Buffer sizing in critical chain project management by network decomposition

Project management organizes about 30% of the world’s economy. Many recent projects apply critical chain project (CCPM) methodology, which requires design and feeding buffers. Accurate sizing these buffers is essential, because too small result in emergency procedures to prevent late delivery, whereas large uncompetitive bids lost contracts. Previous buffer research, focused predominantly on chain, typically results excessive buffers, chains being challenged by during planning. This work also performs inconsistently, for example makespan estimation, at execution. We propose a new procedure based network decomposition, offers logical advantages over previous ones. First, size determined from all associated noncritical chains. Second, incorporates safety margins outside comparing with their parallel counterparts. Computational testing case study real extensive simulated data shows that our delivers much greater accuracy estimating makespan, smaller Furthermore, resulting never challenged. Additional benefits include delayed expenditure, reductions work-in-process, rework, multitasking.