TOCICO

Simplified drum buffer rope (SDBR) is now the official choice of Goldratt Consulting to manage production. We highlight the rational of choosing SDBR over DBR. Some new concepts have been added in the last 6-7 years to the SDBR approach: 1. The planned load: the total load on the weakest link. 2. A unique approach to managing make-to-stock environments has been developed that does not use time buffers, but instead uses one stock buffer. The planned load concept enables SDBR to manage production even when a capacity constraint resource (CCR) is truly active. The approach to make-to-stock also supports the idea of refraining from detailed scheduling of the CCR. Lately some critical additions to the above approach were made. The need to support rapid response orders and at the same time, ensure perfect delivery of existing orders in standard times has led to the development of an algorithm to ensure safe time quotations to customers, which is based on the planned load. However, in a rapid response situation we don't always know how much capacity is required when a regular order shows up, because rapid response orders might follow and consume the available capacity. A mechanism for capacity reservation is suggested. All the above new developments are now translated into software. The authors conclude the presentation by briefly demonstrating the new features of the software, with special emphasis on the planned load concept and how management should use it. The visuals of the software provide a summary of the theoretical approach and show the links to reality. The capacity reservation allocation and management is the core of the discussion. A full paper on the use of SDBR in rapid response implementation is attached. Benefits include: 1. More able to decide between implementation of SDBR or traditional DBR; 2. Understand the concept of the planned load and its practical ramifications. 3. Understand the capacity reservation needs and dilemmas.