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DifferenceBetweenPERTandCPM(withComparisonChart)KeyDifferences

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Dierence Between PERT and CPM

December24,2015BySurbhiS 9Comments

Program(Project)ManagementandReviewTechnique(PERT)and
CriticalPathMethod(CPM)aretwopopularstatisticaltoolsusedbythe
businessentitiesforthemanagementoftheproject.Thesetwomethodsareusedin
thesuccessfulcompletionofaprojectandhenceusedinconjunctionwitheach
other.Nevertheless,thetruthisthatCPMisdifferentfromPERTinawaythatthe
formercostbasedwhilethelatteristimebased.Inthesamemanner,thereare
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manydifferencesbetweenPERTandCPM,whichwearegoingtodiscussinthis
article.

Content: PERT Vs CPM

1.ComparisonChart
2.Definition
3.KeyDifferences
4.Conclusion

Comparison Chart
BASISFOR
COMPARISON

PERT

CPM

Meaning

PERTisaproject
managementtechnique,
usedtomanageuncertain
activitiesofaproject.

CPMisastatisticaltechniqueof
projectmanagementthat
manageswelldefinedactivities
ofaproject.

Whatisit?

Atechniqueofplanning
andcontroloftime.

Amethodtocontrolcostand
time.

Focuson

Event

Activity

Model

ProbabilisticModel

DeterministicModel

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BASISFOR
COMPARISON

PERT

CPM

Estimates

Threetimeestimates

Onetimeestimate

Appropriatefor

Highprecisiontime
estimate

Reasonabletimeestimate

Managementof

UnpredictableActivities

Predictableactivities

Natureofjobs

Nonrepetitivenature

Repetitivenature

Criticaland
Noncritical
activities

Nodifferentiation

Differentiated

Suitablefor

ResearchandDevelopment
Project

Nonresearchprojectslikecivil
construction,shipbuildingetc.

Crashing
concept

NotApplicable

Applicable

Denition of PERT

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PERTisanacronymforProgram(Project)EvaluationandReviewTechnique,in
whichplanning,scheduling,organising,coordinatingandcontrollingofuncertain
activitiestakeplace.Thetechniquestudiesandrepresentsthetasksundertakento
completeaproject,toidentifytheleasttimeforcompletingataskandthe
minimumtimerequiredtocompletethewholeproject.Itwasdevelopedinthelate
1950s.Itisaimedtoreducethetimeandcostoftheproject.
PERTusestimeasavariablewhichrepresentstheplannedresourceapplication
alongwithperformancespecification.Inthistechnique,firstofall,theprojectis
dividedintoactivitiesandevents.Afterthatpropersequenceisascertained,anda
networkisconstructed.Afterthattimeneededineachactivityiscalculatedandthe
criticalpath(longestpathconnectingalltheevents)isdetermined.

Denition of CPM
Developedinthelate1950s,CriticalPathMethodorCPMisanalgorithmusedfor
planning,scheduling,coordinationandcontrolofactivitiesinaproject.Here,itis
assumedthattheactivitydurationarefixedandcertain.CPMisusedtocompute
theearliestandlatestpossiblestarttimeforeachactivity.
Theprocessdifferentiatesthecriticalandnoncriticalactivitiestoreducethetime
andavoidthequeuegenerationintheprocess.Thereasonbehindtheidentification
ofcriticalactivitiesisthat,ifanyactivityisdelayed,itwillcausethewholeprocess
tosuffer.ThatiswhyitisnamedasCriticalPathMethod.
Inthismethod,firstofall,alistispreparedconsistingofalltheactivitiesneededto
completeaproject,followedbythecomputationoftimerequiredtocompleteeach
activity.Afterthat,thedependencybetweentheactivitiesisdetermined.Here,
pathisdefinedasasequenceofactivitiesinanetwork.Thecriticalpathisthe
pathwiththehighestlength.

Key Dierences Between PERT and CPM

ThemostimportantdifferencesbetweenPERTandCPMareprovided
below:

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1.PERTisaprojectmanagementtechnique,wherebyplanning,
scheduling,organising,coordinatingandcontrollingofuncertain
activitiesisdone.CPMisastatisticaltechniqueofprojectmanagement
inwhichplanning,scheduling,organising,coordinationandcontrolof
welldefinedactivitiestakesplace.
2.PERTisatechniqueofplanningandcontroloftime.UnlikeCPM,
whichisamethodtocontrolcostsandtime.
3.PERTissetaccordingtoeventswhileCPMisalignedtowards
activities.
4.AdeterministicmodelisusedinCPM.Conversely,PERTuses
probabilisticmodel.
5.TherearethreetimesestimatesinPERTi.e.optimistictime(to),most
likelytime,pessimistictime(tp).Ontheotherhand,thereisonly
oneestimateinCPM.
6.PERTtechniqueisbestsuitedforahighprecisiontimeestimate,
whereasCPMisappropriateforareasonabletimeestimate.
7.PERTdealswithunpredictableactivities,butCPMdealswith
predictableactivities.
8.PERTisusedwherethenatureofthejobisnonrepetitive.Incontrast
to,CPMinvolvesthejobofrepetitivenature.
9.Thereisademarcationbetweencriticalandnoncriticalactivitiesin
CPM,whichisnotinthecaseofPERT.
10.PERTisbestforresearchanddevelopmentprojects,butCPMisfor
nonresearchprojectslikeconstructionprojects.
11.CrashingisacompressiontechniqueappliedtoCPM,toshortenthe
projectduration,alongwithleastadditionalcost.Thecrashingconcept
isnotapplicabletoPERT.

Conclusion
Thedifferencebetweenthesetwoprojectmanagementtoolsisgettingblurredas
thetechniquesaremergedwiththepassageoftime.Thatiswhy,inmostprojects,
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theyarebeingusedasasingleproject.TheprimarypointthatdistinguishesPERT
fromCPMisthattheformergivestheextremeimportanceoftime,i.e.ifthetimeis
minimised,consequentlythecostwillalsobereduced.However,costoptimisation
isthebasicelement,inthelatter.

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FiledUnder:Business

Comments
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karanchovatiyasays
April13,2016at1:57am
mindblowing!veryeasytounderstandanybody.reallylikethat
concept..thanks:)
Reply

gowthamsays
June1,2016at4:48pm
Awesomejustmindblowingitisveryeasytounderstand.
Reply

shashikumarsays
July2,2016at2:48pm
niceeasytounderstandandwasveryimportant
Reply

Tuabursays
July13,2016at2:57pm
Trulyititveryeasyandquitedescriptiveaswellassomuchhelpfulto
understandwhyneedpertandcpm
Reply
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DifferenceBetweenPERTandCPM(withComparisonChart)KeyDifferences

rudolphsays
September8,2016at12:52pm
goodone
Reply

K.A.Sreekrishnasays
October11,2016at7:58pm
AgoodinsighttoPERT&CPM.
Reply

Bikashsays
December15,2016at7:22am
Thisagreatarticle.Simpleandlucid
Reply

SurbhiSsays
December15,2016at9:39am
Thanksallofyouforsharingyourviewswithus.
Reply

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AmadAhmadsays
January7,2017at9:59pm
greatandeasy.thankUforsharing
Reply

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