Critical Path Model
Dr Uzair Iqbal Janjua
Associate Professor
Computer Science Department
CUI, Islamabad
uzair_Iqbal@[Link]
Network Diagrams
• Network diagrams are the preferred technique for showing activity
sequencing
• A network diagram is a schematic display of the logical relationships
among, or sequencing of, project activities
• Two main formats are the arrow and precedence diagramming
methods
2
A solved Example
• Schedule network analysis
• Critical path method
• Estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of scheduling
flexibility on the logical network paths within the schedule model
• Calculates the early start, early finish, late start, and late finish dates for all activities
• The longest path is the critical path
• The shortest possible project duration
• Critical path is normally characterized by zero total float
• Activity on the critical path: critical path activity
• Free float: free time that an activity can be delayed
without delaying the early start date of any successor
3
Figure source: PMBOK® Guide – Fifth Edition, PMI, 2013, pp. 177
Critical Path
• If you look at any network diagram, you will notice many paths originating
from one point and ending at another point.
• Every path will have some duration. The path with the longest duration is
known as the critical path.
• The critical path can be defined in many ways including:
The longest path in the network diagram,
or
The shortest duration in which the project can be
completed.
…Critical Path
Q. Now, are these two definitions similar, or opposite to each other?
Ans Yes both are the same
• For example, let’s say you received a project to build three buildings in
one location. The first building is the largest building, the second
building is a medium-sized building, and the third building is the
smallest building.
• You develop the network diagram which consists of three paths; each
path resembles each building.
Critical Path
• The first path represents the largest building; the second path
represents the medium-sized building, and the third path, the
smallest building.
…Critical Path
• Float
• Did you notice that the path for the first building is the longest
duration of all three?
• It is thirteen months longer than the second path, and 18 months
longer than the third path.
• This means that you can wait 13 months before working on the
second building if you start working on the first building because
you can complete the second building in 18 months.
…Critical Path
• Float
• Likewise, you could wait 18 months to start working on the third building because it
will take only 13 months to complete.
• This means that even if you start working on the third building after 18 months
from the project start date, you can finish it on time.
• This waiting period is known as the float or slack.
A 31 Months B18 Months C 13 Months
• Float for B = Longest Path (A) – Current Path (B)
= 31 - 18
= 13
• Float for C = Longest Path (A) – Current Path (C)
= 31 – 13
= 18
…Critical Path
• So, which is the critical path in this network diagram of three
paths?
• Of course, it is the longest path on the network diagram, because
you cannot complete your project before constructing the first
building. Although you can complete the other two buildings
quickly, your project is not considered complete until you
complete the first building.
• Hence, the critical path is the longest path on the network
diagram.
…Critical Path
• Now, what is the shortest duration in which you can complete the
project?
• Sure enough, it is 31 months, because you cannot complete your
project before 31 months, and this is the duration of the critical
path.
• Hence, the critical path is the shortest duration in which you can
complete the project.
• So, you see that both definitions are the same.
Procedure for Finding the Critical Path in
a Network Diagram
• The following are the procedures to find the critical
path on a network diagram:
• Draw the network diagram.
• Identify all paths in the network diagram.
• Find the duration of each path.
• The path with the largest duration is the critical path.
…Procedure for Finding the Critical Path in a
Network Diagram
…Procedure for Finding the Critical Path in a
Network Diagram
• The given network diagram has five paths; the paths and their duration are as follows:
1. Start -> A -> B -> C-> End, duration: 31 days.
2. Start ->D -> E ->F -> End, duration: 18 days.
3. Start -> D -> B -> C -> End, duration: 26 days.
4. Start -> G ->H ->I -> End, duration: 13 days.
5. Start -> G -> E ->F -> End, duration: 16 days.
Since the duration of the first path is the longest, it is the critical
path. The float on the critical path is zero.
…Procedure for Finding the Critical Path in a
Network Diagram
• The float for the second path “Start ->D -> E ->F -> End”
=duration of the critical path – duration of the path
= 31 – 18 = 13
• Hence, the float for the second path is 13 days.
