A critical look at critical chain project management

Critical chain project management (CCPM) is a novel approach for managing projects. It is an extension of Theory of Constraints (TOC) designed specifically for project environments. Regardless of the application, the starting point of CCPM is always a list of tasks along with their duration estimates and dependencies. The first step consists of developing and initial schedule for project tasks, and the second consists of recalculating the project schedule based on shortened task duration estimates. In performing the second step, a close look at the concepts of bottlenecks and material buffers is necessary. Any organization considering the adoption of CCPM must consider the major sources of cost prior to its application. This way, the occurrence of unnecessary problems throughout the process is avoided.