Whether you work on an assembly line, a software development team, or any other place where multiple, consecutive operations are necessary to create a product, you have to deal with consequences of the dependencies between operations. And when each of those operations is subject to normal, statistical variations in throughput, the dependencies really begin to matter. If you've ever been unable to catch up once you fall behind, even a little, this exercise can help to illustrate why that is, and what you can do about it.

This hands-on workshop lets participants experience what work in a simulated environment is like using 3 different methods for controlling workflow. We'll move from the classic "100% utilization" model, through Kanban with WIP limits, and beyond. The exercise is based on some of the principles underlying the Theory of Constraints.