• Using the same process, we can calculate the float for other paths as
well.
Float for the third path = 31 – 26 = 5 days.
Float for the fourth path = 31 – 13 = 18 days.
Float for the fifth path = 31 – 16 = 15 days.
Calculate Early Start (ES), Early Finish
(EF), Late Start (LS), and Late Finish
(LF)
• Calculating Early Start (ES) and Early Finish (EF)
To calculate the Early Start and Early Finish dates, we use forward pass; we will
start from the beginning and proceed to the end.
Early Start (ES) for the first activity on any path will be 1, because no activity
can be started before the first day
• The formula used for calculating Early Start and Early Finish dates.
Early Start of the activity = Early Finish of predecessor activity + 1
Early Finish of the activity = Activity duration + Early Start of activity – 1
Calculate Early Start (ES), Early Finish
(EF), Late Start (LS), and Late Finish
(LF)
Early Start of the activity = Early Finish of predecessor activity + 1
Early Finish of the activity = Activity duration + Early Start of activity – 1
Calculate Early Start (ES), Early Finish
(EF), Late Start (LS), and Late Finish
(LF)
Early Start of the activity = Early Finish of predecessor activity + 1
Early Finish of the activity = Activity duration + Early Start of activity – 1
Calculate Early Start (ES), Early Finish
(EF), Late Start (LS), and Late Finish
(LF)
• Calculating Late Start (LS) and Late Finish (LF)
• Late Finish of the last activity in any path will be the same as the Last Finish
of the last activity on the critical path, because you cannot continue any
activity once the project is completed.
• The formula used for Late Start and Late Finish dates:
Late Start of Activity = Late Finish of activity – activity duration + 1
Late Finish of Activity = Late Start of successor activity – 1
• To calculate the Late Start and Late Finish, we use backward pass; i.e. we will
start from the last activity and move back towards the first activity.
Calculate Early Start (ES), Early Finish
(EF), Late Start (LS), and Late Finish
(LF)
• Late Start and Late Finish Dates for the path Start -> A -> B -> C -> End
• On a critical path, Early Start, and Early Finish dates will be the same as Late Start
and Late Finish dates
Calculate Early Start (ES), Early Finish
(EF), Late Start (LS), and Late Finish
(LF)
• Late Start and Late Finish Dates for the path Start -> D -> E -> F -> End
• Late Finish of activity F = 31 (because you cannot allow any activity to cross the project
completion date)
• Late Start of activity F = LF of activity F – activity duration + 1
= 31 – 6 +1 = 26
Calculate Early Start (ES), Early Finish
(EF), Late Start (LS), and Late Finish
(LF)
• Late Start and Late Finish Dates for the path Start -> D -> E -> F -> End
• Late Finish of activity E = LS of successor activity – 1
= LS of activity F – 1
= 26 – 1 = 25
• Late Start of Activity E = LF of activity E – activity duration + 1
= 25 – 7 + 1 = 19
• Late Finish of activity D = LS of successor activity – 1
Calculate Early Start (ES), Early Finish
(EF), Late Start (LS), and Late Finish
(LF)
• Late Start and Late Finish Dates for the path Start -> D -> E -> F -> End
• If you look at the network diagram, you will notice that activity D has two successor
activities, B and E. So, which activity will you select?
• You will select the activity with the earlier(least) Late Start date. Here, Late Start of
activity B is 11, and Late Start of activity E is 19.
• Therefore, you will select activity B which has the earlier Late Start date.
• Hence,
Late Finish of activity D = LS of activity B – 1
= 11 – 1 = 10
Late Start of Activity D = LF of activity D – activity duration + 1
= 10 – 5 + 1 = 6
Calculate the Free and Total
Float
• Total Float
• Many of us are aware of Total float, which is commonly referred to as a
float.
• Total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without
delaying the project completion date. On a critical path, the total float is
zero.
• Total float is often known as the slack.
