EXPERIMENT NO : 11

AIM: TO STUDY ABOUT CRITICAL PATH METHOD AND PROGRAM

EVALUATION REVIEW TECHNIQUE

CRITICAL PATH METHOD

History

The Critical Path Method (CPM) is a project modeling technique developed in the
late 1950s by Morgan R.Walker of DuPont and James E. Kelley, Jr. of Remington
Rand Kelley and Walker related their memories of the development of CPM in 1989
Kelley attributed the term "critical path" to the developers of the Program Evaluation
and Review Technique which was developed at about the same time by Booz Allen
Hamilton and the US Navy. The precursors of what came to be known as Critical
Path were developed and put into practice by DuPont between 1940 and 1943 and
contributed to the success of the Manhattan Project

What is a C.P.M.?

C.P.M. or Critical Path Method was developed in the 1950s as a way of

Organizing and tracking the numerous activities associated with the Polaris missile
defense program.
Using a C.P.M. will help to identify and coordinate various tasks associated
With the completion of a project. It allows for various information about a specific
project to be found:

1. The total time to complete the project

2. The scheduled start and finish dates for each task pertaining to the
Projects completion.
3. The tasks that are”critical“to the project and must be completed
exactly as scheduled.
4. The”slack“time available in non-critical tasks, as well as how long they can be
delayed before they affect the project finish date.

Steps to creating a C.P.M.

1. Develop a list of tasks that are required to complete the project.

i.e. The actual work to be carried out. To name a task so that its purpose is clear. It
is usually best to use two words; a verb followed by a noun. For example; build walls,
install windows. Define your tasks so that they are the right size. If the task you
assign is too large in scope it may hide smaller tasks that need to be completed. For
example the task”construct building“would be too large, as there are many steps that
go into the construction of a building, such as Excavate the site, Pour foundation.On
the other hand, turning on the cement mixer is too finely detailed to be valuable to
programming your C.P.M. This level of detail would quickly lead to a cluttered and
confusing diagram.

2. Order your tasks and determine the immediate predecessors for each. Simply put”
What tasks need to be completed before the next task can be carried out? i.e. The
architectural drawings must be completed before the building can be built. Hence the
task”Build house“is dependent on”Prepare drawings“
.
3. Determine completion time for each task. How long will the individual task take to
complete?
Sources for determining these times are;

-Your own judgement and experience.

-Draw on the experience of others.

-Obtain estimates from professionals.

The more information you have the more accurate your prediction for the project
completion will be.

I.D. Task Name Duration Predecessor

1. Prepare drawings 5w -

2. Identify tenants 6w -

3. Develop prospectus 4w 1

4. Select G.C. 3w 1

5. Prepare permits 1w 1

6. Obtain permits 4w 5

7. Build mall 14w 4, 6

8. Finalize contracts 12w 2, 3

9. Tenants move in 2w 7, 8
4. Using the chart above we are able to develop a graphical version of the network.

In order to determine the length of time needed to complete the project we must
identify, in the network the critical path. Typically the longest path, time wise, will
determine the completion time for a project. If any of the tasks on the critical path are
delayed then the entire project will be delayed. Hence the task is”critical“ to the
completion of the project on time.
5. Determining the critical path.
When laying out a c.p.m. network, each task will be represented by a box with the
following information

To begin determining the critical path, we must first determine the earliest start time
and a latest finish time for all tasks.
ES= earliest start time
EF= earliest finish time
The earliest finish time for a task is;
EF=ES+t
Using our network we begin from the start. Task1.Can begin as soon as possible, so
we set its t to 0 (t= 0). It has a duration time of 5 weeks so its earliest finish time will
be:
EF=0+5
=5
Since the task cannot be started until all other preceding tasks have finished the
earliest start time for a task is equal to the largest of all the earliest finish times for all
its immediate predecessors.
We make a forward pass through the whole network determining all the earliest start
and finish times for all tasks.
The earliest finish time for the last task will be how long the entire project will take to
complete.

