Critical path

The longest chain of dependent tasks in a plan, the one that sets the minimum time the whole project needs. Tasks off the critical path have slack, so they can move without hurting anyone. Tasks on it have none, which means a delay anywhere along the chain moves the finish date. For an event the chain usually runs venue, then date, then speakers and program, then registration, then marketing. The practical version: venue and headline content are almost always on the critical path, and merch colors never are.

Source: the Critical Path Method, a standard project-management technique. Asana’s CPM explainer defines it as identifying the longest sequence of dependent tasks in order to find the minimum project duration; Meegle documents the same method applied specifically to event planning.

First used in: 0.3 · Install the operating system. Taught fully in 1.3 · The runway.