Lecture #3: Critical Path Method

(CPM)

Example #1:

i) Draw network
C (5) D (3) E (2) 5
4
A (10) 2 3

0 0
1 B(7)
F (1) G (14)
6 7 8
(ii)Critical path:
 Possible Paths
Path (1) (1,2)&(2,3)&(3,4)&(4,5)&(5,6)&(6,7)&(7,8) 35 days
= 10 + 5 + 3 + 2 + 0+ 1+14 = 35 " Critical Path"
Path (2) (1,2)&(2,3)&(3,4)&(4,5)&(5,7)&(7,8) 34 days
= 10+ 5 + 3 + 2+ 0 + 14= 34
Path (3) (1,6) &(6,7)&(7,8) 22 days
= 7 + 1 + 14 =22

The Critical Path is (1,2) &(2,3)&(3,4)&(4,5)&(5,6)&(6,7)&(7,8)

Example #2:

(ii)Critical path:

 Possible Paths
Path (1) (1,2)&(2,3)&(3,4)&(4,5)&(5,6)&(6,7) 15 days
= 4 + 0 + 5 + 0 + 6+ 0 = 15
Path (2) (1,2)&(2,3)&(3,5)&(5,6)&(6,7) 17 days
= 4+ 0 + 7 + 6+ 0 = 17
Path (3) (1,3) &(3,5)&(5,6)&(6,7) 20 days
= 7 + 7 + 6 + 0 =20 " Critical Path"
Path (4) (1,5)&(5,6)&(6,7) 8 weeks
= 6 + 6+0 = 12

The Critical Path is (1,3) &(3,5)&(5,6)&(6,7)

 Example #3:

ii) Draw network

D (2)
3 4
G (4)
A (1) 0

1 B(2) 0 E(4)
2 6 7 H (8) 8

C (2) 0 F(1)

(ii) Critical path:

 Possible Paths
Path (1) (1,3)&(3,4)&(4,7)&(7,8) 13 days
= 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 = 13
Path (2) (1,2)&(2,3)&(3,4)&(4,7)&(7,8) 16 days
= 2+ 0 + 2 + 4+ 8= 16 " Critical Path"
Path(3) (1,2)&(2,6)&(6,7)&(7,8) 14 days
= 2+ 0 + 4+ 8= 14
Path (4) (1,5) &(5,6)&(6,7)&(7,8) 14 days
= 2 + 0+4+ 8 =14
Path(5) (1,5) &(5,7)&(7,8)
= 2 + 1+ 8 =11

The Critical Path is (1,2) &(2,3)&(3,4)&(4,7)&(7,8)

 CPM (Critical Path Method): It is method used to assist the project
manager in scheduling the activities (i.e., when should each activity start). It
assumes that activity durations are known with certainty.
Critical Path Method (CPM) 
The notations used are
(i, j) = Activity with tail event i and head event j
Ei ( )= Earliest occurrence time of event i
Lj ( Δ ) = Latest allowable occurrence time of event j
Dij = Estimated completion time of activity (i, j)
(Es)ij = Earliest starting time of activity (i, j)
(Ef)ij = Earliest finishing time of activity (i, j)
(Ls)ij = Latest starting time of activity (i, j)
(Lf)ij = Latest finishing time of activity (i, j)
 The procedure is as follows 
1. Determination of Earliest time (Ej): Forward Pass computation

Step 1: 
The computation begins from the start node and move towards the end node. For
easiness, the forward pass computation starts by assuming the earliest occurrence
time (ET) of zero for the initial project event.
Step 2:
i. Earliest starting time of activity (i, j) is the earliest event time of the tail end
event i.e. (Es)ij = Ei
ii. Earliest finish time of activity (i, j) is the earliest starting time + the activity
duration (i.e. (Ef)ij = (Es)ij + Dij or (Ef)ij = Ei + Dij ).
iii. Earliest event time for event j is the maximum of the earliest finish times of
all activities ending in to that event (i.e. Ej = max [(Ef)ij for all immediate
predecessor of (i, j)] or Ej =max [Ei + Dij] ).

