Critical Path Analysis

Critical Path Analysis
1. Developing a Network Diagram
S. Marks
2. Calculating the Earliest and Latest Start Times for each Activity 3. Calculating the Duration of the Project 4. Calculating the Critical Path
Critical Path Analysis AON Network: Activity on Node
Gantt charts are good for showing when tasks need to be carried out but they are not always able to show all the dependencies between the tasks. For that we need to use a network diagram
Some rules for Network Diagrams

All networks have a START and an END
(shown as activities without duration)
A
All other NODES/Activities have a duration Time Sequence moves from left to right (or top to bottom)
START B
END
Interview 1
Interview 2 Review Report 2
Each NODE is Unique (although they may show similar activities)
Review 2
Report 1
14 2
Network Rules 2
Networks must not have LOOPS

A
A C
wrong!
X B
right
X1
X2
Networks must not have DANGLES wrong!

A C D
right
A C D B END
15 3
Activity
A B C D E G H J K
Preconditions
C C D D A E, G
Durations
16 30 20 15 10 3 16 15 12
Preconditions (or dependencies) are other tasks that must be completed before the activity can start
AON Network: Activity on Node
Imagine that this table shows the durations (in days) of 9 tasks, and also where tasks have any preconditions.
Activity (node) name
Activit y A
B C D E G H J K
Precondition s C C D D A E, G
Duration s 16
30 20 15 10 3 16 15 12
Duration
We start by building the network from left to right. We need to create an articial start node, which has no duration
Activity
A B C D E G H J K
Preconditions
C C D D A E, G
Durations
16 30 20 15 10 3 16 15 12
16
15
30 15
20 10
We add the other activities. These are called Nodes and by putting the name of the activity on the node, this approach is called, not surprisingly, Activity on Node.
Activity
A B C D
Preconditions
C C D D A E, G
Durations
16 30 20 15 10 3 16 15 12
16
15
E G H J K
30 15 16
20 10
3
12
16
15
30 15 16
20 10
3
12
Finally, we add an articial activity, called Finish, which marks the end of all activity. By denition, all activities must be complete at the end of the network
econditions Duration 16 20 30 B 15 B 10 D 3 D 16 A 15 E, G 12
The same network can be represented by this diagram, using AOA Network: Activity on Arc Activity on Arc notation. This method is favoured by mathematicians but is largely superceded by Activity on Node which is used in most Project Management software
2 A
16
J
15
B C
30
6 4 H G E
10 3 16
C B
20
Duration
D 3
K
12
15

Basic Network
AON Network: Activity on Arc AOA Node

Page 1
Path Analysis
Think of this as a map with 5 paths

16 A-J -B0 0 30 15 16 15
C-D-H CDGK 20 C-E-K
3
10 12
The simplest way to understand CPA is to image the network is a route map. In this map there are 5 different routes available to get from the start to the nish. In the top central box of each activity we have recored how long we think it will take to complete the activity. If we were going to choose the best route on a map, we might choose the route with the shortest duration, but to nd the Critical Path we must look for the route with the LONGEST duration
Think of this as a map with 5 paths

-B16 A-J 15
30 15 16
C-D-H CDGK C-E-K 20 20
3
10 12
Another way to image this is that we have 5 different people travelling in different vehicles over these 5 different routes. They agree to meet up at a particular place. If they all leave the same time, what time will they all meet up? Well, even if someone can get to the destination quickly, they will still have to wait until ALL the others arrive before they can all meet up again.
Earliest Start Time 0

