Dealing with schedule planning by the Critical Path Method

Abstract

A project usually involves a large amount of activities and tasks needed to be done. Even for the most experienced project managers it can be a bit of a challenge to control the huge amount of complexity in a project. By mastering the concept of planning a schedule a project can not only be more structured. Sufficiently planning can reduce the overall costs and limit the time duration of the project. The Critical Path Method is one of the tools a project manager can use to plan the project in the best possible way.

This article analyses the Critical Path Method. It takes a closer look at how to use the method and discus the advantages and limitations of the method.

The article starts by clarifying the idea behind the method and by an illustrating example the general application of the method is shown. The article then reflects on the use of the method. This is done by looking at the limitations of the Critical Path Method and comparing the method to other approaches of project scheduling. Furthermore, suggestions to improve the method are discussed.