Critical chain project buffer monitoring based on integrated attributes and activity preferences

The complex external environment and idiosyncratic activities make monitoring variability throughout the project more challenging. To establish a reasonable and effective buffer monitoring method, this study synthesizes activity duration-cost-quality attributes for buffer allocation and implements different buffer monitoring strategies through activity preferences. First, the comprehensive activity attributes are determined by considering the activity duration, cost, and quality attributes, and the buffer is allocated in a decentralized-centralized manner based on the comprehensive attributes. Second, different buffer monitoring points and ways are determined based on the allocated buffers. Finally, the buffer monitoring model is simulated and validated by a case study on the integrated optimization of overall project performance. Compared to the classical static trisection and cumulative dynamic monitoring methods, Monte Carlo results show that this method achieves the dual optimization of project duration and cost. It effectively improves the comprehensive performance of buffer monitoring. Through in-depth analysis of activity attributes and the construction of differentiated buffer monitoring models, this study offers quantitative decision support to managers in coping with uncertainty perturbations, while also enriching the body of knowledge on differential buffer monitoring within the critical chain.