1. Critical Path Analysis

2. Critical Path Analysis

3. Planning and Monitoring Tool

4. Critical Path Analysis
May be used as part of the decision making process
Enables a firm to plan and monitor operations
Time related – identifies the maximum time for an operation to be completed
Identify potential problems in implementing operation
Identifies where and when resources (including human ones) are needed

5. Critical Path Analysis
Advantages
Maximise efficiency in the use of time
Improve efficiency and generate cost saving in the use of resources
Beneficial to monitoring cash flow
Disadvantages
Usefulness may be limited in complex and large scale operations
Necessity of having clear and reliable information
Skilled management and team philosophy is essential

6. The Process

7. CPA – the Process Identify and prioritise the activities
Identify which activities MUST be done before others
EST – identify earliest start time
LFT – identify latest finish time
Identify the FLOAT – tasks which can be completed outside the critical path
Identify the critical path – points connecting ESTs and LFTs (where these are the same)

8. Critical Path Analysis
Earliest Start Time (EST)
Arrows indicate the order of the tasks, the letter above shows the order, the time period below the arrow
Node numbers showing order of activities in the left hand semi-circle of each node. 1 2 A 3 B 3 5 5
The Critical Path
Latest Finish Time (LFT)
Nodes: Show the start and finish of a task