The Critical Path Method (CPM) is an algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities. It is an important tool for effective project management. ConceptDraw PROJECT implements this method to provide the user with a wide set of project management tools.
To display a critical path on the Gantt chart, open the View tab and check the Critical Path option in the Show/Hide section. Now you can see which tasks are most critical: the ones that add up to the longest project duration.
Pic. 1. Critical path on a Gantt chart.
ConceptDraw PROJECT automatically calculates tasks’ Early Start, Early Finish, Late Start and Late Finish dates, as well as Early Slack, and Late Slack duration. To display these values, you should customize the columns in the table part of the window. Right-click (CTRL-click on Macs without a two-button mouse) on the project data column header, in the Column Customization window, select appropriate columns and click OK.
Pic. 2. Column Customization window.
If you have a project that contains several related projects, you may need to determine their common critical path.To determine overall critical path, open the File menu and click Properties. In the Document Properties window open the Advanced tab and uncheck the Calculate independent critical path for each project option. You can also determine the slack time for tasks to be considered critical.
Pic. 3. Critical path on a Multiproject dashboard.
Video. Critical Path Method in ConceptDraw PROJECT
Project timeline is a type of chart which allows visually represent the chronology of works for the project, placing the key points of the project (milestones) on a timescale.
You need to make professional looking project timeline? Create it with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM! ConceptDraw DIAGRAM extended with Timeline Diagrams Solution from the Management Area is the best timeline diagrams software
ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software extended with Flowcharts Solution from the 'Diagrams' area of ConceptDraw Solution Park is a powerful tool for drawing Flow Charts of any complexity you need. Irrespective of whether you want to draw a Simple Flow Chart or large complex Flow Diagram, you estimate to do it without efforts thanks to the extensive drawing tools of Flowcharts solution, there are professional flowchart symbols and basic flowchart symbols. This sample shows the Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA) that is the optimization algorithm.
Chemistry solution provides the Chemical Drawings Library with large quantity of vector chemistry equation symbols to help you create professional looking chemistry diagrams quick and easy.
The Line Graphs solution from Graphs and Charts area of ConceptDraw Solution Park contains a set of examples, templates and design elements library of line and scatter charts. Use it to draw line and scatter graphs using ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software for illustrating your documents, presentations and websites.
