The Critical Path Method (CPM) is a technique that identifies tasks that are necessary for project completion and determines scheduling flexibilities.
Critical Path is the continuous string of critical activities in the Job Schedule between the start and finish of the project.
TradeTrax will automatically create your Job’s Critical Path and calculate your Expected Cycle Time for each individual Job. This calculation is based on the set of dependencies located at the top of the Job header.
Why is the Critical Path useful?
If a task within a Job is critical it means that the task must begin on its scheduled date, otherwise will increase the Cycle time.
If a task is considered Critical, TradeTrax will display a Critical Task label next to the task name across all sections within the portal and mobile apps.
Any delays in Critical Tasks will delay the rest of the project. When a Job is marked In Progress, the Critical Path and the Critical or Non-Critical Tasks can change based on their start and finish dates.
If a Critical Task label is displayed for a task, then that task must start on the scheduled date. Else, will have a negative impact on the overall Cycle Time.
How to locate a Critical Task
Web Portal: Job Schedule
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Click on any Job Name within TradeTrax
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Review the list of tasks and locate the label for Critical Task marked with a C letter, when applies
Web Portal: Upcoming Tasks
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Click on the Upcoming option in the sidebar of the web portal
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Review the list of tasks and locate the label for Critical Task marked with a C letter, when applies
Critical Tasks vs. Non-Critical Tasks
The main difference between a Critical Task versus a Non-Critical Task is that Critical Tasks have a direct negative impact on the Cycle Time of the Job.
If a Critical Task does not start or finish on the schedule Expected Start or Expected Finish, then the overall Cycle Time of the Job will increase.
If a Non-Critical task does not start or finish on the schedule Expected Start or Expected Finish, then the overall Cycle Time of the Job will not be impacted.
Important: While updating the date of a task, you will notice some dates are marked in red in the calendar; this means that by selecting that date the task will become a Critical Task.