• You can calculate the total float by subtracting the Early Start date of
activity from its Late Start date (Late Start date – Early Start date), or Early
Finish date from its Late Finish date (Late Finish date – Early Finish date).
Calculate the Free and Total
Float
• Free Float
• Now, we come to free float. This is going to be a bit different and
might be new to you.
• Free float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without
delaying the Early Start of its successor activity.
• You can calculate the free float by subtracting the Early Finish date of
the activity from the Early Start date of the next activity (ES of next
Activity – EF of current Activity).
• Please note that if two activities are converging to a single activity,
only one of these two activities may have a free float.
Calculate the Free and Total
Float
Calculate the Free and Total
Float
There are two paths in the above network diagram:
[Link] first path is A->B->D with 20 days’ duration, and
[Link] second path is A->C->D with 12 days’ duration.
[Link] path A->B->D is the critical path because it has the most
extended duration.
Calculate the Free and Total
Float
The first method of finding the Total Float
Total float = duration of the critical path – duration of the non-
critical path
= (duration of the path A->B->D) – (duration of the path A->C->D)
= 20 – 12
=8
Hence, the total float is eight days.
Calculate the Free and Total Float
The second method of finding the Total Float
On the path A->C->D, Activity A and D lie on the critical path; therefore, they
will not have a total float. Only Activity C can have a total float.
As stated earlier, we can calculate the total float by using either finish dates or
start dates. Here, I will show you both ways to find it.
First, we will go with the Late Finish and Early Finish dates:
Total float for Activity C = (LF of Activity C – EF of Activity C)
= 15 – 7 = 8
Now, the second formula:
Total float for Activity C = (LS of Activity C – ES of Activity C)
= 14 – 6 = 8
As you can see, both durations are the same, which means both formulas will
provide you with the same result.
Calculate the Free and Total Float
Calculating the Free Float
From the figure, you can see that only Activity C can have a free
float because other activities are lying on the critical path.
Let’s find it.
Free float of Activity C = ES of next Activity – EF of Activity C – 1
= 16 – 7 – 1
=8
Hence, the free float for activity C is eight days.
Now it is time to move on to a more complex example.
Calculate the Free and Total Float, Another Example
• For the below-given network diagram, identify which activities can have a free
float and calculate the free and total float for those activities, considering
duration in days.
Calculate the Free and Total Float, Another Example
• We know that,
• Free float = ES of next Activity – EF of current Activity – 1
• In the above diagram, Activity G can have the free float because Activity D and G are
converging on one common activity.
• Activity D will not have a free float because its successor Activity E is starting
on the next day of completing Activity D.
Calculate the Free and Total Float, Another Example
• Free Float for Activity G
• We know the formula for free float:
• Free float of Activity G = Early Start of Activity E – Early Finish of Activity G – 1
• =6–3–1
• =2
• Total Float for Activity G
• Total float for Activity G = Late Finish of Activity G – Early Finish of Activity G
• = 18 – 3
• = 15
• You can see here that the free float for Activity G is two days, and the total float
is 15 days. Both are different.
Benefits of the Critical Path
Method
• The following are a few benefits of the critical path method:
• It shows the graphical view of the project.
• It discovers and makes dependencies visible.
• It helps in project planning, scheduling, and controlling.
• It helps in contingency planning.
• It shows the critical path, and identifies critical activities requiring special attention.
• It helps you assign the float to activities and flexibility to float activities.
• It shows you where you need to take action to bring project back on track.
• Although the critical path is very useful tool in project planning, it also has some
limitations and drawbacks.
Limitations and drawbacks of
the Critical Path Method
• Because the critical path method is an optimal planning tool, it always
assumes that all resources are available for the project at all times.
• It does not consider resource dependencies.
• There are chances of misusing float or slack.
• Less attention on non-critical activities, though sometimes they may also
become critical activities.
• Projects based on the critical path often fail to be completed within the
approved time duration.
• To overcome these shortcomings of the critical path, the critical chain method
was developed. In the critical chain method resource constraints are also
taken into consideration while developing the network diagram.