Sheet 1: Wafer Experiment Rules

	
	
	
	
	

		
Wafer Experiment1
		


	
	

		
Take a quick look at the other five spreadsheets in this file. This experiment is designed to compare traditional multi-tasking behavior with the relay-race behavior advocated by Critical Chain.  It is very important to follow the suggested rules to form a rational conclusion.  (Children as young as 8 years of age have participated successfully in this experiment.  Our experience with teen agers is that they frequently see the experiment as a "game" and find it difficult to follow the rules.)  Everyone will benefit from conducting the experiment.  The final two spreadsheets are designed to track the times of multiple teams.
		


		

 
		
		


		


	
	

		


		

 
		
		


		


	
	

		


		


		


	
	

		
The experiment will be conducted twice; using slightly different rules for each experiment Read the rules for each Experiment ONLY when you are ready to perform the simulation. The experiments MUST be conducted in the order given. Ideally, the team includes a Resource to move the wafers, a Timer (another individual), and a Manager (to make sure the rules are followed), should form one team.
		


		

 
		
		

 
		
		

 
		
		


	
	

		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		
First Experiment -- Using Traditional Project Management Multi-Tasking
		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Objective:  Your team has been assigned to work on three different projects (Yellow, Purple, and Brown). Your objective is to move all of the round wafers with letters from the large container, that cleans the wafers, into their proper places (the smaller labeled containers above the large container).  Only one (1) individual may move wafers.  A second team member times the start of each project (hours, minutes, seconds) and its completion (hours, minutes, seconds). The third team member makes sure all the appropriate rules are followed. If an error occurs, the wafer first must be returned to the large container for cleaning before it may be moved to its correct designated area. (If you save the results, change the file name to preserve the original file.)
		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		

 
		
		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		

 
		
		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Note that the wafers that have no letter are scrap and must be moved off the big container because they might be hiding a labeled wafer. (The pink wafer at the bottom of the large container on this worksheet is hiding such a wafer.)
		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Rule 1:  You MUST show progress on moving all labeled wafers and you MUST show progress on all projects.  
		


		


		

 
		
		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Rule 2:  You must process one of each labeled task before moving to the next project, In doing so, you may remove a maximum of three (3) unlabeled tasks from the container. If you still do not have a labeled task of each color, you may shift the position of one unlettered task within the container (not out of the container) to uncover a task you need to process.  Before completing the project, you must remove all unlettered tasks from the container.
		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Rule 3:  You must begin with the Yellow Project , then move to the Purple Project (second priority), then to the Brown Project (third priority), moving one of each labeled task before moving to the next project, In doing so, you may remove a maximum of three (3) unlabeled tasks from the container. If you still do not have a labeled task of each color, you may shift the position of an unlettered task within the container (not out of the container) to uncover the task you need to process.  (Before completing the project, you must remove all unlettered tasks from the container.). Each project has labeled beads of different colors.


Rule 4:  You may move ONLY ONE wafer at a time (NO grouping).  Scrap wafers may be placed anywhere outside the containers.


Once you have read the rules, you may practice on the sample project shown on the right.
		


		
Practice with the above sample of the project work required before you attempt the two experiments.
		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
  If, instead of moving a wafer, you resize it, simply hold down the "Ctrl" and "Z" keys (at the same time) to reverse the change.
		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Once you have read the rules, you may practice on the sample project shown on the right.
		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Second Experiment -- Using Critical Chain Project Management with NO Multi-tasking
		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Objective:  Your team has been assigned to work on three different projects (Yellow, Purple, and Brown). Your objective is to move all of the wafers with letters from the large container into their proper places (the smaller labeled containers above the large container).  Only one (1) individual may move beads. Another individual times the start of each project and its completion, writing down start and finish times. The third individual makes sure all the rules for this experiment are followed.  If an error occurs, the wafer that is moved to an incorrect location must be returned to the large container for cleaning before it can be moved to its proper location.
		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Note that the wafers that have no letter are scrap and must be moved off the big circle because they might be hiding a labeled wafer. (The pink wafer at the bottom of the large container on this worksheet is hiding such a bead.)
		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Rule 1:  You MUST work on a project until it is completed prior to moving to another project. (You are NOT required to move to a different project after a certain number of moves.)  


Rule 2: You may move ONLY ONE wafer at a time (NO grouping). Scrap wafers may be placed anywhere outside the containers.
		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Rule 3:  When you complete the Yellow Project (first priority), move to the Purple Project (second priority).
		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
Rule 4:  When you complete the Purple Project, move to the Brown Project (third priority).
		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
For Comparison purposes, times for both experiments should be recorded on the final two spreadsheets in this file.
		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


		


	
	

		
1  Adapted from a similar exercise developed by Gerald I. Kendall and modeled after a physical exercise (The Bead Game) developed by Tony Rizzo.
		
	

		
	

		

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Sheet 2: Yellow

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Sheet 3: Purple