Critical Path in MS Project

In Gantt Chart View filter for Critical Tasks.

Also if your view does not higlight in red critical tasks use Format/Bar Styles for this purpose so that when showing all activities you can identify critical tasks based on color.

Best regards,
Rafael

Hello,
it’s much easier to go to Format, Gantt Chart Wizard; in the 1st step, ask for Critical Path and click Terminate
it’s that easy,
Alexandre

Alexandre,

Thanks, easier usually means faster and less error prone.

R. Davila

This way MS Project will show not Critical Path but Critical activities.
With resource levelling some MS Project critical activities will have free floats.

Rafael,
the Gantt Chart Wizard does exactly the same thing that you are doing manually by Format, Bar Styles, ...
the problem is: MS Project does not update filters automatically and therefore you have to rerun the Critical Tasks filter every time you change data in the project
Vladimir,
I am not sure MS Project makes a difference between critical tasks ant the critical path, as Primavera or PSNext does or I am sure Spider does; in MSP, the critical path is built from the sequence of critical tasks
Alexandre

Vladimir,

If you still leave out resource critical activities it is still misleading, these are also critical activities, if you leave them out you are not complying with the definition of critical activities.

By definition resource critical activities are also critical activities, there shall be no distinction merely becaus of the reason. Resource critical makes the activity a critical activity, the resource adjective means is because of limited resources.

I do not like the PMI because they do not have the guts to make it clear, that under resource leveling these are by definition critical activities and that any software that misses these is wrong and is not up to their standards. By avoiding the issue they are doing more harm than good to their followers. At home we say to bread call it bread and to wine call it wine.

The same goes with the definition of float. A term frequently used in construction contracts. A pricise and complete definition of it is of high relevance. Avoiding due commentaries as to please those not in compliance is wrong.

Best regards,
Rafael

Alexandre,
it is not rare when project has more than one critical path.
So restoring Critical Path from critical activities may become a separate task.

Rafael,
MS Project does not determine resource critical activities.
But still shows some activities as critical though they have very obvious free floats in MS Project resource constrained schedule.
The problem with PMI - it follows common American practice in PM instead of taking leadership role.

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Vladimir,
I do agree; what I am saying is that MSP does not make a difference between critical tasks and critical path, it considers the critical path as the sequence of the critical tasks in a project; I am not sure the calculation option "show separate critical paths" is working properly;
by the way, MSP is not Primavera nor PowerPorject or PSNext.
Alexandre

Alexandre,
Unfortunately the same problems exist in other packages.
Best Regards,
Vladimir