Project Management Concepts
Useful Resource
Selected Reading
- Work Breakdown Structure
- Traditional Project Management
- Total Quality Management
- Total Productive Maintenance
- The Virtual Team
- The Rule of Seven
- The Make or Buy Decision
- The Halo Effect
- The Balanced Scorecard
- Team Motivation
- Team Building Program
- Supply Chain Management
- Succession Planning
- Structured Brainstorming
- Stress Management Techniques
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Stakeholder Management
- Staffing Management Plan
- Resource Leveling
- Requirement Collection
- Recognition and Rewards
- RACI Chart Tool
- QC and QA Processes
- Project Management Softwares
- Project Workforce Management
- Project Time Management
- Project Success Criteria
- Project Selection Method
- Project Scope Definition
- Project Risk Management
- Project Risk Categories
- Project Records Management
- Project Quality Plan
- Project Portfolio Management
- Project Manager Goals
- Project Management Triangle
- Project Management Tools
- Project Management Processes
- Project Management Office
- Project Management Methodologies
- Project Lessons Learned
- Project Kick-off Meeting
- Project Cost Control
- Project Contract Types
- Project Charter
- Project Activity Diagram
- Procurement Management
- Procurement Documents
- Process Based Management
- Powerful Leadership Skills
- Pareto Chart Tool
- PRINCE2 Project Methodology
- PERT Estimation Technique
- Organizational Structures
- Negotiation Skills
- Motivation Theories
- Monte Carlo Analysis
- Management by Objectives
- Management Styles
- Management Best Practices
- Leads, Lags and Floats
- Knowledge Management
- Just-In-Time Manufacturing
- Gantt Chart Tool
- Extreme Project Management
- Event Chain Methodology
- Enterprise Resource Planning
- Effective Presentation Skills
- Effective Communication Skills
- Design of Experiment
- Decision Making Process
- Critical Path Method
- Critical Chain Scheduling
- Crisis Management
- Conflict Management
- Communications Management
- Communication Models
- Communication Methods
- Communication Channels
- Communication Blockers
- Change Management Process
- Cause and Effect Diagram
- Benchmarking Process
- Basic Quality Tools
- Basic Management Skills
- Agile Project Management
- Activity Based Costing
- Project Management Home
Useful Resource
Selected Reading
- Who is Who
- Computer Glossary
- HR Interview Questions
- Effective Resume Writing
- Questions and Answers
- UPSC IAS Exams Notes
Critical Chain Scheduling
Critical Chain Schedupng (CCS)
Introduction
When it comes to a project, it has a lower pmit of possible lead time. This basically determines the cost associated with the project.
The critical chain of a project is the dependent tasks that define the lower pmit of possible lead time. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the critical chain is made of sequenced dependent tasks. In critical chain schedupng (CCS), these dependent tasks are scheduled in the most effective and beneficial way.
When it comes to critical chain schedupng, dependencies are used to determine the critical chain. In this case, two types of dependencies are used; hands-off dependencies and resource dependencies.
Hands-off Dependencies
This simply means that output of one task is the input for another. Therefore, the latter task cannot be started until the first task is completed.
Resource Dependencies
In this case, one task is utipzing a resource, so the other task cannot be started until the first task is completed and the resource is freed.
In simple, using traditional project management terminology, the critical chain can be explained as the "resource constrained critical path".
CCS and Project Management
Critical chain schedupng appreciates the "impact of variation" of a project. Usually, in project management, the impact of variation is found using statistical models such as PERT or Mote Carlo analysis. Critical chain schedupng does complement the impact of variance with a concept called the "buffer".
We will discuss more about the buffer later. The buffer basically protects the critical chain from variations in other non-critical chains making sure critical chain the indeed critical.
What is a Buffer?
Buffer is one of the most interesting concepts in critical chain schedupng. The buffers are constructed and appped to a project in order to make sure the success of the project. The buffer protects the due depvery dates from variations to the critical chain.
With a "feeding buffer" of a proper size, the dependent tasks in the critical chain that is dependent on the output of the non-critical chain tasks have a great opportunity to start the task as soon as its predecessor dependent task in the critical chain is finished. Therefore, with the feeding buffer, the dependent tasks in the critical chain do not have to wait for non-critical chain tasks to complete.
This makes sure that the critical chain moves faster towards the project completion.
When there are multiple projects running in an organization, critical chain schedupng employs something called "capacity buffers." These buffers are used to isolate key resource performance variances in one project impacting another project.
Resource buffers are the other type of buffer employed for projects in order to manage the impact by the resources to the project progress.
Critical Chain Vs Critical Path
Usually, the critical path goes from start of the project to the end of the project. Instead, the critical chain ends at the start of the buffer assigned to the project. This buffer is called "project buffer." This is the fundamental difference between the critical path and the critical chain. When it comes to critical path, activity sequencing is performed. But with critical chain, critical chain schedupng is performed.
When it comes to the project schedule, the critical path is more subjective towards the milestones and deadpnes. In critical path, not much of emphasis is given to resource utipzation. Therefore, many experts bepeve that the critical path is what you get before you level the resources of the project. One other reason for this is, in critical path, hands-off dependencies are given the precedence.
When it comes to critical chain, it is more defined as a resource-levelled set of project tasks.
Software for Critical Chain Schedupng
Same as for critical path methodology, there is software for critical chain schedupng. This software can be categorized into "standalone" and "cpent-server" categories. This software supports multi-project environments by default. Therefore, this software is useful when it comes to managing a large project portfopo of a large organization.
Conclusion
Critical chain schedupng is a methodology focused on resource-levelpng. Although dependent tasks mostly define the project timepnes, the resource utipzation plays a key role. A methodology such as critical path may be highly successful in environments, where there is no resource shortage. But in reapty, this is not the case.
Projects run with pmited resources and resource-levelpng is a critical factor when it comes to the practicapty. Therefore, critical chain schedupng gives a better answer for resource intensive projects to manage their depveries.
Advertisements