ABSTRACT
The objectives for a new project will usually include a date by which the project must be finished and handed over to its owner. In the simple case of a project conducted by one company (the contractor) for another (the client or customer) there should be no ambiguity about the time requirement. But when the network diagram has been drawn and processed it is probable that the results will disappoint, dismay or shock all concerned by predicting a completion date well beyond that which is required. If the overlong schedule has resulted after resource scheduling by the computer, a remedy can often be found by increasing the available resources, perhaps through temporary hirings. But when the initial schedules disappoint, the cause will most often be a critical path that is too long to fit between the intended project start and finish dates, so that there appears to be no logical way in which the project can be completed on time.
