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Critical Path Analysis and Adjustment

5 minutes 5 Questions

Critical Path Analysis is a fundamental technique in project scheduling that identifies the sequence of tasks that determine the minimum project duration. In the process of finalizing the schedule, it is essential to perform a thorough Critical Path Analysis to ensure that all critical activities are correctly identified and that their durations and dependencies are accurately represented. Adjustments may be necessary if the initial analysis reveals scheduling conflicts, resource over-allocations, or unrealistic timelines. By analyzing the critical path, project managers can focus on optimizing those tasks that have the greatest impact on the project completion date. Adjustments might include reallocating resources, modifying task dependencies, or adjusting activity durations. This process helps to create a more realistic and achievable schedule, reduces the risk of delays, and enhances the overall reliability of the project plan. Moreover, understanding the critical path allows for better decision-making regarding where to apply schedule compression techniques, such as fast tracking or crashing, if necessary. It also facilitates proactive management of potential risks associated with critical tasks. Incorporating a final review of the critical path in the schedule finalization ensures that the project team is aware of the key activities that must be closely monitored throughout the project execution phase.

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Question 1

When performing critical path compression, what is the primary effect of crashing an activity by adding more resources?

Correct Answer: It reduces the activity duration at increased cost

When crashing an activity during critical path compression, the primary effect is that the activity duration decreases but at a higher cost. This is a fundamental principle in project time-cost trade-off analysis. Here's why this is correct: - Adding more resources (like additional workers or equipment) speeds up the work - The accelerated completion comes at a higher cost due to the additional resources - This is the basic premise of schedule compression through crashing The other options are incorrect because: - Reducing both duration and cost through adding resources is not possible - adding resources always increases cost - Extending the schedule goes against the purpose of crashing, which is to shorten duration - Maintaining original duration while reducing cost is not possible through crashing, as crashing specifically changes the duration

Question 2

During a critical path analysis, you discover that Activity B has a total float of 8 days. What does this indicate about Activity B?

Correct Answer: Activity B can be delayed by 8 days before impacting the project end date

In critical path analysis, total float (or slack) represents the amount of time an activity can be delayed past its early start date before it will affect the project completion date. Total float of 8 days means Activity B has flexibility in its schedule - it can start later or take longer to complete by up to 8 days before it impacts the project end date. This flexibility exists because the activity is not on the critical path. The other options are incorrect because: - Starting 8 days earlier would unnecessarily rush the activity and not provide any benefit to the project schedule - The 8 days is not a buffer time for tasks and dependencies; it's available scheduling flexibility - There's no need to crash the activity since it already has float and is not on the critical path

Question 3

When analyzing the critical path of a project, what happens if you add a resource to an activity that is not on the critical path?

Correct Answer: The project duration remains unchanged

In critical path analysis, adding resources to activities that are NOT on the critical path will not affect the overall project duration. This is because: 1. The critical path determines the project's total duration 2. Only changes to activities on the critical path can affect the project's completion time 3. Non-critical path activities have float/slack time 4. Reducing the duration of non-critical activities will only increase their float/slack time The other answers are incorrect because they suggest that adding resources to non-critical activities would reduce project duration. This is a fundamental misconception of critical path method (CPM). Adding resources to non-critical activities may reduce those specific activity durations, but since these activities are not determining the project's end date, such changes will not affect the overall project timeline. This is a key concept in project scheduling and resource optimization - resources are most effectively used when applied to critical path activities if schedule compression is the goal.

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