EST EFT
Earliest Finish Time (EFT) = EST + Duration 16 16 15
0+16 = 16
30 30
0+30 = 30
15
16
20 20 10
3
12
Calculate Start to Finish
0+20 = 20
We use the top boxes to calculate the Earliest Start time (in the top left) and the Earliest Finish time (top right) The earliest Start time we get from the Earliest nish time of the activity that precedes. If we start with zero then the earliest start time for A, B and C will also be zero. The earliest nish time will be the earliest nish time plus however long it will take to do the task.
EST
EFT 16 16 15 31
16 16
16+15 = 31
30 30
20+15 = 35
= 30
20 20 15 35
35 16
20 20 20 10 30
35 3 12
We can percolate these gures through the network, but we need to watch out for tasks which are preceded directly by more than one activity (where there are two arrows leading IN to the node)
Earliest Start Time 16 16 0 16 16 15 31
Where a node is served by more than one predecessor, choose the largest
31
30 30 20 15 35
30 51
51 0
51
35 16 51
50
20 20 20 10 30
35
3 38
38 12 50
In this case, Activity K must be preceded by both task G and task E. The earliest nish time for E is 30, while the earliest nish time for G is 38. So even if E is complete we still cant start K until G is complete. We must always choose the LARGEST. Similarly, the Finish will be the LARGEST number - or the LONGEST path. It is often quite useful to do this calculation by sight before doing anything else!
Latest Finish Time = EST of Activity that follows Latest Start Time = LFTDuration 16 16 0 16 LST 30 30 20 15 35 35 16 51
51 0 51
16 15 31
Calculate Finish to Start
LFT
20 20 20 10 30
35
3 38
38 12 50
Now we want too calculate the Latest Finish Time and the Latest Start TIme. The Latest Finish time must be the same as the Earliest Start time of the activity that follows it. The Latest start time is therefor the Latest Finish time minus the time needed to complete the activity.
Latest Finish Time = EST of Activity that follows Latest Start Time = LFTDuration 16 16 0 16 LST 30 30
51 51 0 51
16 15 31
51
20 15 35
35 16 51
51
LFT
20 20 20 10 30
35
3 38
38 12 50
51
We work out the Latest times by working backwards from right to left.
Latest Finish Time = EST of Activity that follows Latest Start Time = LFTDuration 16 16 0 16 LST 30 30
51
16 15 31 36
51
51-15 = 36
0 21
51 0 51
51 51
51-30=21
20 15 35
35 16 51 35
51 51-16=35
LFT
20 20 20 10 30
35 36
3 38
39
51-12=39
38 12 50 39
51
39 -3 =36
Imagine you have a train to catch at 4pm and it will take you 30 minutes to get to the station and on to the platform - when is the latest time you can be at the platform - 4pm. When is the latest start time to leave for the station? 4:00pm minus 30 minutes - in other words 3:30 pm Similarly, here, the Latest Finish Time for K is 51 (taken from the task that follows). Since K takes 12, the Latest Start Time must be 51 minus 12 which is 39. We can do similar calculations on the other tasks. The LST for J is 51 - 15 which is 36, and so on
Latest Finish Time = EST of Activity that follows
Latest Start Time = LFTDuration
Where a node directly precedes more than one task, choose the smallest 16 15 31 36
51
16 16 0 16 20 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 20 20 29 21 36
36-16=20
0 21
30 30
51
51 0
51
20 15 35 20 20 35
35 36
35 16 51 35 35 36
51
3515=20
3 38
39 38 12 50 39
51
20 10 30 29 39
39 -10 = 29
The only situation we have to be careful is when an activity is followed by more than one other task. In the case of D, for example, it is followed by H and G, but we must take as our Latest Finish time the SMALLEST of the two numbers - in this case 35. If we were to take the larger (later) number then we might create delays later on in the network. In this particular network D and C both have more than one arrow coming Out of the node, so these are nodes to watch. Similar the Start node will take the smallest value - zero
Free Float = LST - EST

16 16 0 16 20 20 36 16 15 31 36 20 51
EST
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 30 20 15 35 20 0 0 20 20 0 20 20 10 30 29 Critical Path Analysis 9 39 0 35 35 16 51 35 35 36 0
51 51 0 51
21 21 51
LST
Float
3 38
1 39 38 12 50 39 1
51
Finally, we can now show the oat on each node - simply the difference between the bottom left and top left gures - or between the Latest and Earliest Start Times. The oat can be considered as slack time. We can use this information to help plan resources and manpower
The Critical Path is the path through the network where there is no Float on any node
16 16 0 16 20 20 36 16 15 31 36 20 51
In this case, the Critical Path is CDH
0 0
0 0
0 0
30 30 20 15 35 20 0 35 35 16 51 35 35 20 10 30 29 9 39 36 0
51
51 0
51
21 21 51
0 0
20 20 0 20
3 38
1 39 38 12 50 39 1
51
Finally, the critical path is the path with no oat - by denition the longest path
The Critical Path is the LONGEST path (in duration) through the network
16 16 0 16 20 20 36 16 15 31 36 20 51
Any delay to an activity on the critical path will result in a delay to the project
0 0
0 0
0 0
30 30 20 15 35 20 0 35 35 16 51 35 35 20 10 30 29 9 39 36 0
51
51 0
51
21 21 51
0 0
20 20 0 20
3 38
1 39 38 12 50 39 1
51
Activities on the critical path are not more important than other activities, but their timing is critical, in that any delay will affect the whole project. Tasks that have a oat are just as important, but they could be delayed or take longer, without it affecting the timing for the whole project. In this example if D takes 17 days instead of 15, then the whole project will take 53 days - an extension of 2 days. If however, A took monger than anticipated it wouldnt matter for the timing as long as it didnt take more than 20 days longer!
The next stage of planning is to
think about possible ways to reduce the length of the

project, perhaps by checking whether some of the dependencies can be changed or removed
plan resources to ensure critical tasks dont get

delayed

Critical Path Analysis

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Critical Path Analysis

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Critical Path Analysis

1. Developing a Network Diagram

Some rules for Network Diagrams

Interview 2 Review Report 2

Each NODE is Unique (although they may show similar activities)

Networks must not have LOOPS

Networks must not have DANGLES wrong!