Critical Chain Project Execution

1. Release projects into execution based on the most limiting resources.
Starting all projects ASAP makes execution and execution management both difficult - it creates unnecessary bottlenecks, gives rise to confusion about priorities, and induces multitasking. Management headaches skyrocket, productivity takes a nose dive, and all projects end up taking twice as long to finish.
Successful execution starts with acknowledging that the most heavily loaded resources (constraints) determine how many projects can be done. Releasing projects faster than what constraints can handle doesn't do anyone any good. Therefore, the first rule of execution management is to select the most profitable project mix given the constraints, and release work into execution based on the availability of those constraints.

2. Assign buffers where they can do the most good (protect the longest path).
How do you protect execution from uncertainties? The old way was to add some safeties in every task, which is not feasible in today's resource and time constrained business environment. Therefore, the second rule is to have strategic buffers, placed to protect the longest path. Not only does this ensure that the overall project keeps moving despite local delays, but having such buffers is also more efficient than safeties built into individual tasks.

3 . Drive execution priorities based on relative buffer consumption.
Instead of creating precise schedules for tasks and resources at planning time, the third rule is to set schedules in execution based on how much buffer is remaining; tasks with the lowest buffer ahead of them get the highest priority and vice versa.
Also, if buffers in a project are running low, that information can be used to provide early warning signals to functional managers, project managers and executives.