How to Make a CPM Chart

A Critical Path Method chart is a project management diagram used as part of a CPM analysis. It gives a visual perspective of the activities that must be completed and which activities must be completed fully before other tasks can begin. The CPM chart can later be used in other planning processes, such as determining how long the project will take overall.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Use a pencil and paper to create a table with three headings from left to right: “Activity,” “Description” and “Predecessor.”
   • 2
     Write the names of all activities that must be completed in the project in the “Description” column. When you're done, label these using letters in the “Activity” column. Label the first entry “A,” the second “B” and continue until all activities have a letter.
   • 3
     Go down the “Predecessor” column and write the letter of any activities that must be completed before this activity can be completed. If the activity has no predecessor, leave the cell blank.
   • 4
     Get a new sheet of paper. On the far left, write the number “1,” and circle it. This is a “node” and represents a stage of completion of the project. For every activity in your list without a predecessor, draw an arrow leading away from node "1" and label it with the activity's letter.
   • 5
     Draw and number new nodes at the end of the arrows. For example, if you have two activities, “A” and “B” with no predecessor, you now have two lines labelled “A” and “B” leading away from node one and leading to nodes numbered “2” and “3.”
   • 6
     Continue this process, drawing lines from the nodes to represent activities that require the completion of the previous activity. An activity line should have only one start and one end point, but it is OK for multiple activities to start and finish from the same nodes, if appropriate. The final node represents the completion of the project, as activities that point here have no successors.