Critical Path Length

[Sandra]

Does anyone know of an *easy* way to calculate the Critical Path Length of a
network diagram in MSProject?

Thanks

 

[Jim Aksel]

Tools/Options... pull the View tab and select the check box "Show project
summary task".

The duration of the summary task is the length of the critical path. By
definition, this is the shortest time through the network.

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Jim

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[JulieS]

Close. It is the *longest* duration through the network. The network
diagram view also automatically shows critical path nodes in red.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

 

[Jim Aksel]

Nope - it is the ** shortest ** time the project can be completed given the
constraints. You may find paths through the network that can complete in
shorter periods of time, but the critical path represents the shortest period
of time in which the entire network can be done from start to finish.

We are both saying the same thing.... longest path, representing the
shortest posssible project duration.

Don't ya love it?

 

[Sandra]

GREAT IDEAS!!!

However (isn't there always a however?), using the project summary only
tells you when the schedule starts and finishes. This would be the critical
path lengh IF nothing has been statused. If you're half way through the
schedule then the critical path length would be from the statusdate to the
end. The longest contiguous path in a networked schedule.

The customer requesting this data advised to pull up the network diagram in
Project and walk through it from the end to the status date. He said this
was the only way to do it. In a 10k line item schedule this task is
insurmountable. I was hoping for an easier way to accomplish the same thing.

 

[Jim Aksel]

How about creating a compound filter. There is a "critical" filter already
available in the drop down. That will show you only the critical path.

Since we generally only care about remaining work, you can create a filter
that will show only the remaining critical tasks.

Project/Filter/More Filters... New.
Set Critical = Yes and [Actual Finish] = NA.

You need to make a decision to use the "And" or the "or" in the filter.
Selecting "AND" will show you only the unfinished work along the criticial
path. Selecting "OR" will show you all critical path tasks (including those
in the past) plus all unfinished work.

Should you want, you can add additional criteria so you do not have to look
too far into the future.
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Jim

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[Jim Aksel]

There is a companion product to MS Project called PERTCHART EXPERT. You can
learn more about it from

http://project.mvps.org/comprods.htm
http://www.criticaltools.com/pertchartexpertsoftware.htm

This product makes some pretty nice views of you network. It's one of the
best $200 we've spent.

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If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

Check out my new blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com