Strange Issue with the Critical Path

[newPM]

The Critcal Path is defined as the set of tasks that if lengthed would result
in the lengthening of the overall duration of the project.

When I select 'Critical' in my filter only a handful of tasks appear. This
is not correct. If I lengthen the duration of task that is scheduled just
prior to the my alleged 'critical tasks' (the same reosurce does both tasks)
and then run the leveling algorithm the end date of my project is set to a
later date.

My question is why is the task that is scheduled just before the critical
task not appear critical? Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks!

 

[Redneck David]

New PM,

Backing up to your first statement, your definition of critical and what you
are is not exactly what MS Project is thinking. MS Project uses the
calculation of slack to determine what is critical.

Look at Tools>Options then the Calculation tab. You can set you value there.

The rest of you questions I can't answer without seeing your
predessor/successor logic.

David

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

Check for constraints or actual start dates which might be constraining
tasks. Also look at links to summary tasks, they can be difficult to trace.

-Jack Dahlgren

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Critical path is not critical chain. It is calculated regardless of
resources so what happens when leveling is not necessarily relevant.
Hope this helps,

 

[newPM]

Thanks to all those that replied!

I spent some time reading 'Dynamic Scheduling' to better understand MS
Project's Critical Path Method.

It appears that in order to build an accurate model of your CP you meed to
use the pred/succ column and build connections (based on resources) to tasks
EVEN if their is no logical dependecny between the tasks. Is this correct? I
have always been told to not model my schedule with preds/succ that were not
logical.

Thanks!