CPM, A Breakthrough Approach

When Critical Path Management™ services are successfully and compliantly implemented, the project critical path is accelerated by an average of 33%, based upon decades of project implementation data. Critical Path Management™ services and the C³ Model: Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination help to develop high performance teams. Critical Path Management™ services focus on compliant project execution excellence that drive critical path acceleration. It is a form of project management that focuses on the tasks on and near the project critical path. This is in contrast to Waterfall and Agile project management approaches. Consistently, Critical Path Management™ services deliver projects compliantly, on time and within budget. 

Effective communication is the backbone of all successful projects. C³ Model communication not only focuses on 360° project communication but also on communication between upstream and downstream task owners. Effective communication ensures that all task requirements are clear during task execution. This increases the probability that the task effort will be acceptable to the downstream task owner, and rework won't be required. Cumulatively this saves considerable time and money over the course of a project.

C³ Model cooperation focuses on several different forms of cooperation: cooperation within a project team, cross-functional cooperation, and upstream and downstream task owner cooperation. The benefits of cooperation within a project team are obvious; without cooperation the team will not perform well. Lack of cross-functional cooperation is often a roadblock to project success, which is why the C³ Model addresses this issue by meeting the needs of cross-functional stakeholders, and in return they ensure that their function meets project needs. Upstream and downstream task owner cooperation focuses on cooperation in the project work flow. When it happens on or near critical path, it is Critical Path Management™. When upstream and downstream task owners cooperate, the project benefits by encountering fewer project work flow issues, which results in project time savings. 

Within the C³ Model, coordination refers to task owner coordination along the project critical path. This is a key part of Critical Path Management™ services. Considerable project time is often wasted between the end of upstream tasks and the start of their downstream tasks. Over the course of a project, this can add up to significant project time lost. The key is coordinating the project work flow hand offs between upstream and downstream task owners, so that minimal time passes between the end of the upstream task and the beginning of the downstream task. By coordinating these project work flow hand offs, substantial project time is saved.