Glossary
Critical path
The longest sequence of dependent tasks that determines the shortest possible project duration — any delay on it delays the whole project.
The critical path is the sequence of dependent activities that, added together, set the minimum time the project can possibly take. Every task on the critical path has zero float — if it slips by a day, the whole project finishes a day later.
The Critical Path Method (CPM) maps all the activities, their durations, and their dependencies to identify this sequence. Tasks not on the critical path have some float, meaning they can slip a little without affecting the end date.
Knowing the critical path tells you where to focus. A delay on a non-critical task might be a non-event; the same delay on a critical one is a problem for the whole job.
The challenge is that the critical path moves as the project changes — so it’s only useful if your schedule is current. When dependencies are tracked on a live plan, a slip on a critical task surfaces what it puts at risk downstream, early enough to act.