6. Determine critical tasks.

We now make a backward pass through the network to determine the critical path.
Since we know that the project will take 26 weeks to complete. This will be our latest
finish time.
LF= latest finish time
LS= latest start time
The latest start time for the last task will be:
LS=LF-t
LS=26-2
=24
Moving backwards, the latest finish time for a task is the smallest of the latest start
times for all tasks that immediately follow that task.
The latest finish time is the earliest start time for the immediately following tasks.
Once we have completed the forward and backward passes through the network, we
can determine how much”slack“is in each task that is the length of time the task can
be delayed without it affecting the project completion date.
Slack is determined as follows: Slack=LS-ES=LF-EF
When a task has zero slack it is critical and lies on the critical path for that network
configuration. Watch these tasks carefully for a delay he will delay the entire project.

C.P.M. Summary

1. Develop a list of tasks

2. Order and determine immediate predecessors for each task
3. Estimate completion time for tasks
4. Layout a project network using tasks and their predecessors
5. Determine earliest start and finishing times using a forward pass through the
network.
Equations: forward pass 1.ESi =largest of (EFi-1)
2.EFi= ESi +t
Backward pass3.LFi= smallest of (LSi+1)
4. LSi=LFi -t
6. Using the earliest finish time for the project make a backward pass through the
network to determine the latest start and finish times for each task.
7. Determine slack for each task using difference between latest and earliest start
times.
8. Find tasks with zero slack. These are critical tasks lying on the critical path.
What is the CPM?
Critical Path Method (CPM), is a procedure for using network analysis to identify
those tasks which are on the critical path: ie where any delay in the
completion of these tasks will lengthen the project timescale, unless action is taken.
For all tasks off the critical path, a degree of tolerance is possible (eg. late start, late
completion, early start, etc.). Network charts and CPM analysis used to be carried
out by hand. Software is now available which requires the user
only to enter the tasks, duration of each task and dependencies upon other tasks; a
network chart and CPM is then automatically created.

Why the CPM?

The CPM formally identifies tasks which must be completed on time for the whole
project to be completed on time Identifies which tasks can be delayed for a while if
resource needs to be reallocated to catch up on missed tasks. It helps you to identify
the minimum length of time needed to complete a project The CPM determines both
the early start and the late start date for each activity in the schedule

ADVANTAGES

1. CPM encourages a logical discipline in the planning, scheduling, and control

projects.
2. CPM encourages more long-range and detailed planning of projects.
3. All project personnel get a complete overview of the total project.
4. CPM provides a standard method of documenting and communicating project
plans, schedules,
and time and cost performances.
5. CPM identifies the most critical elements in the plan, focusing management’s
attention to the
10 to 20% of the project that is most constraining on the scheduling.
6. CPM provides an easy method for evaluating the effects of technical and
procedural changes that
occur on the overall project schedule.
7. CPM enables the most economical planning of all operations to meet desirable
project completion
dates.

An important point to remember is that CPM is an open-ended process that permits

different degrees of involvement by management to suit their various needs and
objectives. In other words, you can use CPM at whatever level of detail you feel is
necessary. However, one must always remember that you only get out of it what you
put into it. It will be the responsibility of the user to choose the best technique. They
are all good, and they can all be used effectively in the management of construction
projects ;just pick the one best liked and use it.
Also known as critical path analysis, the critical path method (CPM) is a widely used
technique for analyzing and managing task sequences in large projects. Based on
calculating how long it takes to complete essential steps of a process and analyzing
how those steps interrelate, CPM is a visual and mathematical technique that gives
managers the ability to effectively plan, schedule, and evaluate their projects. CPM-
associated techniques are probably most often used in large manufacturing and
construction projects, but they are also applied to tasks like new product
development cycles, marketing campaigns, software process modeling, and
research programs.

Any time a manager is trying to determine the date by which a project will be
completed, he or she needs to have a basic understanding of the time required to
complete each task that makes up the overall project. For small projects, managers
are often able to memorize and to coordinate all of the various tasks necessary for
their completion. For larger projects, however, with numerous activities occurring
simultaneously, remembering and coordinating these activities can prove much more
difficult. CPM and related tools allow managers to determine which particular tasks
most affect the total time of the project and enable managers to better schedule each
task so that deadlines are met at the least possible cost.

