instructor Description
Job Shop Game Visual Aid
Game Cards Basic
Game Cards Advanced
Game Cards Balanced Line

Supply Chain Game (Manual-PowerPoint)

TOC Replenishment (Bean-VMI-Game) courtesy of Goldratt Schools

Book Review Necessary But Not Sufficient

PQ Problem
PQ Problem with some challenging options

A few slide archives from previous Class Summer 2000

Session	In-Class Slides	Self Study Slides
1- Intro to TOC	Session 1	Session 1a

Free Clips from the TOC Insights in Operation, Finance & Measures, Projects and Distribution are available at:
TOC Insights

Interesting Previous Student Work:
Joe Eggert's Study of the best way to implement CCPM Multi-Project
Jamie Millers Dice Game-Simple Assembly
Robert Lorbeski's Dice Game-More Complicated Assembly
Hilbert Robinson's Rabbit Chase Paper
Ron Hawthorne's clever Budget Distribution paper
Zelda Turner's Dice Version of the Bead Experiment (see Session 8) with the MS Project File
Short Story, TigerWoods on Project Management, Chapter 1, by Joseph Pangilinan

Other Interesting Reading:

Great graphic of Critical Chain Success at Confluence Software
Link to an interesting discussion on CCPM and Earned Value
APICS Constraints Management Paper on Supply Chain
PowerPoint Presentation on Supply Chain
Link to an interesting discussion on CCPM and Earned Value

Presentation paper comparing seven different methods of managing a production line based on simulation of a common product schedule and common equipment - insightful! Comparing Management Management Methods (Powerpoint)

The following is an zipped, public domain program to display the above PowerPoint presentations: Nice Viewer/Printer (2,790 K) for those without PowerPoint Software

Connection to the EM530-LIST:

We use a class email server to communicate assignments, instructions and questions to the members of the class. To become part of this list, visit list.wsu.edu and and select the menu option <Join a List> from the left part of the screen to join the Em530-List

Other TOC Documents of Interest
CCPM in Japan (Use http://babelfish.altavista.com/ for a partial from Japanese to English translation)
SciForma (PS8) Student Software Site 
Avraham Y. Goldratt Institute Home
The TOC Center Home Jonah's can ask for a password to restricted data
Larry Leach's Advanced Project Pages
Tony Rizzo's Product Development Institute Pages <- Best Spot for Critical Chain Theory
Link to ProChain Newsletter /Articles Achives
Dr Holt's EM 526 Constraints Management Home Page 

Other Management Helps
Dilbert