1. Critical Path Analysis
One Way to Develop
Top 3 Critical Paths
Angelo Arcoleo
18 May2011

2. Purpose – This presentation describes one way to analyze total slack and develop a projects’ Top 3 Critical Paths. (There are several other ways….) Essential steps include: 1- Selecting your program end-deliverable as your Primary Critical or Driving Path end-task. 2- Setting a temporary deadline on that end-task, 2 months earlier than contract end-date. 3- Performing Total Slack analysis to determine remaining Critical or Driving Paths. 4- View Top 3 Critical Paths.

3. Key Concepts Driving Path vs
Key Concepts Driving Path vs. Critical Path Smart Driving Path Numbering Critical Path formula Standard Views Gantt Chart Total Slack Analysis Path Gantt Top 3 Critical Paths Smart PS-UID Total Slack in Calendar Days

4. Using Gantt Chart view, select end-deliverable task
1- Select your program end-deliverable as your Primary CP end-task.
Using Gantt Chart view, select end-deliverable task
to define Primary Critical or Driving Path

5. Use the ‘Find Path to Selected Task’ icon to run macro and find controlling predecessors

6. Use the Driving Path Widget to find controlling predecessors
The Driving Path Widget locates all predecessor tasks that drive a specific task. Have you ever looked at a long list of predecessor tasks in a project and wondered which one is causing the schedule delay? With the Driving Path Widget, you will stop wasting time manually checking tasks to identify a path of predecessors that determine any given task’s schedule. Just select a task and push the "Driving Path" toolbar button.
Available from: Project Widgets

7. Select Yes when warning pops-up.
Four fields (2-Text, 2-Flag) are used in this macro;
Then select View 09 - Path Gantt Chart to view results
FYI: Here’s what these fields are titled…

8. Use View 09 – Path Gantt Chart, to see path leading to that task
Sort by
DP,
Then by
Finish

9. Select PS-UID Column in MS Project
Copy and Paste into Excel for DP numbering
then Copy DP # and Paste into DP field
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subsystem
Driving path
step
Smart DP numbering helps to define subsystem, automatically define DP/CP and sort tasks in sequential order

10. Add Formula for CP, if missing… CP will populate as a function of DP
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In a Master Shell environment, using a subsystem prefix in DP field helps identify what subsystem a paths lies.

11. Review and adjust DP order to eliminate schedule “knots”,
then Sort by DP, Then by Finish
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Schedule “knots” are out-of-sequence tasks. Manual renumbering smart DP ID fixes this situation.

12. Set task Deadline: 2 months earlier,
2- Setting a temporary deadline on selected end-deliverable task,
2 months before contract end-date
Set task Deadline: 2 months earlier,
to create a negative TS condition…
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Deadline can be set earlier, depending on the level of “sensitivity” you want to temporarily “push” TS.

13. Select view Total Slack Analysis
3- Performing Total Slack analysis to determine remaining Critical
or Driving Paths
Select view Total Slack Analysis
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14. Filter-out CP#1 (CP contains blank)
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15. Copy PS-UID for Secondary Critical or Driving Path,
Paste in Excel and Number Driving Path
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Review and adjust DP order to eliminate any schedule “knots”,
Sort by DP, Then by Finish

16. Define Tertiary Critical Path
You may need to further “push” the deadline to define 3rd DP
You can manually number DP for short paths
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Review and adjust DP order to eliminate any schedule “knots”,
Sort by DP, Then by Finish

17. Select view 08 – Top 3 Critical Paths
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18. Select view 08 – Top 3 Critical Paths
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19. Reset Deadline
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20. View Top 3 Critical or Driving Paths
Done!
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21. View Top 3 Critical or Driving Paths
Key Concepts Driving Path vs. Critical Path Smart Driving Path Numbering Critical Path formula Standard Views Gantt Chart Total Slack Analysis Path Gantt Top 3 Critical Paths Smart PS-UID Total Slack in Calendar Days
Questions?
THANK YOU!
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This concludes (one way ) “How to Perform Critical Path Analysis” and
Develop a Top 3 Critical Path Chart

22. View Top 3 Critical or Driving Paths
Credits:
Driving Path Macro – Created by Ken Jamison, Project Widgets
Corp: Fax:
Delivering Microsoft Project consulting, training and software solutions.
Sponsor – Joanne Greene-Blose, PMP President and CEO
The Project Solvers of America, Inc.
One Grove St, Suite 216A, Pittsford, NY 14534
Presenter: Angelo Arcoleo, PMP
Cell:
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23. angeloarcoleo@yahoo.com angelo.arcoleo@itt.com
ANGELO ARCOLEO brings over 30 years experience in engineering, project management, planning and trainer assisting organizations by leading projects and teams to plan and help execute critical projects.  Angelo brings many years of program and business experience and best practices to every Project. 
His passion for what he does, self-motivation, quiet-leadership and ability to work with many people and teams assures program success.
He is a professionally trained Civil Engineer, BS, Rochester Institute of Technology; Town of Webster Planning Board member and Master Scheduler for ITT – Geospatial Systems Division;  Orange Belt in Microsoft® Office Project; and President of MPUG (Western New York Chapter, Microsoft® Project Users Group).