CRITICAL PATH

METHOD
Presented By : Group 3
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WHAT IS CRITICAL PATH METHOD?
It is a simple but powerful technique for analyzing, planning, and
scheduling large, complex projects. It is used to determine a project’s
critical path the longest sequence of tasks that must be finished for the
entire project to be complete.
CPM, also known as Critical Path Analysis (CPA), identifies dependencies
between tasks, and shows which tasks are critical to a project.
Is one of the most important concepts in project management, and
certainly among the most enduring.
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HISTORY OF CPM
CPM was developed in the late 1950s by James E. Kelley of Remington Rand
and Morgan R. Walker of DuPont. They were attempting to find ways to
reduce the costs associated with plant shutdowns and restarts that were
being caused by inefficient scheduling. By ensuring that the right tasks were
performed at the right times, instead of simply saturating the problem with
additional labor, they found that excess costs could be avoided.
 How to implement critical path in project management 3
1. Define the scope of the project
The first step towards implementing the critical path method is defining the scope of your project. This
means understanding all the tasks that need to be completed in order for you to consider your project a
success.
2. Divide your tasks
Step two involves looking at those tasks in more detail and dividing them up so you can better understand
the when, who, and how of the tasks for your project. This is important because some tasks will be critical
tasks, some will be dependent tasks, and some tasks will be fine to work on in tandem.
3. Calculate the shortest route to completion
Step three – the final step – is about finding your project’s critical path. In other words, scheduling your
tasks to calculate the shortest route to completion. CPM is all about efficiency, so if you can work on tasks
in parallel then you absolutely should in order to complete the project in the shortest amount of time. It can
help to assign durations to your tasks here so that you can get a better understanding of how long
everything will take.
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EXAMPLE 1: PLANNING A FAMILY DAY
The first thing you need to do is make a list of the tasks for your whole project.
For example:

Research different locations

Find accommodation
Book flights
Book airport transfers
Buy sunglasses
Pack suitcase
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EXAMPLE 2: BUILDING A HOUSE
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 BENEFITS OF USING CPM 8
Reduce delays: The CPM helps identify the most important sequence of tasks in a project.
Managers can use this information to reduce delays by optimizing the work along the
critical path, proactively preventing delays before they occur.
Visualize dependencies: The CPM depends on listing all tasks associated with a project
and their dependencies. The chart thus created can help you visualize all dependencies
and prioritize tasks accordingly.
Improve organization: In complex projects, the CPM helps break down deliverables into
sequences, and sequences into tasks. This, along with the focus on visualizing
dependencies, mapping constraints, and defining the critical path of tasks drastically
improves project organization, ultimately making projects more manageable.
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Optimize efficiency: By mapping the critical path, project managers get a
better idea of important tasks in the project. They can use this information
to allocate resources more efficiently, adding/removing resources
depending on the task's importance.
Float calculation: Defines how much a task can be delayed without
impacting the project schedule. This is an important part of the Critical Path
Method. Calculating the float can help you distribute resources more
effectively while being better prepared for any unforeseen issues that may
arise at any point throughout the project.