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Yes! One reason that this is possible is due to the inverse relationship of direct cost and indirect costs. That is, an increase in project duration usually means a lowering of direct costs and an increase in indirect costs. An analysis can determine the optimum (lowest) total cost as the project duration time is reduced. Individual activities are shortened in order to achieve the lower total duration (which sometimes results in the creation of additional critical paths). However, the total cost vs. project duration can be considered parabolic - this is, because the direct costs are curvilinear while indirect costs are fairly linear. In other words, you can only shorten activities and reduce a certain extent before the time/cost reduction effect reverses itself.

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Q: Is it possible to shorten the critical path and save money?
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Can Reducing duration in projects shorten the critical path and save money?

Only if the tasks that are reduced in duration are on the critical path. Of course you can't arbitrarily reduce duration and what you do could increase costs e.g. doubling up on resources.


Why is it important to determine the critical path of a project?

The critical path helps you in determining how to accelerate your project by compressing tasks. Putting more people on critical path tasks and finishing it earlier will shorten the duration of the project (this is called crashing).


Can there be more than one critical path in a given project schedule?

Yes. Practically that is perfectly possible. A Critical Path is the longest path between the start and end points and it is possible that there are multiple critical paths. Critical Paths are extremely important while creating a project schedule


What if the activity is accelerated in critical path?

If activity is accelerated in the critical path, then it may no longer be the critical path, assuming some other activity now takes longer.


'project control should always focus on the critical path' comment?

Not necessarily. Critical path analysis determines the longest path through a network of project activities, because the main purpose of understanding the critical path is to focus effort on activities that lie on this path, thus increasing the chances of finishing the project on time. If you solely only focus on the critical path activities, then chances are that the activities not on the critical path will soon be on the new critical path because you haven't taken sufficient time to focus on all the activities. Project control should focus on the project as a whole, however more emphasis can be placed on the critical path activities as well as any risky/uncertain activities that could (if not monitored closely) eventually become a critical path activity and push the end date out even further.

Related questions

Can Reducing duration in projects shorten the critical path and save money?

Only if the tasks that are reduced in duration are on the critical path. Of course you can't arbitrarily reduce duration and what you do could increase costs e.g. doubling up on resources.


Why is it important to determine the critical path of a project?

The critical path helps you in determining how to accelerate your project by compressing tasks. Putting more people on critical path tasks and finishing it earlier will shorten the duration of the project (this is called crashing).


Can there be more than one critical path in a given project schedule?

Yes. Practically that is perfectly possible. A Critical Path is the longest path between the start and end points and it is possible that there are multiple critical paths. Critical Paths are extremely important while creating a project schedule


What if the activity is accelerated in critical path?

If activity is accelerated in the critical path, then it may no longer be the critical path, assuming some other activity now takes longer.


When was Critical Path - video game - created?

Critical Path - video game - was created in 1994.


When did Critical Path - video game - happen?

Critical Path - video game - happened in 1994.


What is critical path?

In Project Management the Critical Path is 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 time critical task. You can also think of it as:the longest path from start to finishor the path without any slack,the path corresponding to the shortest time in which the project can be completed.


What is the importance of critical path and critical task estimation?

The importance of the Critical path is that helps you in reducing risk, contingency planning, and project planning.


Is the critical path always the longest path?

The critical path is the sequence of activities that takes all dependencies into account. Thus, it determines the duration of the project, and is necessarily the longest path.


What is inhumane path the Cherokees moved west on?

Critical Path


'project control should always focus on the critical path' comment?

Not necessarily. Critical path analysis determines the longest path through a network of project activities, because the main purpose of understanding the critical path is to focus effort on activities that lie on this path, thus increasing the chances of finishing the project on time. If you solely only focus on the critical path activities, then chances are that the activities not on the critical path will soon be on the new critical path because you haven't taken sufficient time to focus on all the activities. Project control should focus on the project as a whole, however more emphasis can be placed on the critical path activities as well as any risky/uncertain activities that could (if not monitored closely) eventually become a critical path activity and push the end date out even further.


Why is critical path the longest path?

As per the Project Management Terminology, the longest path in a project sequence of activities is called the Critical Path. Because it is the longest path, it determines the duration of the project and hence the finish date of the project given the start date. Since this path is going to determine the schedule/delivery date of the project, it is called the critical path.