The Critical Path Slides

Developing Project Schedules
THE CRITICAL PATH
Casey Ayers
MBA • PMP® • CBAP®
@caseyayers | study.pm
PMP® is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. CBAP® is a registered mark of the International Institute of Business Analysis.
Preparing for the PMP® Exam
Organizational
Influences & Project Project Scope
Management Lifecycle Management
Project Integration Project Schedule

Management Management
Introduction to Project
Management & the PMP Exam
Organizational
Influences & Project Project Scope Developing
Management Lifecycle Management Project
Schedules

Organizational
Influences & Project Project Scope Developing
Management Lifecycle Management Project Schedules

Both focus on
Project Schedule
Management
knowledge area
Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area
Project Schedule Management Developing Project Schedules

Plan Schedule Management Develop Schedule
Define Activities Control Schedule
Sequence Activities
Estimate Activity Durations
Developing schedule Bringing it all

components together
Module Overview
Preparing for Project Scheduling

The Critical Path Scheduling Method
Plan Schedule Management
Define Activities
Sequence Activities

Project Schedule
Plan Schedule Management Planning
•
Management
•
Defines how schedule and time-

•
related tasks are handled

throughout the project
Project Schedule
Define Activities Planning
•
Management
•
Breaks work packages into

•
individual activities
Catalogs and develops various
•
activity attributes useful for

further planning
Project Schedule
Sequence Activities Planning
•
Management
•
Identifies, documents activity

•
relationships
Determines which tasks must/
•
should be accomplished prior to

or after other tasks
Project Schedule
Estimate Activity Durations Planning
•
Management
•
Projects number of work

•
periods required to complete

activities given planned
resources
Provides time dimension to
•
estimates, allowing for

scheduling to take place
•
These planning processes covered in Project Schedule Management course

Project Time Management Processes
Sequencing
Activities
Defining Estimating
Activities Duration
Plan Schedule
Management
Project Time Management Processes
Develop Project Schedule
Sequencing
Activities Control
Defining Estimating Project Schedule
Activities Duration
Plan Schedule
Management
Develop Project Schedules:
Involves compiling information including desired
activity sequences, projected durations, resource
allocations, dependencies, and various constraints in
order to assemble a holistic schedule model
Activities
Durations
Scheduling Schedule
Resources Method & Model
Tools
Resource Availability
Logical Relationships
Project Schedule
Develop Project Schedule Planning
•
Management
•
Schedule Model:
•
Used to determine planned start and

•
finish dates for activities as well as

milestone dates
Schedule development highly iterative
•
Explores various possibilities prior to

•
development of official schedule

Project Schedule
•
Management
•
Schedule Model:
•
Accuracy of model depends on

•
quality of inputs
Duration and resource estimates
•
often revisited during model creation

Project Schedule
•
Management
•
Schedule Model:
•
PM and project staff confirm projected

•
start/finish dates…
Comply with dependencies
•
Comply with resource availability

•
Expectations are generally realistic

•
Schedule revised, maintained

•
throughout project via Control Schedule

The Critical Path Method
Estimates minimum project

•
duration
Determines where flexibility
•
exists in the schedule, and to

what extent
Critical Path:
•
The longest direct line of

•
duration that can be plotted

between project activities from
project’s beginning to end
Critical Path:
•
The shortest total time that

•
can be required for a project

to be completed
Activity One
Six months
Start Activity Two Finish

Three months
Activity Three
Two months
Activity One
Six months
Start Activity Two Finish

Three months
Activity Three
Two months
A1 A2 A3 A4
Start B1 B2 B3 Finish
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5
A1 A2 A3 A4
Start B1 B2 B3 Finish
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5
Activities on the critical path

•
called Critical Path Activities

Any delay in critical path
•
activities will likely delay the

whole project
Activities not on the critical
•
path are more flexible


•
called Critical Path Activities Activity One

Six months
•
Activity
activities will likely delay the Activity
Two Three
whole project Three
months

•
path are more flexible


•
called Critical Path Activities Activity One

Six months
•
Activity
activities will likely delay the Activity
Two Three
whole project Three
months
{
•
path are more flexible Greater flexibility