THE BASICS OF THE CRITICAL PATH METHOD

For CPM to be used appropriately, a project should have three attributes. First, it
must consist of tasks that are independent of each other, which managers can stop
and start within the duration of the project. Second, the distinct tasks, upon
completion, must result in the end of the project. Third, while some tasks can be
performed simultaneously, others must be performed in a particular sequence.

If a project meets this criteria, CPM can be used. CPM consists of three core steps:

1. Planning
2. Analyzing and scheduling
3. Controlling project tasks

To plan a project using this method, a diagram of each of the tasks comprising a
project must be devised. The diagram can be constructed by, first, assigning a
symbol (such as X, Y, or Z) or identifying label to all of the tasks and listing them in
the order that they are to be performed. The time estimated for each task to be
completed should also be calculated, or at least estimated.

Take, for example, a delivery project involving the transportation of goods using
three trucks. The project will start at place W, where all the trucks start out, and end
at place X, where they all ultimately arrive. Trucks A and B go first to place Y; from
there Truck A goes to place X, while Truck B goes to place Z and then eventually to
place X. The third truck (Truck C) goes directly from place W to place X. These
events are represented in Figure I (this sort of visual CPM representation is
sometimes called a "network diagram"). The estimated times needed to complete the
individual segments of the trips are shown in the illustration.

Figure 1
Critical Path Method
To analyze this scenario, the manager must figure out the shortest amount of time in
which it is possible to complete the project, given that all of the individual tasks are
necessary and take fixed amounts of time to complete. For the above example, the
answer is 5 hours, the time needed for Truck A to leave place W, go to place Y, and
reach place X. Trucks B and C take only four hours and two hours, respectively.
Thus, Truck A traveling from W to Y to X is seen as the critical path. Anything
delaying that truck will delay the project, while any delays experienced by the other
two trucks would not be significant, unless they pushed the project beyond 5 hours.

Defining the critical path can allow the manager to concentrate his or her efforts
appropriately and make optimal scheduling decisions. Thus, it follows that if the
project manager can reduce the time it takes for Truck A to complete its path, the
overall project will save time. He or she will not waste efforts on reducing the time
spent by Trucks B and C. Furthermore, knowing that Trucks B and C have more time
to complete their tasks, the manager can schedule them more conveniently. For
instance, Truck C is unoccupied for three hours and could be used for other tasks
during that time. Similarly, from this analysis the manager knows that the drivers for
Trucks B and C will be idle during the course of this project and their labor can be
used for something else, rather than paying all three drivers for the project's full
duration.

Finally, by using CPM, the manager can control the project as the tasks are being
completed.

REAL-LIFE APPLICATIONS

The principles behind this simple example can be leveraged on much larger and
more intricate projects, frequently with hundreds of steps. In practice, CPM and
related project management techniques are usually implemented through the use of
project management software. Software packages may be general use, mass-
market titles or specialized project software, such as for the construction industry.
These programs help automate the process of breaking a project into its essential
tasks and subtasks and tracking any number of variables associated with each step,
including costs. The software may also offer graphical representations of the project
timeline and generate customized reports on various project aspects.Tasks in a CPM
analysis are often identified with a range of potential start and finish times,as
opposed to just one,to indicate best-and worst-case scenarios.Most software
packages allow this kind of tracking.This enables management to consider a more
complete set of possibilities,rather than simply querying whether the project is on or
off schedule.It also opens the door to more nuanced analyses, such as finding the
maximum allowable time for a problematic task if all other tasks are performed at
optimal times.When integrated with cost tracking,CPM is sometimes known as "least
cost scheduling."By linking time variations with anticipated costs, the CPM model
can be used to calculate the optimal project schedule to minimize costs. This can
indicate,for example,that it is cheaper to take longer at some things, but not others.
At the very least, it can indicate what the financial consequences will be if the project
falls behind schedule at any particular stage. CPM has also been used in conjunction
with statistical process control, a set of mathematical methods aimed at monitoring
and improving efficiency and quality, to maximize these benefits in the course of
completing a project.

