Critical Path
Critical Path
Critical Path
Critical path is the sequence of activities which added up to the longest overall duration. It is the
shortest time possible to complete a project.
Critical path method is one of the techniques for doing projects that are made up of a number of
individual activities. If some of the activities require other activities to finish before they can
start, then the project becomes s complex web of activities.
Critical path method can help managers to determine how long the complex project will take to
be complete and identify which activities are critical meaning that they have to be done on time
or else the whole project will take longer.
Illustration
2
3
AC4
AC1
START FINISH
AC2
AC3
5
4
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Steps
Specify the individual activities
Determine the sequence of those activities
Draw a network diagram
Estimate the completion time for each activity
Identify the critical path (the longest path through the network)
In case we have a project like recruitment, It has activities like job analysis, invitation to treat,
shortlisting , interviews, appointment and induction on the web.
Illustration
Selection
Advert
7 5
2
Induction
6
Application
Short Lishting
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Advantages of the critical path
It shows the graphical view of a project
It provides an easy method of evaluating the effects of technical and procedural changes that
occur on the overall project schedule.
Critical path method enables the most economic planning of all operations to meet desirable
project competition dates.
It helps to identify the most critical elements in the plan.
It helps project managers get a complete overview of the total project by looking at the
activities involved.
It helps to ascertain the time schedule of activities having a sequential relationship
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Steps in PERT
Break the project into different activities and milestones systematically
Arrange activities in Logical sequence
Draw the network diagram
Events and activities for each are numbered
Estimates the time for each activity
Earliest starting time and latest finishing time are calculated.
Critical paths are identified and marked on the network diagram it shows the total time
required for a project.
Length of the critical path or the total project duration is found out.
Illustration
7+(4x14)+10/6 47/6 = 7
= 12
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7 5
2
12
Start
1 7 8
4
End
Advantages of PERT
PERT forces the management o plan carefully an d study how the various parts fit into whole
project
Pert enables the business manager to predict time and cost of the project in advance.
PERT is a project forward looking control device for management. PERT calls attention on
the timely completion of the project and avoids delay.
It enables the determination of the probability of the probabilities concerning the time by
which activity and project would be completed.
It suggests areas for increasing efficiency and reducing cost.
It provides up to date information of the project programme so that delays and interruptions.
It assists in coordinating the different parts of the total project.
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Pessimistic the longer time that an activity can be completed.
Disadvantages of PERT
It is assumed that all activities involved in the project are know in advance yet it is not
possible to list all activities to be done in a project in in advance.
The assumption that a project can be subdivided into a set of predictable and independent
activities may not hold true always.
It empathizes only on time and not the costs.
It is based on time estimates and there may be errors in estimating time.
It is an expensive and time consuming exercise which requires highly trained personnel to
always update and revise calculations.
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