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Basically, CPM (Critical Path Method) and PERT (Programme Evaluation Review Technique) are project management techniques, which have been created out of the need of Western industrial and military establishments to plan, schedule and control complex projects. Network diagram. Constructing a PERT diagram requires a manager to identify the interdependent phases of a project and the correct sequences of activities that lead to completion. Furthermore, when combined with applications of probability theory, PERT may be used to predict the duration of activities and forecast the complete date of a project.

PERT, CPM techniques are used to guide project managers in making resource allocation decisions during the life of a project. Critical path method guides managers in identifying the sequence of activities that most directly influence the length of a project. Moreover, CPM enhances a manager's ability to use resources in an efficient way by providing a strategy for determining which activities can be expedited to minimize total project costs. Together, PERT and CPM rationalize the central tasks of project management-forecasting the completion date of projects, while coordinating resource allocations to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. Each activity (or sub-project) in a PERT/CPM Network is represented by an arrow symbol. Each activity is preceded and succeeded by an event, represented as a circle and numbered. At Event 3, we have to evaluate two predecessor activities - Activity 1-3 and Activity 2-3, both of which are predecessor activities. Activity 1-3 gives us an Earliest Start of 3 weeks at Event 3. However, Activity 2-3 also has to be completed before Event 3 can begin. Along this route, the Earliest Start would be 4+0=4. The rule is to take the longer (bigger) of the two Earliest Starts. So the Earliest Start at event 3 is 4. Similarly, at Event 4, we find we have to evaluate two predecessor activities - Activity 2-4 and Activity 3-4. Along Activity 2-4, the Earliest Start at Event 4 would be 10 wks, but along Activity 3-4, the Earliest Start at Event 4 would be 11 wks. Since 11 wks is larger than 10 wks, we select it as the Earliest Start at Event 4.We has now found the longest path through the network. It will take 11 weeks along activities 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4. This is the Critical Path. At Event 3 there is only one activity, Activity 3-4 in the backward pass, and we find that the value is 11-7 = 4 weeks. However at Event 2 we have to evaluate 2 activities, 2-3 and 2-4. We find that the backward pass through 2-4 gives us a value of 11-6 = 5 while 2-3 gives us 4-0 = 4. We take the smaller value of 4 on the backward pass. # Determine the critical path. PERT originally was an activity on arc network, in which the activities are represented on the lines and milestones on the nodes. Over time, some people began to use PERT as an activity on node network. For this discussion, we will use the original form of activity on arc The critical path is determined by adding the times for the activities in each sequence and determining the longest path in the project. The critical path determines the total calendar time required for the project. If activities outside the critical path speed up or slow down (within limits), the total project time does not change. The amount of time that a non-critical path activity can be delayed without delaying the project is referred to as slack time. If the critical path is not immediately obvious, it may be helpful to determine the following four quantities for each activity: * ES - Earliest Start time * EF - Earliest Finish time * LS - Latest Start time * LF - Latest Finish time These times are calculated using the expected time for the relevant activities. The earliest start and finish times of each activity are determined by working forward through the network and determining the earliest time at which an activity can start and finish considering its predecessor activities. The latest start and finish times are the latest times that an activity can start and finish without delaying the project. LS and LF are found by working backward through the network. The difference in the latest and earliest finish of each activity is that activity's slack. The critical path then is the path through the network in which none of the activities have slack.

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What is defined by a critical path?

The Critical Path is the longest path (sequence of activities) in a project schedule network diagram. 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. Critical Path is one of the key outputs of the Project Schedule Creation activity


What category of physical network components is responsible for interconnecting networks and choosing the best path between networks?

Router


What is the longest path in a tree and how is it determined?

The longest path in a tree is called the diameter. It is determined by finding the two farthest nodes in the tree and calculating the distance between them.


What is the significance of Critical Path Analysis in Project development?

Critical path method - This is the schedule network analysis technique used to identify the schedule flexibility and the critical path of the project schedule network diagram. The critical path is the longest path (sequence of activities) in a project schedule network diagram. 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.The second important feature of the critical path method is to identify the flexibility in the project schedule by calculating the early and late start and finish dates of each activity on each path. The schedule flexibility of an activity is measured by the positive difference between the late start date and the early start date for the activity and is called float time or total float.Without a proper Critical Path Analysis, an efficient Schedule for the Project cannot be created


What are the Advantages and disadvantages of critical path method?

Critical Path Method (CPM) focuses on the time to complete the project and the other important activities on which a manager shall focus attention.

Related Questions

When did Operation Determined Path happen?

Operation Determined Path happened in 2002.


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.


How can i use the critical path method in sales?

The company Pathworks at thepathworks.com has a sales practice management program developed from critical path concepts. It focus's a practice on the 5 things that matter in sales and have proven very effective in building and turning around both organizational and individual sales practices.


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


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.


'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 you are using conditional shortest path routing in delay tolerant networks?

for finding the shortest path