Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)

Correct Answer: The project schedule needs replanning and the critical chain path may require adjustment

When a feeding buffer is completely consumed in CCPM, it indicates a serious schedule risk that requires management attention and potential replanning. The correct answer reflects the appropriate response in CCPM: when a feeding buffer is depleted, the project schedule needs to be reevaluated and the critical chain path may need adjustment. This is because feeding buffers protect the critical chain from delays in non-critical paths. The other options are incorrect because: - Continuing work at a normal pace when a feeding buffer is depleted risks delaying the critical chain and the entire project - Arbitrarily increasing resource capacity by 50% is not a systematic approach to buffer management - Simply extending the project buffer does not address the root cause of the feeding buffer consumption and could mask underlying schedule problems CCPM requires active buffer management and appropriate responses when buffers are consumed. The depletion of a feeding buffer is a signal that the project needs schedule analysis and potential corrective actions to prevent impacts to the critical chain.

Correct Answer: To protect project timelines from delays and manage project uncertainty

The primary purpose of buffer management in Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) is to protect project timelines from delays and manage project uncertainty. This is achieved by strategically placing time buffers at key points in the project schedule. CCPM recognizes that variability and uncertainty are inherent in projects, and the buffer management approach provides a systematic way to handle these challenges by: - Aggregating safety time at strategic points rather than padding individual tasks - Monitoring buffer consumption to proactively manage project risks - Providing early warning signals when projects might be in danger of delays The other answers are incorrect because: - Allocating additional staff resources is not the main purpose of buffer management, though resource management is part of CCPM - Compressing critical path activities is more related to schedule compression techniques than buffer management - Establishing multiple baseline schedules focuses on risk planning rather than the core purpose of buffer management, which is protecting the project from uncertainty through strategic time reserves

Correct Answer: Stagger project start dates based on the drum resource capacity

In Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM), staggering project start dates based on drum resource capacity is the optimal approach for managing multiple projects sharing common resources. This is correct because: - It aligns with CCPM's focus on managing constraints and bottlenecks - The drum resource (constraint) determines the overall system capacity - Staggering starts prevents resource conflicts and overallocation - It ensures smooth resource flow across projects Other approaches are incorrect because: - Scheduling all projects simultaneously creates resource conflicts and overextension - Resource leveling while maintaining original milestones is unrealistic when resources are shared - Equal distribution of resources does not account for the drum resource constraints and can lead to inefficiencies The staggered approach based on drum capacity: - Reduces multitasking - Improves project completion predictability - Maintains focus on critical chain - Ensures better resource utilization - Reduces overall portfolio duration