It recognizes that most companies operate with at least one constraint. It also considers that it is not always possible to balance the workstations so that they have the same capacity and process time. In DBR scheduling, JIT purchasing can be used to reduce raw material inventories. The nonconstrained resources should be scheduled to serve the constrained resource. The buffer is a time buffer used to protect the drum from disruptions in the preceding production steps.
Some companies also use a shipping buffer to aid on-time deliveries.
The rope is a schedule that dictates the timing of the release of raw materials, or jobs, into the system. In a process costing operation, DBR scheduling involves several steps. First, the constrained task in the assembly line is identified. Then a buffer size is determined that will ensure the constrained task is kept busy at all times. This can also include the determination of the shipping buffer size.