Extra time allowable to

•
complete activities: float or

slack Activity One
Six months
Only activities off the critical
•
Activity Activity
path can have float or slack Two Three
Three
months
Schedule compression
{
•
techniques often considered

for critical path activities when Greater flexibility
delays arise
Total Float: Amount of time

•
an activity may be delayed Activity One

Six months
without impacting the overall
project Activity Activity
Two Three
Three
How it’s calculated: months
{
•
Late Finish – Early Finish or

•
Late Start – Early Start

•
Greater flexibility
Free Float: Amount of time an

•
Activity One
activity may be delayed Six months
without impacting its Activity

Activity
immediate successor Two Three
Three
months
{
How it’s calculated:
•
Early Start of Next Activity – Early Finish

•
Greater flexibility
Why Use the Critical Path Method?
Graphically visualizes project work

•
Identifies most critical project

•
activities
Shows when action may be
•
required when project activities

fall behind schedule
Using the Critical Path Method
The Critical Path Method (CPM)

•
uses several factors for each Early Activity Early

Start Duration Finish
activity
Activity Name
Unit of measure typically
•
Late Total Late

project days for all items Start Float Finish
found in activity detail diagram
Early Start:
•
Earliest time an activity work

• Early Activity Early
may begin
Activity Name
•
Predecessor activity’s early finish + 1

• Late Total Late
Start Float Finish
Activity Duration:
•
How long an activity is expected

to take to complete
Activity Name
•
In the Estimate Activity Durations

•
Late Total Late

process Start Float Finish
Early Finish:
•
Earliest time an activity work

may be completed
Activity Name
•
Early Start Date + Activity Duration –

• Late Total Late
Start Float Finish
1
Late Finish:
•
The latest an activity may be completed

•
Early Activity Early

without delaying its successor Start Duration Finish
Activity Name
•
Late Start of Successor Activity – 1

• Late Total Late
Start Float Finish
Late Start:
•
The latest an activity may begin

•

without delaying its successor Start Duration Finish
Activity Name
•
Late Finish – Activity Duration + 1

• Late Total Late
Start Float Finish
Total Float:
•
Amount of time an activity may be

•

delayed from its Early Start date Start Duration Finish
without delaying the project at large
Activity Name
•

• Late Total Late
Start Float Finish
Critical Path Example
•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•
Predecessor Activity’s Early Finish + 1

•

Early Finish:
•
Start Duration Finish Early Start Date + Activity Duration – 1

•
Activity B Late Start:

•
Late Total Late Late Finish – Activity Duration + 1

Start Float Finish
•
Early Activity Early Early Activity Early

Start Duration Finish Start Duration Finish Late Finish:
•
Activity D Late Start of Successor Activity – 1

Activity A
Finish
Start
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
Finish
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
Finish Activity Duration:
•

Estimate Activity Duration process
•
Activity C Total Float:

•

•
Late Total Late

Start Float Finish
Early Start Activity Early Finish
Duration
Activity Name
Late Start Total Float Late Finish
•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•

Early Finish:
•
Start Duration Finish Early Start Date + Activity Duration – 1

•

•

Start Float Finish
•
1 5 5 Early
Start
Activity
Duration
Early
Finish Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
Finish
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
•

•

•

•
Late Total Late

Start Float Finish
Duration
Forward pass used to calculate top row Activity Name

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•
6 5 10 Early Start Date + Activity Duration – 1

•

•

Start Float Finish
•
1 5 5 Early
Start
Activity
Duration
Early
Finish Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
Finish
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
•

•

•

•
Late Total Late

Start Float Finish
Duration

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

Start Float Finish
•
1 5 5 Early
Start
Activity
Duration
Early
Finish Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
Finish
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
•

•
6 10 15
•

•
Late Total Late

Start Float Finish
Duration

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

Start Float Finish
•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
Finish
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
•

•
6 10 15
•

•
Late Total Late

Start Float Finish
Duration

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

Start Float Finish
•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
Finish 16 0 30 Activity Duration:
•

