CTP--New Tools, Old Theories

The drum-rope-barrel theory of scheduling is part of the Theory of Constraint philosophies discussed in the book "The Goal." In essence, the theory says it is better to turn off a resource for a period of time when its capacity exceeds demand.

Turning off the resource will result in a poor utilization rate. However, if this is not a bottleneck, it should not be interpreted to mean that the equipment should be sold or that the company should not consider replacing it. A low utilization rate, due to the drum-rope-barrel theory of scheduling, in a non-bottlenecked area could result in greater overall throughput.