Facilitation of Multi-Project Management Using Critical Chain Methodology

Abstract

A method on a computer for providing critical chain-based project management across a plurality of projects is disclosed. The method includes generating a plurality of plans, each of the plurality of plans corresponding to one of the plurality of projects, wherein a project comprises at least one task. The method further includes generating buffers for each of the plurality of projects and reconciling project resources among the plurality of projects. The method further includes executing the plurality of project plans, including allowing a user to manage the buffers across the plurality of projects. The user is further provided with information associated with buffers for the plurality of projects, so as to evaluate the status of the plurality of projects. Additionally, the user is provided with task prioritization for any task of the plurality of projects, wherein task prioritization is calculated across the plurality of projects.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method on a computer for providing status information during critical chain-based project management across a plurality of projects, comprising:
 providing a graphical user interface to a user over a telecommunications network, wherein the graphical user interface conveys status information about a project belonging to a plurality of projects having a critical chain comprising a longest chain of tasks including resource dependencies calculated at commencement of the project;   wherein the graphical user interface comprises a graph that plots a chain complete percentage of the critical chain over time along an x-axis and a project buffer consumption percentage over time along a y-axis;   wherein the chain complete percentage of the critical chain at a given time is calculated by subtracting a time needed to complete a current longest chain of tasks including resource dependencies from a total time needed to finish the critical chain, and dividing a result by the total time needed to finish the critical chain; and   wherein the project buffer consumption percentage is calculated by evaluating a buffer consumption percentage of every chain of tasks feeding into the project buffer and taking a highest value.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 further comprising:   providing a second graphical user interface to the user over the telecommunications network, wherein the second graphical user interface conveys task prioritization information about tasks of the project belonging to a plurality of projects and wherein task prioritization is calculated across the plurality of projects so as to accommodate the critical chain and wherein task prioritization for any task of the project is calculated based on status information about one or more buffers corresponding to a chain of tasks to which the task belongs.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 ,
 wherein task prioritization for any task of the project is calculated based on a buffer consumption percentage of a longest chain of tasks to which the task belongs.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 wherein task prioritization for any task of the project is further calculated based on a completion percentage of the longest chain of tasks to which the task belongs.   
     
     
         5 . A method on a computer for providing status information during critical chain-based project management across a plurality of projects, comprising:
 providing a graphical user interface to a user over a telecommunications network, wherein the graphical user interface conveys status information about a milestone belonging to a project of a plurality of projects;   wherein the graphical user interface comprises a graph that plots a chain complete percentage over time along an x-axis and a milestone buffer consumption percentage over time along a y-axis;   wherein the chain complete percentage at a given time is calculated by subtracting a time needed to complete a current longest chain of tasks including resource dependencies from a total time needed to finish an initial longest chain of tasks including resource dependencies, and dividing a result by the total time needed to finish the initial longest chain of tasks including resource dependencies; and   wherein the milestone buffer consumption percentage is calculated by evaluating a buffer consumption percentage of every chain of tasks feeding into the milestone buffer and taking a highest value.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 ,
 providing a second graphical user interface to the user over the telecommunications network, wherein the second graphical user interface conveys task prioritization information about tasks of the project belonging to a plurality of projects and wherein task prioritization is calculated across the plurality of projects so as to accommodate the critical chain and wherein task prioritization for any task of the project is calculated based on status information about one or more buffers corresponding to a chain of tasks to which the task belongs.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 ,
 wherein task prioritization for any task of the project is calculated based on a buffer consumption percentage of a longest chain of tasks to which the task belongs.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 ,
 wherein task prioritization for any task of the project is further calculated based On a completion percentage of the longest chain of tasks to which the task belongs.   
     
     
         9 . A computer system for providing status information during critical chain-based project management across a plurality of projects, comprising a memory storage device including computer instructions for:
 providing a graphical user interface to a user over a telecommunications network, wherein the graphical user interface conveys status information about a project belonging to a plurality of projects having a critical chain comprising a longest chain of tasks including resource dependencies calculated at commencement of the project;   wherein the graphical user interface comprises a graph that plots a chain complete percentage of the critical chain over time along an x-axis and a project buffer consumption percentage over time along a y-axis;   wherein the chain complete percentage of the critical chain at a given time is calculated by subtracting a time needed to complete a current longest chain of tasks including resource dependencies from a total time needed to finish the critical chain, and dividing a result by the total time needed to finish the critical chain; and   wherein the project buffer consumption percentage is calculated by evaluating a buffer consumption percentage of every chain of tasks feeding into the project buffer and taking a highest value.   
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 9 ,
 the memory storage device further comprising computer instructions for:   providing a second graphical user interface to the user over the telecommunications network, wherein the second graphical user interface conveys task prioritization information about tasks of the project belonging to a plurality of projects and wherein task prioritization is calculated across the plurality of projects so as to accommodate the critical chain and wherein task prioritization for any task of the project is calculated based on status information about one or more buffers corresponding to a chain of tasks to which the task belongs.   
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein task prioritization for any task of the project is calculated based on a buffer consumption percentage of a longest chain of tasks to which the task belongs.   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 ,
 wherein task prioritization for any task of the project is further calculated based on a completion percentage of the longest chain of tasks to which the task belongs.   
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         20 . (canceled)