The Critical Path Method (CPM) is a project management technique used to plan, schedule, and control complex projects. It helps identify the longest path of activities (called the critical path) that determines the minimum time required to complete the project.

쮽킹 Key Concepts in CPM

1. Activity

A task or job that takes time (e.g., A, B, C).

2. Event (Node)

Start or end point of an activity.

3. Duration

Time required to complete an activity.

4. Path

Sequence of activities from start to finish.

5. Critical Path

The longest path in the network.

• Determines total project duration
• Activities on this path have zero slack (float)

쮽킹 Steps in CPM

1. List all activities

Example: A, B, C, D

2. Identify dependencies

Which activity comes before or after another

3. Draw network diagram

(Arrow diagram or node diagram)

4. Assign duration to each activity

5. Calculate:

• Earliest Start (ES)
• Earliest Finish (EF)
• Latest Start (LS)
• Latest Finish (LF)

6. Find Slack (Float)

$$\text{Slack}=LSᖒES=LFᖒEF$$

쮽쿉 Activities with zero slack = Critical Path