Insert Buffers dialog box

The Insert Buffers command displays the Insert Buffers dialog box where you can specify options that Sciforma uses to calculate the size of project buffers and feeding buffers.

Insert_Buffers.png

The Insert Buffers dialog box specifies options for automatically calculating the size and placement of project and feeding buffers in a Critical Chain project.

Until you add buffer tasks to your Critical Chain project, you have no safety in your schedule.

Calculation Method

The options in the Calculation Method area specify how to calculate the size of the buffers to insert:

Sum of Squares

Calculates the square root of the summed variances between each task's Safe Duration and Duration fields.

Percent of Safety

Uses a percentage of the difference between the Safe Duration and Duration that was specified for each task. Specify the desired percentage in the box.

Percent of Duration

Uses a percentage of the Duration that was specified for each task. Specify the desired percentage in the box.

Additive Constant

Specifies an additional amount of time to add to each buffer. This enables the project manager to ensure that the project has at least a minimal amount of safety even if the calculations do not produce a satisfactory safety margin.

Round up to nearest

Specifies the time increment (Minute, Hour, Day, Week, Month, or, Year) to which to round the buffers. If Sciforma calculates that the Project buffer should be three weeks and “Month” is specified in this list, Sciforma will create a Project buffer that has a duration of one month.

Dangling Chains

The Dangling Chains option configures how to provide safety for tasks that do not have successors and, therefore, do not merge into the Critical Chain:

Connect to Project Buffer

Connects the dangling chains to the Project buffer. Feeding buffers are then inserted on the (previously) dangling chains to add the appropriate safety factor before the chains intersect with the Project buffer.

Insert Additional project Buffer

Uses a separate Project buffer to maintain the safety for dangling chains.

Options

Remove Existing Buffers

Enables Sciforma to calculate buffers for the entire project without regard to existing buffers. In order to maintain the existing buffers and let Sciforma add to them if necessary, clear this checkbox.

Resolve Resource Contention

Inserting buffers causes tasks to move and therefore may introduce new resource contention problems. Select this checkbox to automatically check for and resolve resource contention as soon as buffers are inserted. Clear this checkbox if resource contention should be handled manually.