The critical path is the longest chain of dependent tasks in a project network, from start to finish. The total duration of the critical path equals the minimum possible project duration. Any delay to a task on the critical path will delay the project end date by the same amount.
Zoho Projects calculates and highlights the critical path automatically in the Gantt chart when you enable the Critical Path Method (CPM) view. Critical path tasks are colour-coded for easy identification.
Tasks not on the critical path have float (slack) — they can be delayed by the float amount without affecting the project end date. Knowing which tasks have float helps project managers make resource allocation decisions, moving resources from low-float tasks to critical path tasks when deadlines are at risk.
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