Critical Path Analysis: The "How-To-Prioritize" Tool for Projects

1. Step #1: Identify all of the tasks required to complete the project.
2. Step #2: Estimate the time required to complete each task listed.
3. Step #3: Determine the relationship between the tasks and draw a network diagram (see example below).
   • Notice that task relationships can be sequential (one follows another) or parallel (can be done at the same time).  There are also a variety of other relationship rules that can be used which we won't cover in this article.
4. Step #4: Identify the critical path as the path from project start to project finish that requires the most amount of time.
   • The example below identifies the critical path for making a Thanksgiving dinner (in red).  In this case, the critical path involves the time to make the stuffing, stuff the turkey, cook the turkey and, then, make the gravy.  These four activities essentially control the time to complete the "project" and, in our example, when dinner will be served.

• Critical Path Analysis is a great tool for understanding what project tasks need to be prioritized, how to best assign resources to projects, and what deadlines are required for project tasks.
• Note that the critical path can change throughout the project when task completion times slip.
• There are a variety of ways to shorten the project duration, and they all revolve around the critical path (eliminate or combine tasks, reduce task duration with additional staffing, etc.).
• There are a number of computerized tools available and that Epicenter uses to generate network diagrams such as MS Visio, MS Project and Primavera.  Some, such as MS Project, will automatically generate a Critical Path Analysis based upon the network diagram.

Next Steps
If you are interested in learning more about how Epicenter can help your organization to become more effective, please do not hesitate to email us at tzubic@epicentergroup.com or call Tracee Zubic at 216.548.7136.