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Discover the power of Agile, Lean, and Critical Chain all working together

Complex problems require smart solutions. That’s why Playbook combines the best methods from the most advanced process science topics: Lean, Agile, and Critical Chain.

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Gantt chart showing a four-week project timeline with tasks assigned to team members. Tasks include 'Layout Prototype,' 'Review/Approve Schematic,' 'Incorporate Changes,' 'Order Parts,' and 'Test Prototype,' each represented by colored bars. Arrows indicate task dependencies and sequence.

Solutions for every symptom

Project timeline chart with color-coded task bars showing dependencies between tasks like 'Layout Prototype,' 'Incorporate Changes,' and 'Assemble.' A pop-up in the top-right corner highlights the task 'Get Quotes Prototype' scheduled at 10:00.

Overloaded resources?

Overloaded team members have an exponential effect on cycle time. But most tools don’t measure resource loading correctly. Playbook allows you to use each person's actual availability and also breaks down the loading based on the criticality of the tasks. This makes end dates more accurate and prevents overreaction when non-critical people look overloaded.

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Gantt chart displaying a four-week project schedule from Week 21 to Week 24. Tasks such as 'Layout Prototype,' 'Incorporate Changes,' 'Order Parts,' and 'Test Prototype' are color-coded and assigned to team members. Arrows show task dependencies leading to the final milestone labeled 'Prototype Complete' with a green diamond marker.

Out-of-date plans?

Playbook facilitates Decentralized Planning which means the subject matter experts actively participate in the planning process, and many of the summary tasks are assigned to owners (SMEs) other than the project manager. This promotes collaboration and enables better distribution of responsibilities by ensuring no single person is responsible for the entire project.

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Line chart tracking 'Days of Buffer Used' over time with color-coded zones indicating risk levels: green (safe), yellow (caution), orange (warning), and red (critical). The blue line rises gradually, eventually entering the red zone near the milestone date, indicating increasing risk of delay.

Slow and inaccurate status updates?

Playbook facilitates Critical Chain Project Management where one of the principles is to estimate task durations without adding buffer to them and then include a Shared Buffer before the milestone. This means that every time a critical path task is delayed, you will know instantly, exactly what caused it, and have plenty of time to react. This report is up to date and available 24/7 so everyone can see the schedule status without having to wait for a single update.

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Weekly task schedule for a team member named Mary, displaying activities from Monday to Wednesday across different departments. Tasks include 'Document/Distribute FEA Results,' 'Define Housing/Faceplate/Cover Interfaces,' 'Submit Next Year’s Budget,' and 'Shutdown RM400 Line and Restart RD350,' each color-coded and time-blocked.

Multitasking due to multiple projects and changing priorities?

Having correct priorities every day across multiple projects is the pinnacle of value from a project management tool because it eliminates the biggest cause of delay for most projects—people working on the wrong thing at the wrong time. With the My Playbook view every team member has visibility to the relative priorities of all their tasks across all of their projects. This allows them to correctly decide what to work on every day without having to guess or ask anyone.

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Digital scheduling interface from Playbook showing a weekly task plan for team members Bob, John, Mary, and Sue. Each row includes color-coded tasks with time allocations, such as 'Design Prototype PCBA,' 'Document/Distribute FEA Results,' and 'Define Interfaces,' scheduled across Tuesday to Thursday.

Realizing that Agile doesn’t work for hardware projects?

Agile methods were designed for software development and provided many benefits. However, many of the methods don't work for hardware projects where tasks have highly variable durations and functional dependencies. Additionally, hardware teams are usually cross functional, so the backlog must be sorted by specific skills. Having a tool to manage these differences is critical if you want to realize the benefits of Agile in complex hardware projects.

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Schedule a call to start your Free Trial today.

Give your team the chance to experience Playbook firsthand on one of their projects.

Your Free Trial includes:

  • Access to all Playbook features
  • Live support and role-based training while you explore
  • Licenses for your entire team
  • Flexibility to extend the duration of the trial upon request

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A smiling man and woman looking at a laptop together, with colorful pie chart icons and a three-step task flow diagram floating above them, symbolizing project planning or collaboration.

Solution implementation FAQs

How can I make sure that Playbook will work at my company?

We offer a Free Trial process where we will ramp up 4-5 people from one of your project teams. They will get full access to the on-demand Lean-Agile training as well as three weeks of live coaching to help with the planning, standup meetings, and reports setup. This way you can see it working on one of your actual projects and get feedback directly from the team members.

The Free Trial is 30 days, but you will know by the end of the first or second week if it’s going to work or not. And if you need more time to make a decision to move forward, the team can continue to use Playbook to keep that project running without delays!

Set up a discovery call to learn more about running a Free Trial at your company.

Can we host Playbook on our internal servers?

Yes, we do have an option for on-premises hosting. However, Playbook is hosted on the Azure cloud and is served from multiple locations around the globe. So security and speed are top priorities.

Set up a call to discuss what works best for you.

How does Playbook compare to other Project Management software?
Most project management tools are based on methods that were developed over sixty years ago when projects had a lot less uncertainty and a lot less complexity. Playbook was designed to facilitate a set of methods and principles from Lean, Agile, and Critical Chain Project Management. These ensure the projects are not only predictable, they also allow you to respond to necessary changes and keep everyone well informed along the way. This allows your teams to finish projects before their planned end dates without the typical herculean effort at the end.
Playbook seems to be designed for product development. Will it work on other types of projects?
Yes. Playbook was designed for the most difficult project scenarios: large teams, long projects, lots of uncertainty, geographically dispersed teams, etc. However, it works great for simple projects too. We have customers with as few as two licenses. They love the results they get with the advanced methods and the simplicity of the software.
What type of service can I expect after launch?
Playbook was a consulting company long before we developed software. So providing great service is deeply ingrained in our culture. And working closely with our existing customers is how we learn about new problems to solve. But don't take our word for it, here is what our customers have to say.
What kind of reports are available with Playbook?
Because Playbook records everything that happens to a task, the reporting capabilities are nearly endless. But don't worry, it comes with a standard set of report templates, and we will create custom reports to meet your exact needs. Watch the fourth chapter of this demo to learn more about the advanced reporting capabilities.
Can I see a demonstration of Playbook?

Yes, you can watch an 8-minute intro video here.

Or you can watch an in-depth 4-part series here.

Alternatively, you can email us to set up a live demo where we can explore even more of the functionality and answer your questions along the way.