The Critical Path

Precedence diagram
method

Luise Lorenz
Christina Mohr

Critical Path Method (CPM)

Project

planning technique

Important

tool for project

management

For

any project with

interdependent activities

CPM helps you figure out:

how

long a complex project will

take to complete

which

activities are critical

those needed to be done in time in

order to follow the schedule

The model of CPM

1.

A list of all activities required to

complete a project

2.

The duration of each activity has

to be known

3.

Analyze the dependencies

between the activities

The model of CPM

CPM

calculates the longest path of

planned activities to the end

Earliest

and latest date that each

activity can start and finish

Avoiding

extension of the project

Determining
Activities

the critical activities

which have total float

(delayed without making the project
longer)

Critical path
Series

of project network activities which

lead to the longest overall duration

Shortest

time to complete a project

Delay

of critical activity has an impact

on the completion date

Shorten

the planned critical path by fast

tracking (more activities parallel) or
crashing the critical path (shortening
activities by adding resources)

Precendence diagram method

(PDM)
Network

diagram uses boxes to

represent activities

Connection

with arrows to show the

dependencies

Early

/ late start date

Early

/ late finish date

Duration

Advantages of PDM
Finding

the critical path

Defining

the amount of time

required
Usage
To

to crash projects

reduce resources

Defining

dependencies

Identifying

lead and lag times

Design I
LS
(Latest
Start)ES

LF
(Latest
EFFinish)

(Earliest
Start)

(Earliest
Finish)

Duration

Ref. No.

Operation Description

if the float equals

zero its
considered
critical

Float

Design II

ES

Duration

EF

Operation Description
LS

if the float equals

zero its
considered
critical

Float

LF

Example

Example
2
B

4
C

1
A

2
F

1
D

1
E

Example
2
B

1
A

4
C

2
F

1
D

1
E

Example
1

1
A

2
B

4
C

2
F

1
D

1
E

Example
1

1
A

2
B

4
C

2
F

1
D

1
E

Example
1

1
A

2
B

4
C

2
F

1
D

1
E

Example
1

1
A

2
B

4
C

2
F

1
D

1
E

Example
1

1
A

2
B

4
C

1
D

1
E

2
F

Example
1

1
A

2
B

4
C

7
7
1

1
D

1
E

2
F

9
9

Example
1

1
A

2
B

4
C

7
7
1

1
D

1
E

2
F
0

9
9

Example
1

1
A

2
B

4
C

7
7

7
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1

1
D

1
E

3
7

2
F
0

9
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Example
1

1
A

2
B

3
3

4
C
0

7
7

7
7
1

1
D

2
6

1
E
4

3
7

2
F
0

9
9

Example
1
1
0

1
A

2
B
0

3
3

3
3

4
C
0

7
7

7
7
1
5

1
D
4

1
E
4

3
7

2
F
0

9
9

Example
1
1
0
0

1
A
0

2
B
0

3
3

3
3

4
C
0

7
7

7
1
5

1
D
4

1
E
4

3
7

2
F
0

9
9

Example
1
1
0
0

1
A
0

2
B
0

3
3

3
3

4
C
0

7
7

7
1
5

1
D
4

1
E
4

3
7

2
F
0

9
9