PROGRAM EVALUATION REVIEW TECHNIQUE

PERT chart for a project with five milestones (10 through 50) and six activities (A
through F). The project has two critical paths: activities B and C, or A, D, and F –
giving a minimum project time of 7 months with fast tracking. Activity E is sub-critical
and has a float of 2 months

.
CPM is commonly used with all forms of projects, including construction, aerospace
and defense, software development, research projects, product development,
engineering, and plant maintenance, among others. Any project with interdependent
activities can apply this method of mathematical analysis. Although the original CPM
program and approach is no longer used, the term is generally applied to any
approach used to analyze a project network logic diagram.

The essential technique for using CPM is to construct a model of the project that
includes the following:

1. A list of all activities required to complete the project (typically categorized

within a work breakdown structure),
2. The time (duration) that each activity will take to completion, and
3. The dependencies between the activities

Using these values, CPM calculates the longest path of planned activities to the end
of the project, and the earliest and latest that each activity can start and finish
without making the project longer. This process determines which activities are
"critical" (i.e., on the longest path) and which have "total float" (i.e., can be delayed
without making the project longer). In project management, a critical path is the
sequence of project network activities which add up to the longest overall duration.
This determines the shortest time possible to complete the project. Any delay of an
activity on the critical path directly impacts the planned project completion date (i.e.
there is no float on the critical path). A project can have several, parallel, near critical
paths. An additional parallel path through the network with the total durations shorter
than the critical path is called a sub-critical or non-critical path.

These results allow managers to prioritize activities for the effective management of
project completion, and to shorten the planned critical path of a project by pruning
critical path activities, by "fast tracking" (i.e., performing more activities in parallel),
and/or by "crashing the critical path" (i.e., shortening the durations of critical path
activities by adding resources).

Expansion

Originally, the critical path method considered only logical dependencies between
terminal elements. Since then, it has been expanded to allow for the inclusion of
resources related to each activity, through processes called activity-based resource
assignments and resource leveling. A resource-leveled schedule may include delays
due to resource bottlenecks (i.e., unavailability of a resource at the required time),
and may cause a previously shorter path to become the longest or most "resource
critical" path. A related concept is called the critical chain, which attempts to protect
activity and project durations from unforeseen delays due to resource constraints.

Since project schedules change on a regular basis, CPM allows continuous

monitoring of the schedule, allows the project manager to track the critical activities,
and alerts the project manager to the possibility that non-critical activities may be
delayed beyond their total float, thus creating a new critical path and delaying project
completion. In addition, the method can easily incorporate the concepts of stochastic
predictions, using the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and event
chain methodology.

Currently, there are several software solutions available in industry that use the CPM
method of scheduling, see list of project management software. Ironically, the
method currently used by most project management software is actually based on a
manual calculation approach developed by Fondahl of Stanford University.

Flexibility

A schedule generated using critical path techniques often is not realised precisely,
as estimations are used to calculate times: if one mistake is made, the results of the
analysis may change. This could cause an upset in the implementation of a project if
the estimates are blindly believed, and if changes are not addressed promptly.
However, the structure of critical path analysis is such that the variance from the
original schedule caused by any change can be measured, and its impact either
ameliorated or adjusted for. Indeed, an important element of project postmortem
analysis is the As Built Critical Path (ABCP), which analyzes the specific causes and
impacts of changes between the planned schedule and eventual schedule as
actually implemented.

The Program (or Project) Evaluation and Review Technique, commonly abbreviated
PERT, is a model for project management designed to analyze and represent the
tasks involved in completing a given project. It is commonly used in conjunction with
the critical path method or CPM.

Overview
PERT is a method to analyze the involved tasks in completing a given project,
especially the time needed to complete each task, and identifying the minimum time
needed to complete the total project.

