Definitions for "Critical Path Method"
Keywords:  cpm, pert, dupont, slack, duration
a project planning and scheduling technique which was developed in the mid-1950's by Morgan R. Walker of the E.I. DuPont de Nemours Company Engineering Department of Wilmington, Delaware and James E. Kelley of Sperry Univac. It is an approach for defining the structure of a project. It establishes a network of project phases with nodes to indicate start and stop points. Critical project activities are determined and are used as a point of reference for scheduling. The technique was originally developed for linear programming and was called "network analysis." (See PERT).
CPM, a system of project planning, scheduling, and control, which combines all relevant information into a single master plan, permitting the establishment of the optimum sequence and duration of operations; the interrelation of all the efforts required to complete a construction project are shown; and indication is given of the effort which is critical to timely completion of the project.
A management technique used to plan and control a project which combines all relevant information into a single plan defining the sequence and duration of operations, and depicting the interrelationship of the Work elements required to complete the project. The critical path is defined as the longest sequence of activities in a network which establishes the minimum length of time for accomplishment of the end event of the project. Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM) and Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) are both common techniques used in CPM scheduling.