INTRODUCTION TO

CRITICAL PATH
METHODS
(CPM)
 THE CRITICAL PATH
METHOD (CPM)
• CPM basically is a technique that separates planning and
scheduling. It also clarifies the inter-relationship time and
cost.
• CPM evaluates all the possible alternative plans for project
and associates each plan with a schedule.
• It is a technique for finding the ordered sequence of all the
activities forming a project so that the project is completed
on the shortest possible time coincident with the lowest
cost.
• Each possible plans established by listing every activity
related to the project. Then their inter-relationship is
established in step by step order by drawing an arrow
diagram to show what must precede each activity. What
must follow it and what can run concurrently with it
• In CPM, each arrow represents a job
capacity. It has no dimension but shows
the direction of the time work flow for
the activity (time flows from the tail of
the arrow to the head) for each plan,
the cost related to the duration. As the
pace of a project is forced, its cost will
rise. Conversely, if it is allowed to drag,
the cost will rise again because of
continuing overhead expenses.