Critical Path Analysis and PERT - Project Management Skills from MindTools.com Planning and Scheduling More Complex Projects Related variants: AOA or Activity-on-Arc Diagrams Multiple activities often feed into other activities. © iStockphoto/Cybernesco Critical Path Analysis and PERT are powerful tools that help you to schedule and manage complex projects. They were developed in the 1950s to control large defense projects, and have been used routinely since then. As with Gantt Charts , Critical Path Analysis (CPA) or the Critical Path Method (CPM) helps you to plan all tasks that must be completed as part of a project. They act as the basis both for preparation of a schedule, and of resource planning. Within a project it is likely that you will display your final project plan as a Gantt Chart (using Microsoft Project or other software for projects of medium complexity or an excel spreadsheet for projects of low complexity).The benefit of using CPA within the planning process is to help you develop and test your plan to ensure that it is robust. How to Use the Tool
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Critical Path Method (CPM) Spreadsheet - PERT Algorithm The Critical Path Method (CPM) provides a way for project managers to determine which tasks are critical (zero slack time) and which tasks can be delayed (and for how long). Normally, you'd need specialized software such as MS Project. Not any more. The spreadsheet produces a Gantt Chart showing the critical path tasks as well as the potential delay times for the flexible tasks. The gantt chart in the Critical Path Method spreadsheet is very similar to what you'd see using Microsoft Project, except that it doesn't add the lines with arrows pointing from the end of one task to the start of a successor. Critical Path Method Spreadsheet for Excel Download Version: Excel 2003 or later Template Details License: Private Use View Agreement >(not for distribution or resale) "No installation, no macros - just a simple spreadsheet" - by Jon Wittwer Advertisement Limitations: CPM Spreadsheet (Pro Version) Buy Nowvia ClickBank.net Required: Excel 2003 or later 60-DAY MONEY-BACK Guarantee Try it out! Support
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Critical Path Analysis | Business Critical path analysis ("CPA") is a widely-used project management tool that uses network analysis to help project managers to handle complex and time-sensitive operations. Introduction Many larger businesses get involved in projects that are complex and involve significant investment and risk. As the complexity and risk increases it becomes even more necessary to identify the relationships between the activities involved and to work out the most efficient way of completing the project. The essential technique for using CPA is to construct a model of the project that includes the following: A list of all activities required to complete the project The time (duration) that each activity will take to completion The dependencies between the activities Using this information, CPA calculates: The longest path of planned activities to the end of the project The earliest and latest that each activity can start and finish without making the project longer In project management, a critical path is: