Drum-Buffer-Rope - a manufacturing operations management approach

Drum-Buffer-Rope, or DBR, is the application of the Theory of Constraints, or TOC, in production systems. First introduced by Eli Goldratt, DBR is an approach to managing production through constraint and is named after its three core components:

Drum-Buffer-Rope (DBR)

• Drum - the physical constraint or the weakest link.
• Buffer - material release duration. The buffer protects the drum by ensuring a constant flow of work into the buffer.
• Rope - work release mechanism or timing.

The goal of the Drum-Buffer-Rope manufacturing management solution is to protect the weakest link in the system against process dependencies and variations and to maximize the system's effectiveness.

The drum, buffer, and rope constitute the building blocks for a production schedule that minimizes excess inventory (lean production) and is resistant to disruptions.

Drum-Buffer-Rope includes features to help companies create production schedules that are protected from the adverse effects of "Murphy" events. Using time buffers to accommodate occurrences, such as last-minute customer requests, unreliable vendors, and absent employees, the system works to ensure that customers receive products on time. Drum-Buffer-Rope is an approach for regulating the flow of work-in-process at or near the full capacity of the most restricted resource in the manufacturing chain.

Buffer Management

Buffer Management is an essential element of the DBR application and serves as a guide to peak performance tuning. BM is a monitor of the overall effectiveness of the system and helps to identify and correct any disruption in the DBR application.

For more information about the Theory of Constraints and Drum-Buffer-Rope, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Constraints