Synchronize Projects dialog box

The Synchronize Projects (Synchronize) command is only available when multiple CCPM projects are selected in the Project Data selector. Upon clicking on this command, the Synchronize Projects dialog box is displayed, allowing the user to configure options for how Sciforma synchronizes multiple Critical Chain projects.

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The Synchronize Projects dialog box specifies options for automatically synchronizing and optionally resolving resource contention issues across multiple Critical Chain projects.

Before invoking this command, set projects’ Leveling Priority to values that reflect their relative importance or criticality.

Next, select a drum resource (critical resource). It is acceptable to specify multiple drum resources if needed. Sciforma focuses on drum resources when synchronizing multiple Critical Chain projects.

Finally, configure other settings as necessary, including those used in calculating buffer capacity, whether to interleave drum resources among projects, and the amount by which to scale the availability of resources:

Available Resources

Displays all resources from projects. To view the Available Resources list in the order of the tasks that are causing the highest number of cross-project conflicts, select the Sort resources by cross-project conflict checkbox. Select a drum resource and then click Add to add it to the Drum Resources list.

Sum of Squares

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

Percent of Safety

Use 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

Use 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 the buffer. This enables the Capacity buffer to have 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 (Second, Minute, Hour, Day, Week, Month, Quarter, or Year) to which to round the buffer. If Sciforma calculates that the Capacity buffer should be 3 weeks and “Month” is specified for this parameter, Sciforma creates a Capacity buffer that has a duration of one month.

Interleave drum resources between projects

Alternates assignment of drum resource(s) among the multiple projects being synchronized.

Note: If “Sum of Squares” is the selected “Capacity Buffer Calculation” method, selecting “Interleave drum resources between projects” changes the “Capacity Buffer Calculation” method to “Percent of Safety” and makes the “Sum of Squares” option unavailable. Interleaving drum resources is not compatible with a non-linear calculation such as “Sum of Squares” due to the way internal calculations are done during the interleave.

Use scaled availabilities

Specifies a percentage to apply to the Availability field of each resource. This can be either more or less than 100% as needed, based on the level of safety needed in the schedule and whether it is desirable to use more or less than the “official” availability of resources.

When performing project synchronization, Sciforma takes into account the following factors:

  • The Leveling Priority of the projects relative to one another.

  • The requirements of the capacity buffer, as determined by the settings you make in this dialog box. A capacity buffer is a period of unassigned time between the last use of a drum resource in one project and its first use in another project. A capacity buffer acts as a protection for the second project against changes in the first project that delay the availability of the drum resource. Also known as a capacity constraint buffer (CCB).

  • The current Start date of each project relative to the other projects being synchronized.

  • The amount you are willing to move the project start date, if any (as determined by the Sync. Start Date field).

  • The amount you are willing to let the project finish date slip, if any (as determined by the Sync. Latest Finish Date Project field).