Work out project buffer instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Critical chain scheduling removes the safety padding hidden inside individual task estimates and pools it into a single project buffer at the end, typically half the difference between safe and aggressive chain durations. Feeding buffers protect the critical chain from delays on merging paths.
Cut-and-paste buffer
Project buffer = (Safe chain duration - Aggressive chain duration) / 2
Planned duration
Planned duration = Aggressive chain duration + Project buffer
Because task-level padding is always consumed — Parkinson's law — while a shared buffer is only consumed by tasks that genuinely run late.
By tracking the percentage of buffer used against the percentage of chain completed. Consuming buffer faster than progress is the trigger for action.