Project Management: Next Steps after Critical Path Calculation

What Happens Next after Calculating the Project's Critical Path?

Question

A project scheduler has calculated the project's critical path.

Which of the following activities would most likely occur NEXT?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

B.

Once a project scheduler has calculated the critical path of a project, the next logical step would be to allocate resources. Therefore, the correct answer is B. Resource allocation.

The critical path represents the longest sequence of dependent tasks in a project. It is a crucial concept in project management because it helps identify the minimum time required to complete the project. Once the critical path is determined, project managers can focus their attention on the tasks that are most likely to delay the project's completion.

Resource allocation is the process of assigning resources to specific tasks in a project. These resources could include personnel, equipment, and materials. The project scheduler must allocate resources in a way that ensures the critical path tasks are completed on time. The resource allocation process involves determining the availability of resources, evaluating the requirements of each task, and assigning the appropriate resources to each task.

Additional task decomposition (A) would have occurred before the critical path was calculated. Task decomposition involves breaking down a complex task into smaller, more manageable tasks. Dependency determination (C) is also done before the critical path calculation and involves identifying the dependencies between tasks. Task duration identification (D) is done during the planning phase and involves estimating the time required to complete each task.

In conclusion, the most likely next step after the critical path is calculated is to allocate resources to the tasks along the critical path to ensure timely completion of the project.