Cpm and Ptrf

Critical Path Method

The Critical Path Method or Critical Path Analysis is a thematically based algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities is an important tool for effective project management. Commonly used with all forms of projects, including construction, software development, research projects, product development, engineering, and plant maintenance, among thers.Any project with interdependent activities can apply this method of scheduling.

The essential technique for using CPM is to construct model of the project that includes the following:

➢ A list of all activities required to complete the project(also known as Work Breakdown Structure)

➢ The time (duration) that each activity will take to completion

➢ The dependencies between the activities.

Advantages of using the Critical Path Method

Based on the time-cost variables, the project can be tweaked to best satisfy the goals and aims of the organization. For example, if a project team is able to identify that they need more time if the project has to be within a certain budget or vice versa this fact is clear right from the start of the project. While it is presumptuous to aver that every factor affecting activities can be identified at the initial stages, a large portion of the factors and variables can be understood and the risks and uncertainties associated with each are known prior to starting of the project.

In many large projects, there can be more than one critical path in the network diagram mapped out. When such a situation arises, CPM can help managers identify suitable plan of actions to handle these multiple critical paths.

Disadvantages of Critical Path method

CPA and network diagrams are highly dependent of information technology and computer software. The cost of set up of software systems in the organization can have high initial cost. Maintaining the software also requires expertise and monitoring that can quickly become very expensive if the organization...