PERT was developed primarily to simplify the planning and scheduling of large and
complex projects. It was developed by Bill Pocock of Booz Allen Hamilton and
Gordon Perhson of the U.S. Navy Special Projects Office in 1957 to support the U.S.
Navy's Polaris nuclear submarine project. It was able to incorporate uncertainty by
making it possible to schedule a project while not knowing precisely the details and
durations of all the activities. It is more of an event-oriented technique rather than
start- and completion-oriented, and is used more in projects where time, rather than
cost, is the major factor. It is applied to very large-scale, one-time, complex, non-
routine infrastructure and Research and Development projects.

This project model was the first of its kind, a revival for scientific management,
founded by Frederick Taylor (Taylorism) and later refined by Henry Ford (Fordism).
DuPont corporation's critical path method was invented at roughly the same time as
PERT.
Conventions

 A PERT chart is a tool that facilitates decision making; The first draft of a
PERT chart will number its events sequentially in 10s (10, 20, 30, etc.) to
allow the later insertion of additional events.
 Two consecutive events in a PERT chart are linked by activities, which are
conventionally represented as arrows (see the diagram above).
 The events are presented in a logical sequence and no activity can
commence until its immediately preceding event is completed.
 The planner decides which milestones should be PERT events and also
decides their “proper” sequence.
 A PERT chart may have multiple pages with many sub-tasks.

PERT is valuable to manage where multiple tasks are occurring simultaneously to

reduce redundancy

Terminology

 PERT event: a point that marks the start or completion of one or more
activities. It consumes no time and uses no resources. When it marks the
completion of one or more tasks, it is not “reached” (does not occur) until all of
the activities leading to that event have been completed.
 predecessor event: an event that immediately precedes some other event
without any other events intervening. An event can have multiple predecessor
events and can be the predecessor of multiple events.
 successor event: an event that immediately follows some other event without
any other intervening events. An event can have multiple successor events
and can be the successor of multiple events.
 PERT activity: the actual performance of a task which consumes time and
requires resources (such as labour, materials, space, machinery). It can be
understood as representing the time, effort, and resources required to move
from one event to another. A PERT activity cannot be performed until the
predecessor event has occurred.
 Optimistic time (O): the minimum possible time required to accomplish a task,
assuming everything proceeds better than is normally expected
 Pessimistic time (P): the maximum possible time required to accomplish a
task, assuming everything goes wrong (but excluding major catastrophes).
 Most likely time (M): the best estimate of the time required to accomplish a
task, assuming everything proceeds as normal.
 Expected time (TE): the best estimate of the time required to accomplish a
task, assuming everything proceeds as normal (the implication being that the
expected time is the average time the task would require if the task were
repeated on a number of occasions over an extended period of time).

TE = (O + 4M + P) ÷ 6
  Float or Slack is the amount of time that a task in a project network can be
delayed without causing a delay - Subsequent tasks – (free float) or Project
Completion – (total float)
 Critical Path: the longest possible continuous pathway taken from the initial
event to the terminal event. It determines the total calendar time required for
the project; and, therefore, any time delays along the critical path will delay
the reaching of the terminal event by at least the same amount.
 Critical Activity: An activity that has total float equal to zero. Activity with zero
float does not mean it is on the critical path.
 Lead time: the time by which a predecessor event must be completed in order
to allow sufficient time for the activities that must elapse before a specific
PERT event reaches completion.
 Lag time: the earliest time by which a successor event can follow a specific
PERT event.
 Slack: the slack of an event is a measure of the excess time and resources
available in achieving this event. Positive slack would indicate ahead of
schedule; negative slack would indicate behind schedule; and zero slack
would indicate on schedule.
 Fast tracking: performing more critical activities in parallel
 Crashing critical path: Shortening duration of critical activities

Implementation

The first step to scheduling the project is to determine the tasks that the project
requires and the order in which they must be completed. The order may be easy to
record for some tasks (e.g. When building a house, the land must be graded before
the foundation can be laid) while difficult for others (There are two areas that need to
be graded, but there are only enough bulldozers to do one). Additionally, the time
estimates usually reflect the normal, non-rushed time. Many times, the time required
to execute the task can be reduced for an additional cost or a reduction in the
quality.

