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Critical path for entire project.

6 replies [Last post]
Vijaya Kumar
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Joined: 1 Feb 2010
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In P6 V6.1 or 6.2 or 7.0 is it possible to show Critical path for entire project including completed activities.

Any workaround available to see the Critical Path or Longest Path. When I run the filter it shows only thos activities that are not completed.


Replies

Ankit Ch
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Joined: 11 Feb 2010
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I guess you are using default filter of ’longest path’ [which is like this:
longest path is equal to yes and percent complete is not equal to 100%]

--- reate a new filter and put longest path is equal to yes.....it will also include the activities completed....

cheers

ac
Samer Zawaydeh
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Joined: 3 Aug 2008
Posts: 1664
Hi All,

It seems that the originator need to modify the question or clarify what is needed.

With kind regards,

Samer
Samer Zawaydeh
User offline. Last seen 6 years 16 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 3 Aug 2008
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Dear Vijaya,

The definition of the critical path is the path with activities with float =0. When the activity is completed, it is no longer on the critical path. If you want to go back and find out what the critical path was, then you need to go to the back up data from previous reporting cycles.

If you want to show the activities that are completed, then you can filter them.

With kind regards,

Samer
Irfan Khan
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Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 138
Hi Vijay,

1st of all u have know that what is the critical path the activity who have float = 0 it is called critical path.

and according to ur question u want to show ur entire activities in critical path. It cant be possible bcz u already completed some activity 100%.


regards.......

Rafael Davila
User offline. Last seen 17 weeks 4 days ago. Offline
Joined: 1 Mar 2004
Posts: 5241
Lawrence, your request is super.

1.With multiple calendars your critical path might have several values for float.
2.Float should take into consideration resource constraining and therefore if your software cannot show resource critical path and resource critical float is misleading as it can show some float when in reality it is not available.
3.With resource splitting float splits into start and finish float; I consider an error limiting float as to mean only “Start Float”. Under activity splitting you can delay the activity by the start or by the end independently. Maybe automatic activity splitting should be avoided and some other metrics should be used as to identify when activity splitting would make a difference, then using true CPM logic you make the correct adjustments only if appropriate.
4.With Date Constraints that redefine your float, allowing for negative float, this becomes even more confusing, especially when several date constrained path merge. Date constraining could be used as a useful metrics if you can toggle it off and on, should not be mixed up with the true computation of float.

The following is the PMI definition of float on its Practice Standard for Scheduling.

Total Float/ Required /Calculated
Data Format: Numeric

Behavior: Represents the amount of time an activity can delay its finish without impacting the late finish of the project. It is computed as the difference between the late and early dates of the activity, calculated from the forward and backward passes respectively. As progress is recorded, value may change. This value will also change if remaining work logic or durations are revised.

Good Practices: Total float may be used to provide an early indication of project completion slippage by constraining the project finish milestone with a Finish On Constraint.

Conditional Note/Associated Component: Depends on the duration of the activities/tasks in the schedule, the level of detail described in the schedule, and the level of detail that is required to track.

Definition: The total amount of time that a schedule activity may be delayed from its activity early start date or activity early finish date without delaying the project end date, or violating a schedule constraint. Calculated using the critical path method technique and by subtracting the activity early finish date from the activity late finish date, with that difference expressed in calendar units. A total float value less than zero indicates that the activity late finish date is scheduled prior to the activity early finish date and the calculated critical path is not feasible. A total float value of zero or greater indicates the calculated critical path may be feasible and some schedule activities may be able to be delayed.

I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH THE PMI AS FOR GOOD PRACTICE TO ALLOW A PROJECT FINISH ON CONSTRAINT TO FIX BACKWARD PASS COMPUTATIONS ALLOWING FOR NEGATIVE FLOAT. IN ANY CASE THESE COMPUTED VALUES SHOULD BE NAMED DIFFERENTLY. NOT TO MENTION WHEN SUCH FUNCTIONALITY IS APPLIED TO INTERMEDIATE MILESTONES.

LET THE CPM FOLLOW NATURAL LOGIC AND DON’T FRIDDLE WITH IT. It is pure coincidence if you read similar comments by others.

Best regards,
Rafael
Lawrence Cuozzo
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Joined: 13 Apr 2007
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Guys,

Contrary to some beliefs, "float = 0" is not the definition of the critical path. It always amazes me how supposedly experienced schedulers hold onto this incorrect assumption. Any comments from the peanut gallery?


Lawrence