“CRITICAL” PLANNING

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30054, 12 February 1963, Page 10

“CRITICAL” PLANNING

Knowing What Matters (N.Z. Press Association) ROTORUA, February 11. Planning is essential in all industry and business. More and more contractors throughout the world are adopting what is known as the “critical path method.” described as a new and powerful tool for management particularly suited to the construction industry, Mr F. P. Lu, senior lecturer at the Canterbury School of Engineering, said this in a paper presented to the annual conference of the Institution of Engineers, which opened in Rotorua this morning. .... The method originated in America and was responsible for shortening the completion time of the Polaris missile programme by two years, he said. It had since been used by manufacturing industries, oil refineries, chemical works, civil engineering building contractors and missile and space vehicle builders. "The method is primarily a technique for planning, but it is also useful for supervision and control of projects. Although overseas it is largely orientated for solution by electronic computers, a computer is not essential for its application,” said Mr Lu.

“In planning a project, the first job is always to break it down into a number of operations. Each of these operations Is important and must be carried out before the project as a whole can be completed. “However, experienced planners know that only some of the operations are critical and control the rate of completion of the project. "The remaining operations are not critical and a certain amount of delay is permissible.’’

It makes possible management by exception. Management can concen-

trate its attention on critical operations only, usually only 10 to 15 per cent, of the project. Optimum timing of operations and better co-ordination are possible.

Hot In Hastings.—Yesterday was the hottest day of the summer in Hastings. The temperature at 2.55 p.m. was 89.1 degrees.—(P.A.)