In the following example there are seven tasks, labeled A through G. Some tasks
can be done concurrently (A and B) while others cannot be done until their
predecessor task is complete (C cannot begin until A is complete). Additionally, each
task has three time estimates: the optimistic time estimate (O), the most likely or
normal time estimate (M), and the pessimistic time estimate (P). The expected time
(TE) is computed using the formula (O + 4M + P) ÷ 6.

Time estimates
Activity Predecessor Expected time
Opt. (O) Normal (M) Pess. (P)
A — 2 4 6 4.00
B — 3 5 9 5.33
C A 4 5 7 5.17
D A 4 6 10 6.33
E B, C 4 5 7 5.17
F D 3 4 8 4.50
G E 3 5 8 5.17
Once this step is complete, one can draw a Gantt chart or a network diagram.

A Gantt chart created using Microsoft Project (MSP). Note (1) the critical path
is in red, (2) the slack is the black lines connected to non-critical activities, (3)
since Saturday and Sunday are not work days and are thus excluded from the
schedule, some bars on the Gantt chart are longer if they cut through a
weekend.

A Gantt chart created using OmniPlan. Note (1) the critical path is highlighted,
(2) the slack is not specifically indicated on task 5 (d), though it can be
observed on tasks 3 and 7 (b and f), (3) since weekends are indicated by a
thin vertical line, and take up no additional space on the work calendar, bars
on the Gantt chart are no longer or shorter when they do or don't carry over a
weekend.

A node like this one (from Microsoft Visio) can be used to display the activity
name, duration, ES, EF, LS, LF, and slack.

By itself, the network diagram pictured above does not give much more information
than a Gantt chart; however, it can be expanded to display more information. The
most common information shown is:
 1. The activity name
2. The normal duration time
3. The early start time (ES)
4. The early finish time (EF)
5. The late start time (LS)
6. The late finish time (LF)
7. The slack

In order to determine this information it is assumed that the activities and normal
duration times are given. The first step is to determine the ES and EF. The ES is
defined as the maximum EF of all predecessor activities, unless the activity in
question is the first activity, for which the ES is zero (0). The EF is the ES plus the
task duration (EF = ES + duration).

 The ES for start is zero since it is the first activity. Since the duration is zero,
the EF is also zero. This EF is used as the ES for a and b.
 The ES for a is zero. The duration (4 work days) is added to the ES to get an
EF of four. This EF is used as the ES for c and d.
 The ES for b is zero. The duration (5.33 work days) is added to the ES to get
an EF of 5.33.
 The ES for c is four. The duration (5.17 work days) is added to the ES to get
an EF of 9.17.
 The ES for d is four. The duration (6.33 work days) is added to the ES to get
an EF of 10.33. This EF is used as the ES for f.
 The ES for e is the greatest EF of its predecessor activities (b and c). Since b
has an EF of 5.33 and c has an EF of 9.17, the ES of e is 9.17. The duration
(5.17 work days) is added to the ES to get an EF of 14.34. This EF is used as
the ES for g.
 The ES for f is 10.33. The duration (4.5 work days) is added to the ES to get
an EF of 14.83.
 The ES for g is 14.34. The duration (5.17 work days) is added to the ES to get
an EF of 19.51.
 The ES for finish is the greatest EF of its predecessor activities (f and g).
Since f has an EF of 14.83 and g has an EF of 19.51, the ES of finish is
19.51. Finish is a milestone (and therefore has duration of zero), so the EF is
also 19.51.

Barring any unforeseen events, the project should take 19.51 work days to complete.
The next step is to determine the late start (LS) and late finish (LF) of each activity.
This will eventually show if there are activities that have slack. The LF is defined as
the minimum LS of all successor activities, unless the activity is the last activity, for
which the LF equals the EF. The LS is the LF minus the task duration (LS = LF -
duration).

