An investigation of buffer sizing techniques in critical chain scheduling

In this paper, we introduce two methods for determining feeding buffer sizes in critical chain project scheduling. Both methods integrate project characteristics into the formulation. Specifically, one of them incorporates resource tightness while the other uses network complexity. Both methods are tested and compared to two commonly suggested methods in the literature, the cut and paste method and the root square error method, as well as using no buffer as a benchmark. The comparison is done by means of a simulation study using the Patterson data set. The test results indicate that both of the suggested methods generate smaller buffer sizes while providing sufficient protection against delays in project completion time.