Critical Path Analysis
Critical Path Analysis
ANALYSIS)
IB Operations Management
The Aims of Network Analysis are to :
Crashing is when you shorten the time taken to complete certain jobs
on he critical path by assigning extra labour and /or equipment.
Earliest start time (EST) DRAWING A
of subsequent
Node number activities NETWORK DIAGRAM
Activity
Latest finish time
(LFT) of preceding
activities
Node (circles) - to show start and end of activities, and also carry
information about earliest start times (EST) and latest finish times (LFT)
Arrows – to show the flow of activities
Hatching ( // ) – drawn on the arrows of those activities on the critical path
Rules for Drawing Networks
When drawing an activity, do not add the end node straight away;
wait until you have looked to see which activity follows
Draw large circles for nodes, and short lines for activities (figures
need to be inserted within the node)
A B 3
A B 1 2 C
1 2 3
4
Activity A has to be completed Neither B nor C can be started
before B can be started until A has been completed, B and
C can be carried out concurrently
A
1 C
1 A C 4
3 4 3
B B
D
2 2 5
1 A E
3 4
6 2
C
4
B D
2
10 8
CALCULATION OF EST AND LFT
0 14 18
1 A E
3 4
0 16 18
6 2
C
4
10
B D
2
10
10 8
INDICATING THE CRITICAL PATH
The critical path comprises the activities which take the longest to complete. They
determine the length of the whole project. These are activities which must not be
delayed by even one day.
To identify the critical path, the two key points are:
it will be on activities where the nodes show the EST and LFT to be the same
it is the longest path through the nodes
0 14 18
1 A E
3 4
0 16 18
6 2
C
4
10
B D
// 2 //
10
10 8
Total float measures the spare time available so that there is no delay
to the project as a whole.
CALCULATION
LFT - Duration - EST = Total Float
(This activity) (this activity)
A 16 - 6 - 0 = 10 days
B 10 - 10 - 0 = 0 days
C 16 - 4 - 10 = 2 days
D 18 - 8 - 10 = 0 days
E 18 - 2 - 14 = 2 days
Advantages of CPA