How Do You Differentiate Between PERT & CPM?
Project management will always be a challenging job; however, tools exist to help manage and organize tasks. Two of these tools are PERT and CPM. In 1957, the Critical Path Method (CPM) was developed as a project management model. The model uses a fixed time limit to keep track of every activity. The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a project management model that allows variable time limits, which is more realistic. It was introduced by the U.S. Navy’s Polaris project in the late 1950s. Understand the main attributes of PERT project management. PERT is a tool to analyze projects and duration to determine a critical path. Look for a single estimate of time. PERT models have a fixed time period, whereas CPM allows for variation in time estimates/activity times. Look for “deterministic” or predictable project times in PERT models. In CPM, the times are considered to be random. Normally, models use a probability distribution to determine random numbers. Look for nodes or
