Critical Path

Analysis
Activity
Shower
Dry hair
Fetch car
Iron clothes
Dress and makeup
Drive to
interview

Example 4.1
textbook pages 101 106

duration

3
8
7
12
10
20

Precedence
table
Activity
A
B
C
D
E

Shower
Dry hair
Fetch car
Iron clothes
Dress and makeup
F Drive to
interview

The last activities that

must be completed
before an activity can
begin
Immediately
preceding
activities

duration

A
B,D

3
8
7
12
10

C,E

20

Activity on Arc Network

2

B(8)

A(3)
1

D(12
)

C(7)
The network will build up with
each mouse click, in the order
you would construct it on
paper.

5
E(10)
F(20)
4

Event Times
2

B(8)

A(3)
1

D(12
)
C(7)

Earliest
event
time
EET

Each event node

needs two boxes, to
mark in the event
times.

Latest
event
time
LET

5
E(10)
F(20)
4

The EET for an

event occurs
when all activities
leading into that
event are
complete.

Earliest Event Times

3

B(8)

A(3)
1
0

D(12
)

42

12
3

5
E(10)

C(7)
To find EETs, work
forwards through the
network from the start
node to the finish
node.

F(20)
22

The LET for an

event is the latest
it can occur
without delaying
subsequent
events.

Latest Event Times

2

3 4
B(8)

A(3)
1

0 0

D(12
)

1 12
3 2

4 42
2 5

E(10)

C(7)
To find LETs, work
backwards through the
network from the
finish node to the start
node.

F(20)
4

22 22

Critical Activities
Critical activities are activities that cannot
run late. For critical activities:

3 4
B(8)

A(3)
1

0 0

Latest finish Earliest start = length of

activity

D(12
)

4 4
2 52

1 1
3 2 2
E(10)

C(7)

The green arrows mark the critical

activities, which form the critical path. The
critical path(s) must form a continuous route
from the start node to the finish node.

F(20)
4

22 22

Float
Total Float
latest finish earliest start length of activity
Independent Float
earliest finish latest start length of activity
Interfering Float
Total float Independent float

Total
It is useful to
represent
float in a
table.

A
B
C

Independen Interfering
t

Float (answers)
A
B
C

Total
1
1
15

Independent
0
0
15

Interfering
1
1
0

Hint:
Total is maximum possible float so take outside no.s
Independent is minimum possible float so take
inside no.s