Research On Rolling Stock Procurement Project Timing Management Based On Critical Chain

Subway is becoming the main city public traffic method with the fast growth of city capacity and great pressure on city public traffic. Nowadays governments are enlarging the investment of subway construction and requiring shorter project completion tine. Therefore an efficient and sufficient time management method is required by metro train(rolling stock) procure projects require.This paper analyses existing project schedule management method based on CPM/PERT. And this paper points out advantage and disadvantage of CPM/PERT. Critical Chain Method is introduced and its applying steps are showed with an example. Further, buffers and their setting methods are detailed in this paper.This paper then shows the characteristics and life time of rolling stock projects. Based on these, this paper proposes a whole solution package of project timing management for rolling stock project, which is based on Theory of Constraint and Critical chain Project Management. This solution package contains Time estimation, Critical Chain identification, resource leveling and process monitoring.This solution package is demonstrated with a real sub-project of Shanghai Line L rollingstock procure projects, which is called "Type Test". This "Type Test" project with new timing management solution is simulated by Crystal Ball. The simulation result shows this new timing management solution has a high possibility of timing fulfillment.