Cause-of-delay management is an important aspect of the Theory of Constraints (ToC) methodology, which focuses on optimizing systems for improved efficiency and performance. The essence of cause-of-delay management within the ToC context involves identifying and addressing the root causes of delays in a system to enable smoother workflow and higher throughput.

Within this article we focus on the implementation of the cause-of-delay within Lynx. This functionality can be implemented on TameFlow (Kanban/Agile) level and with some configurations on a Task level as well. We will first start with the implementation within TameFlow.

TameFlow card management

Create cards with buffer management within TameFlow

Important! - If you have not created any cards (with buffer management) within TameFlow yet, please read the articles below to setup the configurations:

• Get Started - TameFlow & Cards in Lynx-x! and;
• TameFlow Buffer Management

Configuration Cause-of-delay

Unit-of-Measure

If you have setup cards with buffer management on the TameFlow board, we can continue to add the Cause-of-delay mechanism to the cards. As a first step, we will add a new Unit-of-measure (UoM):

• Go to Configure -> Unit of Measure;
• Use the '+'-button to add a new UoM;
• Choose a Description for this UoM, for instance: Cause-of-Delay;
• Select the Data type: String;
• On the right side, underneath General, select the Picklist;
  • This picklist includes the possible causes for delay
  • You can choose these values yourself, some examples:
    • • Requirements not clear;
      • Customer Input;
      • Delayed by Supplier;
      • Quality issue;
      • Worked on task with a higher priority;
      • Other;
  • You have the option to make it Multi Select.

Card Configuration

After we have created this new UoM, we can add this to the card which has the buffer management. Therefore:

• Go to Configure -> Card Configuration and select this Card Type;
• Select the Cause of Delay tab in the top right and select the created UoM.
• After that choose the Buffer consumption threshold (%), in most cases this would be higher than 100 (%). But you have the possibility to manually adjust this percentage.

TameFlow Kanban

The final configuration is set in the TameFlow Kanban configuration. Here we select which columns/ statuses check if the due date of the card has been met or not. To setup this configuration:

• Go to Configure ->  TameFlow Kanban -> and select the board which shows the cards on which you have added the Cause-of-delay.
• Select the tab Board Configuration;
• Within this tab, you see the Statuses of the card and behind that in the table you see: Check Delays?
• Make sure to select the Status Columns which should check if the card is delayed.
• For example:
  • A Card with the Statuses: Open, In Progress, Review and Done.
  • We check the boxes for: Review and Done.

The configuration for the Cause-of-Delay on Card level is now finished. The following figures show the behavior of the feature in TameFlow, moving the card: Subtask 3 with a buffer percentage of 118%, to the Review Column:

A pop-up will be shown on top of the screen in which one or more Cause(s) must be selected. The comment is optional, but could provide valuable insight on the reason or solution of the Cause-of-delay. On the right bottom side, in the properties of the card, the input that has been entered can be found.

Configuration Waiting reasons

To distinguish Cause-of-delays on a TameFlow level from those on a Card level, we have given the Cause-of-delays on a task level the name: Waiting reasons. This functionality is not as compulsory as within TameFlow, but is coupled to the notes section of a task.

Unit-of-Measure

As a start, likewise to the Cause-of-delay, we add another UoM to the table:

• Go to Configure -> Unit of Measure;
• Use the '+'-button to add a new UoM;
• Fill in: Waiting reason, as the description (this is a must for the report to work directly without configurations).
• Select the Data type: String;
• On the right side, underneath General, select the Picklist;
  • This picklist includes the possible waiting reasons;
  • You can choose these values yourself, some examples:
    • Worked on task with a higher priority;
    • No resources available;
    • Waiting for customer;
    • Waiting for supplier;
    • Other;
  • You have the option to make it Multi Select;

Custom fields

After adding a new UoM, we should add this field as a Custom field to the notes. This can be done via:

• Go to Configure -> Custom fields;
• Select the Object type: Note custom fields;
• Use the '+'-button to add a new custom field;
• This creates a new line, with a Key, select the UoM: Waiting Reason and make the Name the same: Waiting reason.
• On the right side, you can manually select which note kinds have this custom field.
  • We typically see that this custom field is added to the issue and/or buffer recovery note kind.

Add Waiting reason to note from task

There are multiple options to add a note to a task, but how to add this note is actually quite similar.

My Activities/ Active Tasks

The first option to add a note is via My Activities or Active Tasks:

• If you have been assigned to a task, on the right side of the screen, underneath the Task Details, you can find the tab: Notes;
• Use the '+'-button to add a new note;
• Select the correct note Type, in our case an issue or an buffer recovery type;
• Select the Waiting reason for this specific note and add the information in the note itself;
• Use the Checkmark next to the note Type to add the note to the task;
• And use the Checkmark next to the Task Details to save the task;
• The note with the Waiting reason has been added.

Project Table

The second option is within the Project itself:

• Open the Project via the Project Portfolio;
• All the way on the left side, in front of the task, click on the Document logo;
• A pop-up with Task details will open;
• Use the '+'-button to add a new note;
• Select the correct note Type, in our case an issue or an buffer recovery type;
• Select the Waiting reason for this specific note and add the information in the note itself;
• Use the Checkmark next to the note Type to add the note to the task;
• You can now Close the pop-up;
• And use the Save-button in the top left to save the note to the Project;

Reporting

The Report that we will add in this section, will make sure that we have an overview of all the Waiting Reasons and the information that have been provided on the specific tasks.

• Download the report/text file that is added to the bottom of this article: Waiting_Reason.txt
• Go to Reporting -> Select an existing Report -> Select Edit Template -> Select the '+ New' button;
• A new report will open, fill in the Folder name and the Template Name.
  • Automatically: Custom reports and as a suggestion, you could call this template: Waiting Reasons
• Copy the text from the downloaded text file and Paste this within the empty report;
• Use the Save button to save this report;
• Select the Report Dialog and press Run.

This will provide you with a report that shows all Tasks that have a waiting reason and if this task was on the Critical Chain, including the information. You could use this information to perform analysis on the reasons for delay and to implement effective solutions.

Extra: Background

If you would like to know why Cause-of-Delay is an important aspect within ToC. The following aspects, explain the essence of cause-of-delay management:

1. Understanding Delay Causes: Delays can arise due to various reasons such as resource shortages, process inefficiencies, quality issues, or even external factors.

2. Root Cause Analysis: Cause-of-delay management emphasizes the importance of conducting thorough root cause analysis to determine the underlying reasons for these delays. It's not enough to address symptoms; you need to find the fundamental factors contributing to the constraints.

3. Implementing Solutions: After identifying the root causes of delays, effective solutions need to be implemented. These solutions could involve process improvements, resource allocation changes, quality enhancements, or any other measures that directly address the identified issues.

4. Continuous Improvement: Cause-of-delay management is an ongoing process. Once solutions are implemented, their impact should be continuously monitored. If the delays are reduced or eliminated, the system's overall performance should improve. However, if new constraints emerge elsewhere, the process of identifying root causes and implementing solutions must be repeated.

5. Feedback Loop: ToC emphasizes the creation of a feedback loop. As delays are addressed at one constraint, the focus shifts to the next most significant constraint in the system. This ongoing cycle of identifying, addressing, and monitoring constraints leads to a continuous improvement process.

The essence of cause-of-delay management in the Theory of Constraints is to systematically address the issues that hinder a system's efficiency and throughput. By identifying and resolving the root causes of delays, organizations can optimize their processes, enhance overall performance, and achieve better results. It's a proactive approach that promotes sustainable improvement rather than merely reacting to symptoms of inefficiency.