A Guide To The Critical Path Method

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One of the most popular methods for managing projects is the Critical Path Method or CPM. This technique looks at the entire project, breaks it down into interdependent segments, and then focuses on the sequence that takes the longest to complete. Read on to see why that critical path is so important.

Key Takeaways:

• The critical path method is a technique that’s used for project management.

• Using CPM can help create a more accurate timeline for the completion of projects and allow for better resource management.

• CPM keeps everyone in the process on the same page, and it avoids bottlenecks along the way.

• The key component to using a CPM is identifying which path to completion takes the longest and focusing on that.

What Is the Critical Path Method?

The critical path method, or CPM, is a technique that’s used to complete projects. When using CMP, the steps necessary to move from where you are to where you need to be at the end of the project are broken down, then a timeline is created. It’s important that the key or critical tasks be identified and completed on time.

Why Use the Critical Path Method?

Deciding to use a CPM does take a little extra time and some planning at the front end, but that time is well spent. By using CPM, you are better able to see the complete process and plan for areas of difficulty. Areas of difficulty can be ones where you need more funding or more time to complete the necessary tasks.

Using CPM also helps you decide where to put your resources and when. This can mean prioritizing tasks and identifying key project leaders, and it can mean bringing in extra help when necessary. It helps you plan for those difficult times and gives you time to come up with solutions that work.

When to Use the Critical Path Method

Some companies like to use CPM for every project and have made it a part of their process. Others use it when there are big projects to tackle. When you use it in your company depends on the specifics of your business. If you’ve never tried it before, it’s a good idea to use CPM on a small project to see how it works before throwing out old methods and trying something new.

How to Find a Critical Path

When you use the CPM, it’s all about identifying the critical path and determining how it will proceed. That might be an easy task, but it usually takes more effort than people realize. The following are the standard steps in finding the critical path.

• List steps in the project. Make a complete list of all of the tasks or steps necessary to get the project completed. If you do this on notecards or index cards, it can help later on.

• Identify dependencies and order them. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds in many situations. Your process has some steps that must be completed before you can move on to others, simply take your steps and align them in the appropriate order.

• Design your network diagram. If you’ve used index cards to list the steps and you’ve ordered them, you can now arrange them. Draw lines between dependencies so you know which tasks must be completed before moving on to the next ones.

• Estimate the duration of each task. This might take input from others, but estimating how long each task will take is critical because you will lay out all of the steps, consider what needs to be done first, how long that will take, and continue to create a timeline that allows each task adequate time for completion before passing to the next step.

• Calculate the critical path. Now we get to the meat of the sandwich, so to speak. It’s time to look at that timeline you’ve created. What sequence of activities has the longest timeline? That sequence is your critical path.

• Calculate the float. The critical path is probably not going to proceed like clockwork, especially if it has a lot of dependencies within it. There needs to be a bit of allowance for early and late starts and finishes, unforeseen issues, and team availability. If the schedule is off, then there may be availability concerns.

  The variables in your timeline are considered the float, and this is one of the most difficult elements of determining a critical path and its timeline. Float is often unknown and requires some educated guesses and the ability to be flexible.

Using Critical Path Tools

There are a large variety of online tools that can help with project management and CPM. Some are time-tracking tools, and others allow for check-ins so everyone is on the same page. Whatever software you need to best organize and track your process can be a great time saver and can help everyone see the big picture.

Critical Path Method FAQ

1. What are the limitations of the critical path method?

   CPM can have limitations like taking time at the outset to organize, it can build in complexity that’s not necessary, and there can be additional stress put on one team. These limitations can usually be worked out, but it takes experience, flexibility, and teamwork to get beyond these limitations.

2. What if a CPM hits a huge time delay?

   If there is a huge time delay that affects your critical path, it’s likely your project will not be done by the deadline. This isn’t a fault of the CMP in most instances, but a failure to accurately estimate the timeline in the identification stage can play a role in a complete failure.

   In most situations, CPM is a step toward eliminating delays by looking at where they’re likely to occur before work even begins. This allows you to shift resources toward these key components so they can be completed on time.

   A detailed CPM can also let you see in advance when a time delay is starting to snowball, which is good because you can step in and fix the problem in many cases.

3. What happens if the critical path is altered during the course of the project?

   If the critical path is altered, it’s likely that many other tasks will be affected. Any alteration to the process needs to be reviewed, and adjustments to the process and potentially the timeline need to be considered.

   In most situations, altering the pre-determined path is not good – it can be in some cases. But knowing that there is a change and seeing it immediately by using CPM can help you get things back on track or make necessary adjustments.

Final Thoughts

Having a process for managing projects is important to any business’s success and bottom line. The critical process method is one such management approach, and it’s a very popular one. This method looks at the entire process and breaks it down until the critical path is illuminated. Then a timeline can be developed that surrounds that path.

This approach doesn’t work for every business, but it’s useful for many that have interworking departments and timelines that are critical. If that describes your business, then CPM might be for you.

References

1. IOP Science – Implementation of Critical Path Method in Project Planning and Scheduling

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.