 The LF for finish is equal to the EF (19.51 work days) since it is the last
activity in the project. Since the duration is zero, the LS is also 19.51 work
days. This will be used as the LF for f and g.
 The LF for g is 19.51 work days. The duration (5.17 work days) is subtracted
from the LF to get an LS of 14.34 work days. This will be used as the LF for e.
  The LF for f is 19.51 work days. The duration (4.5 work days) is subtracted
from the LF to get an LS of 15.01 work days. This will be used as the LF for d.
 The LF for e is 14.34 work days. The duration (5.17 work days) is subtracted
from the LF to get an LS of 9.17 work days. This will be used as the LF for b
and c.
 The LF for d is 15.01 work days. The duration (6.33 work days) is subtracted
from the LF to get an LS of 8.68 work days.
 The LF for c is 9.17 work days. The duration (5.17 work days) is subtracted
from the LF to get an LS of 4 work days.
 The LF for b is 9.17 work days. The duration (5.33 work days) is subtracted
from the LF to get an LS of 3.84 work days.
 The LF for a is the minimum LS of its successor activities. Since c has an LS
of 4 work days and d has an LS of 8.68 work days, the LF for a is 4 work
days. The duration (4 work days) is subtracted from the LF to get an LS of 0
work days.
 The LF for start is the minimum LS of its successor activities. Since a has an
LS of 0 work days and b has an LS of 3.84 work days, the LS is 0 work days.

The next step is to determine the critical path and if any activities have slack. The
critical path is the path that takes the longest to complete. To determine the path
times, add the task durations for all available paths. Activities that have slack can be
delayed without changing the overall time of the project. Slack is computed in one of
two ways, slack = LF - EF or slack = LS - ES. Activities that are on the critical path
have a slack of zero (0).

 The duration of path adf is 14.83 work days.

 The duration of path aceg is 19.51 work days.
 The duration of path beg is 15.67 work days.

The critical path is aceg and the critical time is 19.51 work days. It is important to
note that there can be more than one critical path (in a project more complex than
this example) or that the critical path can change. For example, let's say that
activities d and f take their pessimistic (b) times to complete instead of their expected
(TE) times. The critical path is now adf and the critical time is 22 work days. On the
other hand, if activity c can be reduced to one work day, the path time for aceg is
reduced to 15.34 work days, which is slightly less than the time of the new critical
path; beg (15.67 work days).

Assuming these scenarios do not happen, the slack for each activity can now be
determined.

 Start and finish are milestones and by definition have no duration; therefore
they can have no slack (0 work days).
 The activities on the critical path by definition have a slack of zero; however, it
is always a good idea to check the math anyway when drawing by hand.
o LFa - EFa = 4 - 4 = 0
o LFc - EFc = 9.17 - 9.17 = 0
o LFe - EFe = 14.34 - 14.34 = 0
o LFg - EFg = 19.51 - 19.51 = 0
 Activity b has an LF of 9.17 and an EF of 5.33, so the slack is 3.84 work days.
  Activity d has an LF of 15.01 and an EF of 10.33, so the slack is 4.68 work
days.
 Activity f has an LF of 19.51 and an EF of 14.83, so the slack is 4.68 work
days.

Therefore, activity b can be delayed almost 4 work days without delaying the project.
Likewise, activity d or activity f can be delayed 4.68 work days without delaying the
project (alternatively, d and f can be delayed 2.34 work days each).

A completed network diagram created using Microsoft Visio. Note the critical
path is in red.

Advantages

 PERT chart explicitly defines and makes visible dependencies (precedence

relationships) between the WBS elements
 PERT facilitates identification of the critical path and makes this visible
 PERT facilitates identification of early start, late start, and slack for each
activity,
 PERT provides for potentially reduced project duration due to better
understanding of dependencies leading to improved overlapping of activities
and tasks where feasible.
  The large amount of project data can be organized & presented in diagram for
use in decision making.

Disadvantages

 There can be potentially hundreds or thousands of activities and individual

dependency relationships
 The network charts tend to be large and unwieldy requiring several pages to
print and requiring special size paper
 The lack of a timeframe on most PERT/CPM charts makes it harder to show
status although colours can help (e.g., specific colour for completed nodes)
 When the PERT/CPM charts become unwieldy, they are no longer used to
manage the project.