Critical path is a term used in the field of project
management to define a sequence of tasks in a project
wherein none of the tasks can be delayed without
affecting the final project end date. The sequence of
tasks making up the critical path starts with the first
task in the project, and follows through to the last
task in the project. In effect, the timely completion of
each task in the sequence is critical to the timely
completion of the project.
Knowing the critical path on a project, the project
manager can apply additional management techniques to
the tasks in the critical path sequence to reduce the
risk of delays in the completion of those tasks and the
overall project schedule. Critical path is, therefore, a
risk management technique. pdf