CRITICAL PATH

METHOD
Presented by
V.T.RAO (PMP Certified)
Introduction
• Our team welcome you all to this Critical method workshop
• In most of our Project Management trainings, the participants
requested to do a workshop on critical path method.
• Considering their request, here we go.
• In the next few hours, you will have a good clarity on critical path
method and its uses in project management
• We tried to make this workshop easy and in understandable way.
• Any questions please type in the team's chat so that we can answer
at the end of the workshop
Scheduling is for everyone –General Concepts
• Scheduling is a discipline that is performed by every person, every day.
• Should you first shave or brush your teeth in the morning? If you are
scheduling for one person only, the process is rather simple.
• You can prepare a “TO DO list” and then choose what order the items on it
are to be performed.
• If you want to schedule the tasks of two or more persons or the workflow
of two or more machines (even if both are under the supervision of one
person), the process becomes much more complex.
• Let us see how this complex process is handled by using critical path
method
History of scheduling systems
• The Critical Path Method (CPM) was developed in 1950’s by
• MORGAN R WALKER - DU POINT
• JAMES E KELLEY – REMINGTON RAND
• One of the keys to the success of CPM is that it utilizes the planner’s
knowledge, experience, and instincts in a logical way first to plan and
then to schedule.
• CPM can save time through better planning, and in construction,
time is money.
• The Egyptians and Romans worked construction miracles in their day,
and surviving ruins attest to the brilliance of their architecture, but
little is known of their construction planning and scheduling.
Why do we need Critical Path Method?
• If we try to understand the need, we will surely understand the
importance of this method
• So, to answer the question, we should understand the following
• Project
• Scope
• WBS
• Work package
• Defining the activities
• Sequencing the activities
• Estimating the durations
• Developing the schedule
Start Finish

Deliverable
Recap
• Till now we have understood
• Project
• Scope
• WBS
• Work Package
• Activity
• Let us try to understand more about Activity
• Once you breakdown the work-packages into Activities we are
defining activity list
• The activity list contains activity attributes
Define Activities
• The activity attributes contains
➢ ID
➢ Name
➢ Description
➢ Predecessor
➢ Successor
➢ People
➢ Material
➢ Machinery
➢ Duration
➢ Start date
➢ End date
➢ Risk
➢ P/M/M
➢ Cost
➢ Owner
Sequencing the activities
• Once we define the activity list, we need to sequence them in the
order in which the work will be performed
• The result is network diagram (also referred to as a project schedule
network diagram)
• Methods to draw Network diagrams
• In the past, the arrow diagramming method (ADM) and the graphical
evaluation review technique (GERT) method were commonly used to draw
network diagrams
• Today most network diagrams are created using the precedence diagramming
method (PDM)
In this method, nodes (or boxes) are used to represent activities, and arrows show activity dependencies, as
shown below

A B

This type of drawing have four logical relationships between activities

Before understanding the relationship, we will need to know about
predecessor and successor
START FINISH START FINISH

A B

In this activity relationship, Activity B can start only after Activity A is finished
Finish-to-Start (FS)
• Logically relationship where the initiation of work of the successor
activity is dependent upon the completion of work of predecessor
activity.
• This is the commonly used relationship
• Example
• You must finish digging a hole before you can start the next activity of
planting a tree.
START FINISH

START FINISH

In the activity relationship shown above, Activity B can start after activity A starts
Start to Start(SS)
• Logical relationship where initiation of the work of the successor
activity is dependent upon the initiation of the predecessor activity

• Example
• Level concrete (successor) cannot begin until pour foundation (predecessor)
begins
START FINISH

START FINISH

In the activity relationship shown above, Activity B can finish only after Activity A is finished
Finish to Finish(FF)
• Logical relationship where the completion of the work of successor
activity is dependent upon the completion of predecessor activity

• Example
• Place forms cannot finish until tying the steel bar is completed
START FINISH START FINISH