•
6 10 15
•

•
Late Total Late

Start Float Finish
Duration
Backwards pass used to calculate bottom row Activity Name

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

Start Float Finish
•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
•

•
6 10 15
•

•
6 0 15 Early Start Activity Early Finish

Duration

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•
11 5 15 Late Finish – Activity Duration + 1

•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
Late
Start
Total
Float
Late
•

•
6 10 15
•

•

Duration

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
1 0 5 16 0 30 Activity Duration:
•

•
6 10 15
•

•

Duration

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
•

•
6 10 15
•

•

Duration
No slack on the critical path Activity Name

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
•

•
6 10 15
•

•

Duration
No slack on the critical path Activity Name

•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
•

•
6 10 15
•

•

Duration
Duration of A-B-D: Activity Name

25 days Late Start Total Float Late Finish
•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
•

•
6 10 15
•

•

Duration
Duration of A-B-D: Duration of A-C-D: Activity Name

25 days 30 days Late Start Total Float Late Finish
•
Formulas & Diagram

Early Start:
•

•
Early Finish:
•

•

•

•
1 5 5 16 15 30 Late Finish:
•

Activity A
Finish
Start
•

•
6 10 15
•

•

Duration
Duration of A-B-D: Duration of A-C-D: Activity Name

25 days 30 days Late Start Total Float Late Finish
Module Review:

Many processes make Develop Schedule possible:
Plan Schedule Management
Define Activities
Sequence Activities
Estimate Activity Resources
Module Review:
Develop Project Schedule

Creates a schedule model by utilizing various
inputs, scheduling tools and a scheduling
method
Schedule model determines planned start and
finish dates for activities, explores possibilities
Highly iterative process greatly influenced by
chosen scheduling method
Module Review:

Estimates minimum project duration
Determines where flexibility may exist in schedule
Delays in activities found on critical path will likely
delay the entire project
Activities not on the critical path offer more flexibility
Module Review:

Extra time allowable to complete activities
known as float or slack
Total Float: Amount of time activity may be
delayed without impacting overall project
Free Float: Amount of time activity may be
delayed without impacting its successor
Module Review:

Grid like this often used when visualizing
project progression using critical path
Top row determined Early Activity Early
using forward pass Start Duration Finish
Bottom row Activity Name

determined using Late Total Late
backwards pass Start Float Finish
Resource Optimization &
Schedule Compression

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Developing Project Schedules

THE CRITICAL PATH

Project Integration Project Schedule

Project Integration Project Schedule

Project Integration Project Schedule

Project Schedule Management Developing Project Schedules

Developing schedule Bringing it all

Preparing for Project Scheduling

Estimate Activity Durations

Defines how schedule and time-

related tasks are handled

Breaks work packages into

activity attributes useful for

Identifies, documents activity

should be accomplished prior to

Projects number of work

periods required to complete

estimates, allowing for

These planning processes covered in Project Schedule Management course

Develop Project Schedule

Used to determine planned start and

finish dates for activities as well as

Explores various possibilities prior to

development of oﬃcial schedule

Accuracy of model depends on

often revisited during model creation

PM and project staﬀ confirm projected

Comply with resource availability

Expectations are generally realistic

Schedule revised, maintained

throughout project via Control Schedule

Estimates minimum project

exists in the schedule, and to

The longest direct line of

duration that can be plotted

The shortest total time that

can be required for a project

Start Activity Two Finish

Start Activity Two Finish

Activities on the critical path

called Critical Path Activities

activities will likely delay the

path are more flexible

Activities on the critical path

called Critical Path Activities Activity One

Activities not on the critical

path are more flexible

Activities on the critical path

called Critical Path Activities Activity One

path are more flexible Greater flexibility

Extra time allowable to

complete activities: float or

techniques often considered

Total Float: Amount of time

an activity may be delayed Activity One

Late Finish – Early Finish or

Late Start – Early Start

Free Float: Amount of time an

without impacting its Activity

Early Start of Next Activity – Early Finish

Graphically visualizes project work

Identifies most critical project

required when project activities