Critical Path Method (CPM)

What is critical path method (CPM)?

Critical path method (CPM) is a like a step by step procedure that helps in scheduling a set of projected activities. This plays a very important tool in production management. As when the whole process is planned and determined in advance, the project generally runs in a smooth and well balanced manner.

Some of the benefits of using critical path method are:

• The plan and goals for the organization can easily be set and understood.
• The plan to work in a proper manner will make the organization function in a very smooth manner.
• Critical path method (CPM) also gives you a chance to review your actions before and after you have taken them. So it’s like predicting the outcome with the help of a series of analysis, so based on the input you give to the program you will get the desired output.
• It the end result will give you an idea about as to what to expect.

Critical path method (CPM) is commonly used for the projects in:

• The field of constructions
• In the field of aerospace
• In the field of defence
• In the field of software developments
• Research projects
• In the field of product development
• In the field of engineering

The basic technique used it the critical path method (CPM) model constructions are:

• Step one: list all the activities that are needed to complete the project. The end result expected is to have a good quality project.
• Step two: the next step is to calculate the time duration that will be taken to complete the project and still get a desired output.
• Step there: the next step would be seeing the dependencies between the activities.

When all these are followed in a proper manner you will definitely notice that the organization runs in a smooth manner. Now a day’s critical path method (CPM) is not exactly followed, but the basic guides that are followed by many organization remains the same.

Questions:

• What are the various fields in which critical path method (CPM) is used?
• What are the benefits of using critical path method (CPM)?