A B
Start to Finish(SF)
• Logical relationship where the completion of successor activity is
dependent upon the initiation of the predecessor activity
• This dependency is rarely used
• Example
The security guard 1st duty cannot end until the 2nd security guard duty begins
Types of Dependencies
• The sequence of activities is determined based on the following
dependencies
• Mandatory dependencies (hard logic) A mandatory dependency is inherent in
the nature of the work (for example you must design before you construct) or
it is required by the contract
• Discretionary dependency(preferred, preferential, or soft logic) This is the
way an organization has chosen to have work performed. There are other
ways it could be done, but this is preferred approach.
• External dependency This dependency is based on the needs or desire of a
party outside the project (for example, government, or suppliers).
• Internal dependency This dependency is based on the needs of the project
and may be something the project team can control
Lead & Lags
• Lead – A lead may be used to indicate that an activity can start before
its predecessor activity is completed
• Lead is only found activities with finish-to-start relationships:
• A must finish before B can start.
• In order to leverage a lead, which will compress the total combined duration
of both activities, the dependency must be discretionary, meaning that there
is no physical limitation on completing A before B begins.
Lead & Lags
• Lag – A lag is a waiting time inserted between activities
• Lag may be found in activities with all relationship types: finish-to-start, start-
to-start, finish-to-finish, and start-to-finish.
No open activities

Where to use Lead & Lag

Estimating durations
• When the activities have been defined and sequenced, the next step
is to estimate how long each activity will take
• This is the Estimate Activity duration process
• One point estimating
• When estimating time using a one-point estimate, the estimator submits one
estimate per activity
• It is an easy way to illustrate how to draw network diagram and find the
critical path
 EF = ES+D-1 LS = LF-D+1 TF = LF-EF OR LS-ES

01 05 In the forward pass, the Early start, Early finish values for each
ES 5d EF activity, along with the over all Project duration, are calculated

01 LS LF
06 10 11 25 25
ES 15d EF EF
ES TF=10-05=05

START C FINISH

LS LF LF
11 25 25
01 10 TF=25-25=0
ES 10d EF

B
The backward pass calculates late start and late finish values
LS TF=10-10=0 LF
01 10
 Multiple Float Paths

2W 1W 4W

A B C

START FINISH

6W 3W 3W

D E F

Path-1 = START+A+B+C+FINISH=2+1+4=7W
Path-2 = START+D+C+FINISH=6+4=10W
Path-3 = START+D+E+F+FINISH =6+3+3=12W
 Multiple Float Paths