2. Backward Pass computation (for latest allowable time)

Step 1:
For ending event assume E = L. Remember that all E’s have been computed by
forward pass computations.
Step 2:
Latest finish time for activity (i, j) is equal to the latest event time of event j
i.e. (Lf)ij = Lj .
Step 3:
Latest starting time of activity (i, j) = the latest completion time of (i, j) – the
activity time or (Ls)ij =(Lf)ij - Dij or (Ls)ij = Lj - Dij
Step 4: 
Latest event time for event ‘i’ is the minimum of the latest start time of all
activities originating from that event i.e. Li = min [(Ls)ij for all immediate
successor of (i, j)] = min [(Lf)ij - Dij] = min [Lj - Dij]
3. Determination of floats and slack times

 Total Float (TF)

(TF)ij = (Latest start – Earliest start) for activity ( i, j)
(TF)ij = (Ls)ij - (Es)ij or (TF)ij = (Lj - Dij) – Ei
 Event slack (S)
Head event slack = Lj – Ej, Tail event slack = Li – Ei
4. Determination of Critical Path
Critical event – The events with zero slack times are called critical
events. In other words the event i is said to be critical if
Ei = Li
Critical activity – The activities with zero total float are known as
critical activities. In other words an activity is said to be critical if a
delay in its start will cause a further delay in the completion date of the
entire project.
Critical path – The sequence of critical activities in a network is
called critical path. The critical path is the longest path in the network
from the starting event to ending event.
 Example #1:
Determine the early start and late start in respect of all node points and
identify critical path for the following network.

C (5) D (3) E (2)

4 5
A (10) 2 3

0 0
1 B(7)
F (1) G (14)
6 7 8

Solution:
S2=0 S3=0 S4=0 S5=0

10 15 18
20
10 15 18 20
S1=0
0
C (5) D (3) E (2)
0 4 5
A (10) 2 3 S8=0

1
0 0

B(7) 35

35

F (1) 7 G (14)
6 8

20 S6=0 21 S7=0

20 21

 The Critical Path is (1,2) &(2,3)&(3,4)&(4,5)&(5,6)&(6,7)&(7,8)

Activity Duration Earliest Time Latest Time Float Time
(i,j) Dij Start (Ei) Finish (Ei+Dij) Start Finish(Li) (Li - Dij) - Ei
(Li - Dij)
(1,2) 10 0 10 0 10 0
(1,6) 7 0 7 13 20 13
(2,3) 5 10 15 10 15 0
(3,4) 3 15 18 15 18 0
(4,5) 2 18 20 18 20 0
(5,6) 0 20 20 20 20 0
(5,7) 0 20 20 21 21 1
(6,7) 1 20 21 20 21 0
(7,8) 14 21 35 21 35 0
 Example #2:
Determine the early start and late start in respect of all node points and
identify critical path for the following network.

Solution: S6=0

S2=3 S4=2 S7=0

20
S3=0
7 14
20 20
S1=0 4 12
7 20
6
4
0 2 7 0
A(4)
0
0 D (5) 0
7
B (7) F (6)
1 3
E (7) G (5)

C (6)
5

S5=0

14

14
The Critical Path is (1,3) &(3,5)&(5,6)&(6,7)
Activity Duration Earliest Time Latest Time Float Time
(i,j) Dij Start (Ei) Finish (Ei+Dij) Start Finish(Li) (Li - Dij) - Ei
(Li - Dij)
(1,2) 4 0 4 0 7 3
(1,3) 7 0 7 0 7 0
(1,5) 6 0 6 8 14 8
(2,3) 0 4 4 7 7 3
(3,4) 5 7 12 9 14 2
(3,5) 7 7 14 7 14 0
(4,5) 0 12 12 14 14 2
(5,6) 6 14 20 14 20 0
(5,7) 5 14 19 15 20 1
(6,7) 0 20 20 20 20 0
 Example #3:
Determine the early start and late start in respect of all node points and
identify critical path for the following network.
D (2)
3 4
G (4)
A (1) 0

