The document describes the critical path method for planning a project involving the assembly of a tablet. It shows the activity of assembling the tablet having an early start date of May 14, 2012, duration of 5 days, and early finish date of May 18, 2012. As the activity falls on the critical path and has a float of 0 days, it is considered a critical activity that must finish on time for the entire project to be completed as scheduled.

1. Critical Path Method (CPM)
Project Management

2. Activity: Assemble Tablet
• Start Date: 14th May 2012
• End Date: 30th May 2012
• Duration: 5 Days
• Total Time Available = 17 Days
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Early Start
(ES)
Early Finish
(EF)
Late Start
(LS)
Late Finish
(LF)
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3. Activity: Assemble Tablet
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Early Start
(ES)
Early Finish
(EF)
Late Start
(LS)
Late Finish
(LF)
Early Start
14
5 Early Finish
18
Assemble Tablet
Late Start
26
12 Late Finish
30
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4. “It takes 5 days and 325 people
to assemble an iPad”
http://www.phonearena.com/news/It-takes-5-days-and-over-300-hands-to-assemble-an-iPad_id27123

5. Activity: Assemble Tablet
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Early Start
(ES)
Early Finish
(EF)
Late Start
(LS)
Late Finish
(LF)
Early Start
14
Duration
5
Early Finish
18
Assemble Tablet
Late Start
26
Float
12
(LF-EF or LS-ES)
Late Finish
30
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6. Activity: Assemble Tablet
• Start Date: 14th May 2012
• End Date: 18th May 2012
• Duration: 5 Days
• Total Time Available = 5 Days
14 15 16 17 18
Late Start
(LS)
Late Finish
(LF)
Early Start
(ES)
Early Finish
(EF)
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7. Activity: Assemble Tablet
Early Start
14
Duration
5
Early Finish
18
Assemble Tablet
Late Start
14
Float
0
Late Finish
18
14 15 16 17 18
Late Start
(LS)
Late Finish
(LF)
Early Start
(ES)
Early Finish
(EF)
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8. “Activities with Zero Float are
Called Critical Activities”

9. Example: Attending Interview
Activity Immediately preceding
activities
duration
A Shower - 3
B Dry hair A 8
C Fetch car - 7
D Iron clothes - 12
E Dress and make-up B,D 10
F Drive to interview C,E 20
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10. 3
Shower (A)
12
Iron
Clothes (D)
7
Fetch Car
(C )
10
Dress and
Make-up
(E)
20
Drive to
Interview
(F)
8
Dry Hair (B)
Forward Pass: Step -1
Fill Duration
S
F
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11. 0 3 3
Shower (A)
0 12 12
Iron
Clothes (D)
0 7 7
Fetch Car
(C )
12 10 22
Dress and
Make-up (E)
22 20 42
Drive to
Interview (F)
3 8 11
Dry Hair (B)
Forward Pass: Step -1
ES & EF
S
F
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12. 0 3 3
Shower (A)
1 4
0 12 12
Iron
Clothes (D)
0 12
0 7 7
Fetch Car
(C )
15 22
12 10 22
Dress and
Make-up (E)
12 22
22 20 42
Drive to
Interview (F)
22 42
3 8 11
Dry Hair (B)
4 12
Backward Pass: Step -2
LS & LF
S
F
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13. 0 3 3
Shower (A)
1 4
0 12 12
Iron
Clothes (D)
0 12
0 7 7
Fetch Car (C )
15 15 22
12 10 22
Dress and
Make-up (E)
12 22
22 20 42
Drive to
Interview (F)
22 42
3 8 11
Dry Hair (B)
4 12
Backward Pass: Step -2
ES, EF & LS, LF
S
F
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14. 0 3 3
Shower (A)
1 1 4
0 12 12
Iron
Clothes (D)
0 0 12
0 7 7
Fetch Car (C )
15 15 22
12 10 22
Dress and
Make-up (E)
12 0 22
22 20 42
Drive to
Interview (F)
22 0 42
3 8 11
Dry Hair (B)
4 1 12
Backward Pass: Step -2
ES, EF & LS, LF & Float
S
F
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15. 0 3 3
Shower (A)
1 1 4
0 12 12
Iron
Clothes (D)
0 0 12
0 7 7
Fetch Car (C )
15 15 22
12 10 22
Dress and
Make-up (E)
12 0 22
22 20 42
Drive to
Interview (F)
22 0 42
3 8 11
Dry Hair (B)
4 1 12
Backward Pass: Step -2
Critical Path
S
F
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16. 0 3 3
Shower (A)
1 1 4
0 12 12
Iron
Clothes (D)
0 0 12
0 7 7
Fetch Car (C )
15 15 22
12 10 22
Dress and
Make-up (E)
12 0 22
22 20 42
Drive to
Interview (F)
22 0 42
3 8 11
Dry Hair (B)
4 1 12
Critical Path is
D-E-F
S
F
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17. Thank You.