2W 1W 4W

A B C

START FINISH

6W 3W 3W

D E F

Path-1 = START+A+B+C+FINISH=2+1+4=7W
Path-2 = START+D+C+FINISH=6+4=10W
Path-3 = START+D+E+F+FINISH =6+3+3=12W
Note
• Forward Pass – In calculating forward pass if you have 2 immediate
predecessors, you need to consider the maximum Early start
• Backward pass- In calculating backward pass if you have 2 immediate
successors, you need consider the minimum late start
• Total float : The amount of time an activity be delayed without affecting
the project finish date
• Free float: How much time an activity can be delayed without affecting the
early start date of subsequent dependent activities
• Negative float :Negative Float appears in a schedule when the early dates
of an activity are later than the late dates. It typically indicates a missed
date somewhere along the Critical Path.
Critical Path analysis
• The critical path is defined as the longest logical path through the
CPM network and consists of those activities that determine the
shortest time for project completion.
• Activities within this or list form a series (or sequence) of logically
connected activities that is called the critical path.
• A delay to the start or completion of any activity in this critical path
results in a delay to project completion
Understanding Critical Path
• The series of tasks that must finish on time for the entire project to
finish on schedule.
• Each task on the critical path is a critical task.
• Generally, but not always, the sequence of schedule activities that
determines the duration of the project.
• The series of interdependent activities of a project connected end-to-
end, which determines the shortest total length of the project.
• The critical path of a project may change from time to time as
activities are completed ahead of or behind schedule.
How does the critical path method help us?
• Critical path allows teams to identify the most important tasks in a project
and show you where most of the schedule risk exists
• The Critical Path Method binds the entire team together and motivates the
human resources in timely completion of the tasks in a project.
• The CPM takes into consideration the requirements well in advance to
complete a project in the most efficient way possible.
• CPM encourages a logical discipline in the planning, scheduling, and control
of projects.
• All project personnel get a complete overview of the total project.
• CPM provides an easy method for evaluating the effects of technical and
procedural changes that occur on the overall project schedule.
Why Critical path is important?-review
• Identifying every task necessary to complete the project and the
dependencies between them
• Estimating the duration of the project tasks
• Calculating the critical path based on the tasks’ duration and
dependencies to identify the critical activities
• Focusing on planning, scheduling and controlling critical activities
• Setting project milestones and deliverables
• Setting stakeholder expectations related to deadlines
• Gain Insight When Planning Tasks
Recommended Practice
• Normally, there is only one critical path though a network schedule.
• There may be multiple critical paths through a schedule
• Multiple critical paths may occur due to different paths having the same overall
duration.
• Constrained milestones (perhaps reflecting contractual requirements) may cause
different paths to be critical at the same time.
• Individual schedules (each with their own critical path) may be combined into a
master schedule that has a different critical path.
• In the case of a master schedule, there are both individual schedule critical paths
as well as a larger program critical path.
• Another type of critical path is called a “resource critical path.” the constraint of
limited resources often strongly influences the critical path calculation.
Several accepted methods for determining the
critical path.
• Lowest Total Float – The activities with the lowest total float
(sometimes abbreviated as “TF”) values may be considered critical
path activities. This calculated value may be a positive number, zero,
or even a negative number.
• Negative Total Float – Any activity that has negative float is
considered critical, even if other activities have a lower negative float
value.
• Longest Path –The concept and term, “longest path” has existed since
the beginning of formal CPM theory.
Critical path activities not all having the same
float value.
• Critical path may have different float values for the following reasons:
• Date and float constraints
• Activity calendars
• Hammock, level of effort, WBS, and other types of summary activities
• Open-ended activities
• Out-of-sequence progress
• Total float calculation method
• Resource levelling
Near-Critical Activities/Paths
• Over time, the critical path changes as the status changes.
• Acceleration and completion of critical path activities will eventually
lead to other activities becoming critical to project completion that
were not previously critical.
• Delay to activities that are not on the critical path may also lead to
them becoming critical
• Activities that are not critical but may easily become critical are called
“near-critical” activities
• Near-critical activities must be identified by the project scheduler and
their status monitored as well
Multiple Critical Float Paths
• As projects can be large and critical paths unwieldy, a question that’s often
asked of the method is can a project have two critical paths?
• In fact, it can have even more than two if necessary.
• Even if the primary path is achieved, a lack of progress on any of the follow-on paths
could doom the project to failure in the long run.
• The risks behind multiple critical paths
• Risk arises when any of the secondary or tertiary paths overtakes the primary critical
path in importance.
• Occurring most often as a result of failing to adequately attend to follow-on paths,
one of these lower-priority paths could suddenly become the most important path
when the team realizes they’re dangerously behind schedule or not prepared to
execute activities as needed. The primary critical path is then at risk of also falling
behind
General questions
• Can there more than one critical path?
• Yes, you can have two, three, or many critical paths
• Do you want there to be?
• No, more than one critical path increase risk
• Can there be Negative float?
• No, in the schedule development stage there cannot be any negative float
• Yes, once the schedule is implemented, we may have negative float, if critical
activities are delayed
• How much float does critical path have?
• In planning, the critical path generally has zero total float
• The project team can decide for the larger projects they can consider total float less
than or equal to 20 days also to be critical to have better control
General questions
• Does the network diagram change when the end date changes?
• No, not automatically, with approved changes, the project manager should
change the network diagram automatically
• Would you leave the project with negative float?
• No, you need to crash the duration of activities by deploying additional
resources. If not possible, change the baseline schedule with the consent of
Project Management
16 35

21 ?

Based on the diagram , which of the following is true

A This activity is on the critical path

B This activity not on the critical path
C In order for the project to stay on schedule, the activity needs
ertteto finish on day 35 or earlier
D The activity should be decomposed further