Task criticalness potential: A multiple criteria approach to project management

Abstract

The paper proposes the method evaluating tasks criticalness potential, which has been analysed by various project management tools. The criticalness potential of tasks, as opposed to a simple differentiation of tasks to critical and non-critical using the CPM method, considers not only time, but also resource, cost and topological aspects of a project schedule. In the paper, the tasks criticalness potential is defined applying task criticalness indicators which are further used as input for three various multiple criteria decision models. These models enable taking into account the principal project success criteria, i. e. time, resources and cost. The tasks criticalness potential cannot be determined using one indicator or one characteristic only. A selected multi-criteria approach based on task criticalness indicators differentiates between tasks more and less threatening to a project. This paper suggests different multiple criteria approaches to the quantification of task criticalness potential, compares them and discusses their advantages and disadvantages.