ABSTRACT
This chapter explains some variants or slightly more advanced applications of critical path network analysis. So it is to be clear that the first project planning meeting, which is the subject of the chapter, often sets out to produce a master network diagram and project schedule into which all the partners and sub-contractors must subsequently fit their own detailed plans. So although a major sub-assembly might require hundreds of drawings, the planner would see it as one integrated design job and the corresponding part of the critical path network might only need to include three tasks. All projects incur changes and it is unreasonable to ask any planner or planning meeting to attempt a detailed project schedule to cover work so far ahead. Substantial time can often be saved by re-examining the entire network logic and overlapping all suitable tasks. The advantage of fast-tracking when compared with crashing is that it does not usually add any cost.
