Article A Study of the Critical Chain Project Management Method Applied to a Multiproject System Robert Eduardo Cooper Ordon ˜ez 1 , Mario Vanhoucke 2,3 , Jos ´ e Coelho 4 , Rosley Anholon 1 , and Olı ´vio Novaski 1 Abstract In 1997, Eliyahu Goldratt proposed a method called critical chain project management (CCPM) to minimize the inefficiencies identified in traditional project management. The project management community accepted the proposed method as a viable alternative. However, to allow its implementation with a multiproject system, more research was necessary. Seeking to identify the key factors that influence the performance of the multiproject system applying the CCPM method, we performed a case study. Logistic regression analysis showed that applying the CCPM method in a multiproject system allows for better time estimation of activities and facilitates the allocation of critical resources. Keywords project scheduling, Critical Chain Method, multiproject management, resource allocation, logistic regression analysis Introduction Although techniques developed in the 1950s—including the Critical Path Method (CPM) and the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)—are usually applied to time management in projects, projects still fail to achieve their time goals. In 1997, Eliyahu Goldratt proposed a method based on the fundamentals of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) called criti- cal chain project management (CCPM) to minimize the ineffi- ciencies identified in traditional project management methodology. The proposed method was accepted by the proj- ect management community as a viable alternative that could bring real gains. The proposed method was included as a sched- ule network analysis technique in A Guide to the Project Man- agement Body of Knowledge (PMBOK  Guide) – Third Edition (2004). The method has some issues that should be considered regarding its implementation when using the CCPM method in a multiproject environment (Lechler, Ronen, & Stohr, 2005; Raz, Barnes, & Dvir, 2004). A multiproject environment is the formation of a network of projects of varying sizes and importance that depend on the same set of resources and are characterized by high uncertainty and high complexity. In these environments, managers are exposed, along with their staff members, to constant changes throughout the project life cycle (Milos ˇe- vic & Patanakul, 2002). Organizations that deal with mul- tiple projects simultaneously are often accused of failures in the time management of activities (Wei-Xin, Xu, Xian-long, & Lei, 2013). To conduct a comprehensive analysis and understand the behavior of the CCPM method in a real multiproject environ- ment, we performed a case study in a tooling manufacturing company for the construction industry facing a complex environ- ment with projects competing for the use of resources. The con- tribution of this work is based on the application of a set of techniques and methods through a sequence of steps that allow the identification and analysis of the key factors that influence the time estimation of activities when the CCPM method is used. The aim of this study is to identify the key factors that influence the performance of the critical chain project manage- ment method for this case by answering two research questions: 1 Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Materials, University of Campinas, Sa ˜o Paulo, Brazil 2 Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium Technology and Operations Management Area, Vlerick Business School, Ghent, Belgium 3 UCL School of Management, University College London, UK 4 Department of Sciences and Technology, Universidade Aberta, Lisboa, Portugal Corresponding Author: Robert Eduardo Cooper Ordon ˜ez, Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Materials, University of Campinas, Mendeleyev Street, 200 Campinas, Sa ˜o Paulo, Brazil. Email: cooper@fem.unicamp.br Project Management Journal Vol. 50(3) 1–13 ª 2019 Project Management Institute, Inc. Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/8756972819832203 journals.sagepub.com/home/pmx