Application of Theory of Constraints (ToC) in Managing Project Information Constraints

The scope of this doctoral project is the non-traditional application of Drum-Buffer-Rope (DBR) from the area of Theory of Constraints (ToC) in mitigating disruption in distribution facilities during phased upgrades caused by information constraint. The relevance of this project is that industrial equipment upgrades pose a significant risk of disrupting the operation of automated distribution facilities. It is partly due to a very high expected availability rate, as well as tight coupling with other upstream and downstream elements of the larger supply chain network. As a consequence of disruption in this scenario, losses incurred not only within the facility being upgraded but also to the entire supply chain, as well. This project will particularly examine the potential non-traditional application of DBR. It is to mitigate risk brought by unavailable timely information during equipment upgrade by treating the information-time issue as a constraint that can then be elevated among various stakeholders and into the equipment upgrade schedule. This project contributes to the advancement of engineering management and project management practice in obtaining the appropriate information and data to minimize disruption posed by information-time constraint