Question

What is the critical path? Describe how the critical path is determined?

What is slack (float)? What is total slack? What is free slack?

Answer 1

The critical path is defined as the chain of activities that is present in a project network, which holds the most value and takes the longest duration of time to complete. The project duration is therefore determined by the critical path, where a delay in any of the critical activities in the critical path delays the entire project.

The most straightforward method is to determine different chains, calculate their duration and the chai with the maximum duration represents the critical path. If two chains have the same maximum duration, both represent the criteria path.

The second and more comprehensive method takes a forward and backward pass of the network, calculating its ES, EF, LS, LF values and determining the slack for the activist, the chain with 0 slack represents the critical path, if two chains have 0 slack, both represent the critical path.

2. Slack is the difference between the earliest time an activity can be started and the last time the activity can be started. It is represented as LS - ES, or LF - EF, and converts the understanding that an activity that has slack can be delayed for the duration of the slack without deleting the project. It is therefore useful in crashing or fast-tracking the projects.

Total slack is the LS - ES, OR LF - EF while free slack is the ES of the predecessor activity - duration of the current activity - the ES of the current activity.