Critical Path Critical Path
This new option offered by the accounting software allows the user to schedule all the different aspects of a Job and maintain a calendar of events for the Job. For example: Before the final carpentry on a job is done, the drywall and electrical must be completed. It may take 25 days to complete the drywall but the electrical may be completed in 10 days. With Critical Path, the order of events shows that the electrical work may be completed any time within the 25-day range needed to finish the drywall.
Select Critical Path from the Job Costing Menu and the following screen comes into view.
Listed in this screen are all the available jobs.
Modify Critical Path (button)
Close (button)
The Close button closes this screen and returns the user to the previous screen.
Help (button)
see How to Use Help
When the Modify Critical Path button is pressed, the following screen comes into view. This screen is where the user will Add or Change Activities in the Critical Path.
Note: The Critical Path screen is much larger, but it has been reduced here to accommodate for viewing sizes.
The Calendar
A Timeline Calendar is displayed above the Display Window. The first bar displays the year. The second bar displays the month. The third bar shows the days divided into weeks. The bottom bar displays the project day number.
Activities are the events in the Critical Path. They are based on the Budgeted Cost Codes already in the system. Activities may be moved using the arrows above. An Activity may be moved: Up One, To The Top, Down One, or To The Bottom respectively.
The Display Window is a very helpful way to visualize how activities must be run in order to be the most time efficient. The Activities to the left have a corresponding line in the Display Window. Red Bars are considered Critical Path Activities or Activities that must be completed before a new phase may begin. Blue bars are any Activities that may be completed any time during their accompanying Critical Path Activity. For example: The electrical work is blue because it may be completed any time during the plumbing work. Notice that the blue bar gets skinnier at one point. The thicker portion is the actual amount of time needed to complete this Activity. The bar extends to the end of the Critical Path Activity showing that the blue bars may be completed at any time. The Green diamonds indicate the beginning of a new Activity and the Yellow diamonds indicate the end.
Enter the calendar start date. This date does not affect the Critical Path. It changes what dates will be seen. Press the lookup button and a Calendar will come into view. Select the desired date and press OK.
This field will display the current day of the project being displayed. By using the arrows, the user can scroll the view forward and backward. Enter the any project day to jump forward or backward along the Critical Path. Type in the project day number and press Tab.
Add & Change (buttons)
see Adding or Changing an Activity
Delete (button)
Press the Delete button to delete the highlighted Activity.
Close (button)
The Close button closes this window and returns to the previous screen.
When the Print Reports button is pressed, the following screen will come into view.
Reports are sorted by Report Title, by User ID, or by Modify Date.
Add (button)
When the Add button is pressed, the following screen comes into view.
Report Title
Enter the Report Title in this field. Warning: The title is used to store the selected limits. If no title is entered for the report, the message "Nothing to Print" will come into view when trying to print the report.
Report Type
There are three types of report from which to choose. The Network Relationship Diagram is also known as a GANNT Chart.
Network Relationship Diagram
Bar Chart by Early Start
Bar Chart by Late Start
Paper Size
Choose either Letter (8 1/2 X 11) or Legal (8 1/2 X 14).
Orientation
Choose either Portrait or Landscape.
Report Start Date
The Report can be run from the Construction Start Date or from another User-Defined Date. Press the lookup button to select a date from the Calendar.
Save and Print (button)
Click this button to save the current settings and print the report immediately, without having to return to the Report Title browse window.
Adding or Changing an Activity
When the Add or Change button is pressed, the following screen comes into view.
Activity ID
The Activity ID is the Cost Code of the work to be performed. For example: The Activity ID for Electrical work is 01600S. Click on the lookup button to select from a list of Cost Codes.
Description
Enter a brief description of the Activity. The name entered in with the Cost Code will automatically be placed here.
Original Duration (in days)
Use the arrows to change the number of days it will take to complete the Activity.
Current Duration
This field is used when the Activity is already underway. Enter the number of days of work already done in this Activity.
Cost Codes Associated with This Activity
This field is used when the user wishes to keep track of the Cost Codes used on this Activity. If a Change Order Detail includes a Cost Code that is used by an Activity, the screen will look like this.
The Activity that uses this Cost Code will be displayed. After the Activity is a field called Delay. If the Change Order causes a Delay in the Activity, enter the number of days the Activity will be Delayed in this field by clicking the Change button. By doing so, the Critical Path will not be upset by outside changes to the Job.
Add (button)
Press the Add button to add a Cost Code to the list of Cost Codes associated with the Activity. When the Add button is pressed, the following screen comes into view.
Highlight the desired Cost Code and press the Select button.
Delete (button)
Press the Delete button and the highlighted Cost Code will be deleted from the list.
Activities that Must Be Completed First
This is the field that helps determine the Critical Path. By adding Activities that must be completed first, the new Activity is placed farther down on the prioritized list.
Add (button)
Press the Add button to add an Activity to the list. When the Add button is pressed, the following screen comes into view.
A list of all available Activities will be displayed. Highlight the desired Activity and press the Select button.
