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Critical Chain for Project Managers 

 August 30, 2019

By  Dave Litten

Master Critical Chain Method and Trail-blaze your Projects to Success

Critical Chain Masterclass goes far beyond the basics, deep dives into project estimation, feeder buffers, critical chain  monitoring and control, and blending of CCM with  Agile, The PRINCE2 Methodology, and popular planning tools such as Microsoft Project.

Getting Grief from your current project and boss?

It's all in the planning - getting a realistic and achievable project plan needs art as well as science. The grief and stress starts when you try and deliver it.


Seems like the project manager is in a war zone - all trigger-fingers point at you.


 "Just Do It" they scream as the project manager juggles with spinning plates.


Maybe it was just The Plan after all ...

The Critical Chain Method is confusing isn't it?

It’s well known that Eliyahu’s method involves the use of buffers and takes into consideration available resources and the bottlenecks that arise from those, but little is known about how you should take a project and BLEND this method into it.


Critical Chain verses Critical Path


Critical Chain vs Critical Path is the first question that pops into mind, and that in turn raises an even bigger question – should you use BOTH? The answer is YES.


Critical Chain Confusions


To blend and use Critical Chain, you need to know how use it with project management methodologies. Can it be applied to PRINCE2 and Agile projects? How do you apply it to planning tools such as Microsoft Project? All will be revealed ...


Critical Chain Challenges


I expect you are using traditional project management planning techniques right now - gantt chart, critical path, resource leveling, and so on. It sort of works, but you still find yourself fighting against the schedule and resources.


Learning a new, additional and better approach at the start, such as Critical Chain, takes guts and a little effort on your part - but the rewards can be giant. 


You will want to change the way you and your team estimate, and how as a project manager, you actually USE critical chain - but once your see the rewards of delivering on-time and on-budget projects - you'll never go back ...

Introducing The Critical Chain in Project Management Masterclass

Projex Academy's Critical Chain Method Masterclass goes far beyond the basics, and shares ideas for estimating the project and feeder buffers, the project monitoring and control when applying Critical Chain, and the blending of CCM with the PRINCE2 Methodology, Agile and popular planning tools such as Microsoft Project

Membership is INSTANT with Sample Lessons

Here’s What You’ll Get When You Sign Up

To blend and use Critical Chain, you will get the answers to:

  • How do I use it with project management methodologies such as PRINCE2?
  • What do I need to change when I plan and control my projects?
  • Can it be applied to Agile projects?
  • How do I apply it to planning tools such as Microsoft Project ?

Once you invest, you get full Annual Access right away. In just a handful of hours from now you will know exactly how to apply and implement the Critical Chain Method into your scheduling.  

What's Included In Critical Chain Masterclass?

You get FOUR streaming hi-definition MP4 videos. This is around 136 minutes of me teaching you the Critical Chain techniques plus an accompanying Handbook.


Estimated length of course is 4 hours, including some time for reading, pausing, pondering and (of course) drinking a coffee or two.

Critical Chain Method

At the end of this training you will be able to deliver your projects with almost 100% certainty of schedule and budget success. It doesn't get much better than that for a career project manager does it?

Resolve Critical Path Problems

Learn what the Critical Path Achilles heel is and how to  completely eliminate it. Combine it with the power of Critical Path to optimize planning and control

Tame The Critical Chain Method

You will know exactly how to estimate and tailor planning approach to harness the power of Critical Chain. I even show you how to blend it with PRINCE2

Discover the Buffer Secrets

There is more to this than meets the eye. Crafting the exact type for each buffer in your project demands knowledge of the techniques I show you ...

Critical Chain In The Real World

Going way beyond theory, I demonstrate how to apply CCM and how to monitor and control progress - and how to use it with Agile projects!

Here’s what people are saying about the course

Leanne Walsham

Project Manager

"I was frantically searching online for help when I came across your Masterclass System - the best money I've spent, something clicked, and it all started to fall into place, I started to really grasp the methodology, and most importantly, this gave me the confidence.
Thanks so much Dave"

Vanessa Morris

Project Manager


"I’m now a fully qualified Project Manager, I passed my exam yesterday, thank you so much for your excellent learning material. It helped me so much with my studies and without a doubt definitely assisted in passing my Exam"

Catherine Edwards

Project Manager

"I am very happy and my career is now all on track - a huge Thank You as your Masterclass made absorbing the knowledge easy and gave me a confident and full understanding of the Method"

Critical Chain Masterclass Course Overview

These Video Modules comes complete with video lessons, plus accompanying detailed Handbook

1

Module 1: Critical Path verses Critical Chain

Since you will be blending both Critical Chain and Critical Path methods, it is vital that you clearly understand what both are trying to achieve and clearly differentiate between them. Here, I show you exactly what those differences are

2

Module 2: Critical Path Problems and Advantages

You may already be familiar with Critical Path. But it has a deadly Achilles heel that you need to be aware of...If you have suffered in the past from your project running late, yet your critical path calculations show otherwise...then you will have already been bitten by this snake! But the critical path method does bring vital metrics as well as those used by critical chain... Don't worry, help is at hand!

