MGTS7527 Chap.6 Schedule Logic and the Critical Path
Schedule Logic and the Critical Path
A date needs logic behind it
Week 4 argues that schedule management is about making delivery logic visible: who hands what to whom, when resources are needed, and which dates are realistic.
The schedule turns scope into time by moving from the work breakdown structure to activities, sequence, durations, the schedule itself and milestones.
The tools of the network
The chapter defines activity, milestone, dependency, duration, lead and lag, constraint and float, and the four dependency types: finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish and the rare start-to-finish.
It then applies the critical path method to an original network for a food-truck fit-out, finding the longest path, the float on the shorter ones, and what happens when one activity slips.
Controlling time
Critical means critical to the finish date, not most important, and the critical path can move as work progresses, so near-critical paths need watching too.
The chapter separates the baseline, the current schedule and the forecast, warns against silently moving the baseline, and explains fast tracking and crashing with the checks the seminar requires before either is used.
Why the method matters for the plan
The Team Project Plan asks for a Microsoft Project schedule with logical dependencies, milestones, supplier lead times, resource assignments and the critical path, and an evaluation of whether the operational date is achievable.
Reading a network by hand, as this chapter does, is what lets you check that the software's critical path makes sense.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Why schedule management matters
- 02
From scope to a working schedule
- 03
Activities, milestones, leads, lags and float
- 04
Finish-to-start and the other dependency types
- 05
Finding the critical path
- 06
Near-critical paths and float
- 07
Baseline, current schedule and forecast
- 08
Fast tracking and crashing
Worked example · free
Find the longest route through the food-truck network
- 1A-B-D-F-G = 3 + 6 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 16 days.
- 1A-C-D-F-G = 3 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 15 days, and A-B-E-F-G = 3 + 6 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 14 days.
- 1The longest route, A-B-D-F-G, is the critical path, so the earliest finish is 16 days.
- 1Float: C has 16 minus 15 = 1 day and E has 16 minus 14 = 2 days.
Key terms
- Critical Path
- The longest-duration path through a schedule network, which sets the earliest possible completion.
- Float
- How far an activity or path can slip before it breaks a stated schedule condition.
- Milestone
- A significant point or event in a schedule, usually shown with zero duration.
- Finish-to-Start
- A dependency in which the successor cannot start until the predecessor has finished.
- Fast Tracking
- Performing in parallel work that was originally planned in sequence, at the cost of more rework risk.
- Schedule Baseline
- The approved schedule used as the reference for comparing performance.
Schedule Logic and the Critical Path FAQ
Does critical mean the most important activity?
No. Critical means the activity sits on the longest path, so any delay to it moves the project finish date unless recovered. An activity off the critical path can still matter a great deal for quality or safety.
Can the critical path change during a project?
Yes. If an activity on a shorter path slips by more than its float, that path becomes the longest and therefore critical. That is why near-critical paths, with little float left, need monitoring alongside the current critical path.
What is the difference between crashing and fast tracking?
Crashing adds resources, usually at extra cost, to shorten an activity. Fast tracking overlaps work that was planned in sequence, which saves time but adds coordination and rework risk. Both only help if they shorten the critical path.
What is float, and why does it matter?
Float, or slack, is how far an activity or path can slip before it breaks a stated schedule condition such as the finish date. Activities on the critical path have none; activities with little float sit on near-critical paths that a small delay can turn critical, so they need monitoring too.
Assessment move
Invent a six-activity network with two parallel branches, list every path, add the durations and mark the critical path and each float. Then delay one non-critical activity by more than its float and redo the calculation to see the critical path move.
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