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Identification and illumination of popular misconceptions about project scheduling and time buffering in a resource-constrained environment

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  • W Herroelen

    (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)

  • R Leus

    (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)

Abstract

The lack of proper project planning is often cited as one of the main reasons why projects fail to be completed in time and within budget. In this paper, we identify and illuminate several possible misconceptions that go round in project management periodicals and in the mindset of practising project managers and that may hamper successful project planning. The misconceptions relate to the role of the critical path, the critical sequence (critical chain), active schedules, and the insertion of buffers in the baseline schedule as a protective mechanism against schedule distortions during project execution. The possible fallacies are illustrated using example schedules developed for an illustrative project.

Suggested Citation

  • W Herroelen & R Leus, 2005. "Identification and illumination of popular misconceptions about project scheduling and time buffering in a resource-constrained environment," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 56(1), pages 102-109, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jorsoc:v:56:y:2005:i:1:d:10.1057_palgrave.jors.2601813
    DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601813
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    Cited by:

    1. Wan-An Cui, 2018. "Critical Sequences and Resource Links Optimization in Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling," Asia-Pacific Journal of Operational Research (APJOR), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 35(05), pages 1-26, October.
    2. Liu Shu-Shun & Kuo-Chuan Shih, 2009. "A framework of critical resource chain for project schedule analysis," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(9), pages 857-869.

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