Ever heard about the Critical Path Method (CPM)? Then, do you know the steps to create CPM to make your project run smoothly?

Currently, most of the project management methods at the planning and project scheduling stages use the Critical Path Method (CPM) and Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) as their basic methodologies. According to PMI, PERT was created by the United States Navy in the 1950s to manage their Polaris submarine missile program. Not far away, CPM was discovered at almost the same time in private industry at that time. These two approaches are essentially synonymous and are often used interchangeably, even collectively called PERT/CPM.

Focusing on CPM, this methodology is certainly familiar to those of you who are active in the project realm. To deepen your insight into this project management tool, here Tomps.id summarizes the definition of CPM, benefits, and steps to create it below!

What is CPM?

According to professional project manager Dr Mike Clayton, CPM is a project modeling methodology developed in the 1950s by Morgan Walker of DuPont and James Kelly of Remington Rand. If defined, CPM is a time-oriented method. This means that the CPM cycle will end based on the specified time limit.

In CPM, each project activity will identify its critical path with other activities to show the relationship or dependencies between them. The activity itself is defined as a specific job or task in a project whose results can be measured based on duration. 

Why is CPM Important?

Maybe some of you are still wondering “why is CPM important?”. In project management, making CPM is one of the important jobs because at this stage you have to determine the order of work from start to finish. Directly, CPM is the stage where you will schedule activity sequences and timelines to be processed in a Gantt Chart. In addition, CPM is also useful for:

1. Identify each task required to complete the project and the effects or dependencies between them

2. Estimating the duration of each project activity

3. Calculate the critical path based on its duration and dependence to identify critical activities

4. Focus on planning, scheduling, and controlling critical activities

5. Setting project milestones and outcomes

6. Establish the true wishes of the stakeholders regarding the project deadline

What Are The Steps To Create A CPM?

1. Listing Your Project Activities

2. Sequence Preceding Activities

3. Create a Network Diagram

4. Make Timeline Estimates

5. Use The Critical Path Algorithm

6. Calculate Total Float (TF)

7. Find Your Critical Project Path

That’s a review of CPM’s definition, benefits, to 7 easy steps to create it. Are you ready to make CPM calculations for your next project?