1 B(2) 0 E(4)
2 6 7 H (8) 8

C (2) 0 F(1)

Solution:

2 4
S1=0 S3=0 S4=0

2 4 S6=2 S7=0 S8=0

0 D (2)
3 4 8
4 16
0
A (1) 0 S2=0 G (4)
8
2 16
1 B(2) E(4)
2
0 6 H (8)
2 7 8

2
C (2) 0 F(1)

5
4
S5=2

2
The Critical Path is (1,2) &(2,3)&(3,4)&(4,7)&(7,8)
Activity Duration Earliest Time Latest Time Float Time
(i,j) Dij Start (Ei) Finish (Ei+Dij) Start Finish(Li) (Li - Dij) - Ei
(Li - Dij)
(1,2) 2 0 2 0 2 0
(1,3) 1 0 1 1 2 1
(1,5) 2 0 2 2 4 2
(2,3) 0 2 2 2 2 0
(2,6) 0 2 2 4 4 2
(3,4) 2 2 4 2 4 0
(4,7) 4 4 8 4 8 0
(5,6) 0 2 2 4 4 2
(5,7) 1 2 3 7 8 5
(6,7) 4 2 6 4 8 2
(7,8) 8 8 16 8 16 0
Exampl #4:
Find the earliest tim, the latest time, critical path and calculate the slack time and Completion
time for the following network.
8 6
2 5 8
10
7 13
8 16 12
1 3 7 10

9 7
7 5 15
4 6 9

Solution:

10 18 24
S2=0 S5=0 S8=0
10 18 24
8 6 S10=0
0 2 5 8
S1=0
0 10 9 S3=1 7 S7=0 37
25
8 25 37

8 16 12
1 3 7 10

9 7
7 5 15
4 6 9

S4=1 S6=1 S9=1

10 17 22
9 16 21

 The Critical Paths (CP) are

i. 1 → 2 → 5 → 8 → 10
ii. 1 → 2 → 5 → 7 → 10
 The completion time = 37
Activity Duration Earliest Time Latest Time Float Time
(i,j) Dij Start (Ei) Finish (Ei+Dij) Start Finish(Li) (Li - Dij) - Ei
(Li - Dij)
(1,2) 10 0 10 0 10 0
(1,3) 8 0 8 1 9 1
(1,4) 9 0 9 1 10 1
(2,5) 8 10 18 10 18 0
(4,6) 7 9 16 10 17 1
(3,7) 16 8 24 9 25 1
(5,7) 7 18 25 18 25 0
(6,7) 7 16 23 18 25 2
(5,8) 6 18 24 18 24 0
(6,9) 5 16 21 17 22 1
(7,10) 12 25 37 25 37 0
(8,10) 13 24 37 24 37 0
(9.10) 15 21 36 22 37 1
Example #5:
Find the earliest time, the latest time , critical path and calculate the slack time and Completion
time for the following network.

3 4
6
3 7
1 2 4
5
8
5

Solution:

9
S3=0
9
0
S1=0 3 S2=0 3 4 13 S4=0
0
3 6 13 S5=0
3 7
1 2 4 18
5
18

8 5

 Critical Path (CP): 1 2 3 4 5

 Completion Time =18
Activity Duration Earliest Time Latest Time Float Time
(i,j) Dij Start (Ei) Finish (Ei+Dij) Start Finish(Li) (Li - Dij) - Ei
(Li - Dij)
(1,2) 3 0 3 0 3 0
(2,3) 6 3 9 3 9 0
(2,4) 7 3 10 6 13 3
(2,5) 8 3 11 10 18 7
(3,4) 4 9 13 9 13 0
(4,5) 5 13 18 13 18 0
 Assignment

Problem #1:
Find the earliest time, the latest time, critical path and calculate the slack time and Completion
time for the following network.
4
2 6
2 1

2 5 4 3
1 3 7 9
8

1 8 5
3
4 5

Problem #2:
Find the earliest and the latest time for each node, determine the critical path and calculate the
completion time for the following network.
3
2 5
6
5 5
3 7 3 8
1 4
4
2 2
3 4 6
4