3

Module 3: The Critical Chain Method and Estimating

Think you know -how to use best practice estimating? I'm sure you do, but I doubt if you've ever seen how it must be applied to make critical chain work. There are also project management techniques you need to apply if you are going to create a realistic and achievable plan. I highlight what these are ...

4

Module 4: Harnessing As Late As Possible Scheduling
using Buffers

Don't confuse buffers with tolerance, that is not their purpose. There are several different types and algorithms you need in your toolbox. I show you them all. These are counter-intuitive so I deep-dive for you and flesh them out.

5

Module 5: PERT Estimates and Project Level PERT

PERT is one technique you will have already heard of and most likely used on your projects before. But once again, there is a trick of the tail when applying it to Critical Chain - watch carefully as I demonstrate this to you ...

6

Module 6: Critical Path Buffer Calculations

You really DO need to know these buffer techniques: Buffer Size Cut and Paste, Buffer Size Adaptive with density, Buffer Size Root Squared, and RSEM with PERT. Phew! just look at all that jargon. Don't worry, when I demonstrate them to you, they are a lot easier than they sound ...

7

Module 7: Buffer Size resource tightness and resolving resource conflict

This is a key section, and I showcase how critical chain can be dynamically managed during project delivery. It's a mix of art and science alright!

8

Module 8: Critical Chain, Agile, PRINCE2 and controlling with Microsoft Project

Most critical chain information falls down badly on how you actually implement the method, manage it, and control it. Agile projects can also benefit from using the method, and finally I show how MS Project can be used to plan and deliver the critical chain method. Applying it to PRINCE2 is a snap and feeds beautifully inside management stages ...

About Dave Litten

David Litten’s proprietary Projex Academy Masterclass training places a priority on video-based, step-by-step management life-changing training, and his students are reaping the rewards.


"Dave is a successful senior project manager, PRINCE2 Practitioner consultant, and licensed educator, which makes him the perfect combination of effective teacher and subject matter expert to shepherd you on your journey to project management success."


Dave is Europe’s No. 1 Project Management Trainer and brings his extensive 20-plus years training skills to the market place, by helping project managers maximize their skills and earning potential.

When investing your time with Projex Academy training, managers can expect to find new clarity, gain new understanding along with professional qualifications/accreditation, and harness new management strategies and tools to fast-track their careers.


Dave is passionate about helping folks just like you attain new knowledge and skills and would love to hear from you!


Dave Litten Prince2 Coach Working At His Desk
Dave Litten Prince2 Coach Working At His Desk

Here’s what people are saying about our training ...

Kumar Saurabh

Project Manager

"I want to thank you for your wonderful Masterclass. It was an excellent resource to understand the concepts through the use of your high quality interactive videos. The videos explained every concept visually. I made notes of the important concepts along the way and at the end of it I was fully confident in my knowledge of the Method"

Basil Al-Farhan

Project Manager

"You really are a life-saver, I almost quit until I found your website. And there we go, all done, thanks to you. I just wanted to thank you personally"

Paul McLatchie

Project Manager

"Very rarely do I take time out to write a real thank you, but after using a your Masterclass, I just had to!  I sat down and watched your videos through at least twice .... Really liked your little anecdotes and excellent examples that clarified things superbly. I know for an absolute fact that it was the use of your instructional videos that provided a huge chunk of my knowledge"

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the course start and finish?

How long will I have access to the course?

What if I want a refund?

What skills will this course teach me?

Will I master The Critical Chain Method  by the end of the course?

What do I do if I need help?

My Guidance for you

Critical Chain Masterclass goes far beyond just 'training', it is something that I am proud of and has helped thousands of students master the method. I urge you to enroll now, so I can help you too.  I will be at your side every step of the way. So, enroll NOW and Master The Critical Chain Method!

Dave Litten Project Manager Projex Academy Signature

Dave Litten


Dave spent 25+ years as a senior project manager for UK and USA multinationals and has deep experience in project management. He now develops a wide range of Project Management Masterclasses, under the Projex Academy brand name. In addition, David runs project management training seminars across the world, and is a prolific writer on the many topics of project management.

The Projex Academy

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