Final answer:
To answer the student's question, you hand draw a Node Network Diagram and manually calculate the CPM by determining the relationships between activities, drawing the network, and calculating the timeframes for each activity. Identifying the critical path is crucial as it represents the longest, time-wise, and thus the most critical sequence of activities for project completion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question at hand requires creating a Node Network Diagram and performing Critical Path Method (CPM) calculations manually. To do this, you have to understand the steps involved in creating a network diagram and how to calculate various paths through the network to find the longest path, which represents the critical path. The steps are as follows Determine all the activities involved in the project and identify their sequential relationships.Draw the network diagram using nodes to represent activities and connecting them with arrows according to their dependencies.For each activity, calculate the Earliest Start Time (EST), Earliest Finish Time (EFT), Latest Start Time (LST), and Latest Finish Time (LFT).Identify the critical path by looking for the longest path through the network that determines the shortest possible project duration.Emphasis should be on careful calculation and understanding the logic behind the relationships of activities. Drawing the diagram and performing these calculations by hand will provide a deeper understanding of the CPM process, which is essential for efficient project management.Conclusion
The main answer to the question lies in comprehending how to manually construct a network diagram and conducting CPM calculations without the use of software. This exercise fosters an understanding of project management fundamentals and is invaluable for tasks requiring real-time adjustments or when software tools are not available.