Critical Path
DE: Kritischer Pfad
The longest sequence of activities determining minimum project duration.
Detailed Explanation
The critical path is the longest sequence of dependent activities determining the shortest possible project duration. Every project has at least one critical path; some have multiple paths of equal length.
Activities on the critical path have zero total float — any delay directly extends the project end date. This makes the critical path the primary focus for schedule management.
The critical path is not static — it can shift during execution as activities finish early or late. Experienced PMs also monitor near-critical paths (low float) as potential risk areas.
Key Points
- Longest path = minimum project duration
- Zero float on critical activities
- Can have multiple critical paths simultaneously
- Can shift during execution
- Near-critical paths need monitoring too
- Key input for crashing and fast-tracking
Practical Example
Product launch critical path: Market Research (3w) -> Product Design (6w) -> Manufacturing (8w) -> Quality Testing (2w) -> Distribution Setup (3w) = 22 weeks. Marketing prep (4w) runs parallel with 18 weeks of float. A 1-week manufacturing delay slips the entire launch by 1 week.
Tips for Learning and Applying
Assign your best resources to critical path activities
Build early warning indicators — do not wait for delays
Consider critical chain method as an alternative
Crash the critical path first — crashing non-critical activities is wasteful
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