关键词: 关键链, 调度计划, 输入缓冲, 资源冲突, 二次调度

Abstract: We investigate some puzzles in practice from the traditional critical chain method (CCM), and several correcting measures are put forward. Three pitfalls of the CCM are pointed out in this paper. Firstly, the baseline schedules are not unique. Secondly, the effect of feeding buffers fails because of the improper means to identify non-critical chains. Thirdly, the existing ways, which are used to eliminate the second resource conflicts resulting from the insertion of feeding buffers, deviate from the nature role of feeding buffers. Accordingly, based on the thought of robust optimization, three solutions are respectively presented to overcome the three drawbacks by integrating theoretical analyses and case interpretations. Therefore, a new critical chain project scheduling method is formed based on the three aspects of improvements on the traditional CCM. The results show that our new CCM can provide the scientific instructions for project managers when they adopt the CCM in reality.

Key words: critical chain, schedule, feeding buffer, resource confliction, rescheduling