rting point for a series of events must be clearly recognizable, before the network concept may be effectively employed.
In the application of the network concept to construction project management, two separate systems were developed concurrently. These two systems were the critical path method (CPM) and the program evaluation and review technique (PERT). The development of CPM began in 1956 at the du Pont Company. CPM was originally designed for use in the company's own engineering operations. PERT was designed by the U. S. Navy, beginning in 1957, for the management of its Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile program.
From its inception, CPM was a computer-based system. By 1957, the basic elements of CPM had been defined, and no "fundamental changes have been made in this . . . work." CPM relies on the four essential components of the network concept. The critical path in a series of events in a network is defined as the longest route through the network of events. CPM emphasizes both time and cost in construction applications.
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