Project management · Sequence · Component
The critical chain
The path that actually determines the date — because improving anything off it changes nothing.
The deliverable
What it is
One path through the dependencies is longer than all the others and it sets the date. Effort spent anywhere else improves nothing.
The chain moves as the project progresses, and a chain identified at the start and not re-checked is frequently no longer the constraint.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
The recheck
When the chain was last recalculated.
3 attributes: Last recalculated · Changed · New constraint
Learn
A path with two days of slack is about to become the critical one. Watch the near-critical, not only the critical.