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Critical path software

Lucidchart is an intelligent diagramming application that makes creating a CPM diagram easy with drag-and-drop shapes, ready-to-use templates, and more.

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Critical Path Software Lucidchart

Optimize project management with the critical path method

Visualize and Scope Critical path method in Lucidchart

Create a CPM chart to visualize and scope project tasks

The critical path method is a standard technique used to identify and schedule the sequence of critical tasks and events that determine the duration and completion of a project. A clearly outlined critical path lets project managers and stakeholders efficiently manage expectations and deadlines from the outset of the project. Use our critical path generator to easily envision your entire project outline. You can calculate time durations, determine the importance of individual tasks, and compare planned and actual progress of your project through completion.
Add formulas to shapes for an automated critical path experience

Add formulas to shapes for an automated critical path experience

Lucidchart’s intuitive diagramming features, customizable templates, and easy-to-use formulas support a more innovative approach to project management. Our CPM software lets project managers visualize and measure progress at a glance with automatically updated dates and task durations. Save yourself the time and hassle of updating your entire critical path diagram, also known as a project network diagram, manually. Add formulas and custom data fields to shapes that will update proceeding values in real time based on changes you make in any location of your project flow. 
Collaborate and Share your critical path method diagram with Lucidchart

Collaborate and share to create universal understanding amongst stakeholders

No other critical path method software lets project managers instantly communicate project expectations and task ownership to your entire team. Easily update your diagram to adjust to project developments or reflect newly forecasted needs—you never need to worry about missing revisions, feedback, or updates. Share your critical path analysis with team members and stakeholders with the appropriate access level to allow your collaborators to track progress and stay updated on project changes as they occur. 
Integrations with Lucid

Access, edit, and share your CPM chart using powerful integrations

Communicate your project plan easily when you insert your critical path analysis directly into the apps your team already uses. Lucidchart is fully integrated with many of today’s most popular apps, including G Suite, Microsoft Office, Atlassian, and Slack, so your CPM chart can be easily added to any document, spreadsheet, or slideshow presentation. With your diagram as a reference point, you can make sure your team is constantly aligned on project goals and updates within Confluence wiki pages, Jira tickets, Microsoft Teams conversations, and more.

Lucidchart feature highlights

Real-time collaboration

Streamline work by enabling multiple collaborators to create and edit the same diagram at once.

Create accurate diagrams faster by linking shapes to data from Google Sheets, Excel, or CSV files.

Transform data by visually highlighting patterns and insights for quick comprehension at a glance.

Add layers to visualizations for multiple levels, distinct visibility controls, and streamlined editing.

Collaborate confidently—view changes, revert to prior versions, and ensure diagrams are up to date.

Use existing shape libraries for Salesforce, enterprise architecture, and more—or customize your own.

Build and experiment with LLMs on the Lucid canvas. Test prompts and inputs to see what works best.

Lucidchart feature highlights

Streamline work by enabling multiple collaborators to create and edit the same diagram at once.

Explore our critical path method templates

vertical pert chart template

Vertical PERT Chart Template

Go to Vertical PERT Chart Template template

pert network diagram

Network Diagram (PERT Chart) Template

Go to Network Diagram (PERT Chart) Template template

PERT chart example

Go to PERT chart example template

Getting started in Lucidchart

Getting Started in Lucidchart

Follow along with this video tutorial and learn how to make any type of diagram in Lucidchart.

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Why teams choose Lucidchart

As an intelligent diagramming application, Lucidchart provides simple yet powerful capabilities for visualizing information.

Why Teams Choose Lucid

Collaboration. Bring teams together side by side on a shared canvas from anywhere in the world.

Alignment. Build transparency and shared understanding of how a team or company works.

Large-scale change. Increase visibility, standardization, and knowledge sharing across your entire org.

End-to-end workflows. Upgrade to the Lucid Suite for a complete, connected visual collaboration solution.

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What is critical path method?

If your team is like most, it has several projects competing for attention with multiple contingencies and fixes looming on the horizon. Often used along with PERT charts, the critical path method, or CPM, prioritizes the most crucial tasks first to keep projects in line and on time. Since the 1950s, critical path project management has provided the ability to outline a project’s longest sequence of tasks, referred to as the critical path, so project managers can determine the minimum amount of time a project will take.

Additional Lucidchart resources

Lucid Training Labs

Learn visual collaboration skills in free, self-serve courses and live training workshops.

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Lucid Community

Connect with other users to share tips and insights. Provide feedback to Lucid’s product team.

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Help center

Find detailed articles with step-by-step instructions for using specific Lucid features.

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Lucidchart tutorials

Go to the Lucidchart tutorials playlist on YouTube for video training on various topics.

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Collaborate with AI

Get an overview of Lucidspark’s AI functionality and find additional resources.

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Lucid blog

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Lucidchart pricing

Create a free account and compare options for paid Individual, Team, or Enterprise plans.

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Frequently asked questions about our critical path method software

We have over 1,000 templates to choose from, including project network diagrams, PERT charts, work breakdown structures, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, timelines, and other popular project management diagrams.

Use the data panel on the left side of your canvas to add custom fields with specific formulas where needed. You can apply calculations to individual shapes or grouped shapes.

Apply Layers to your chart to depict your original and updated critical paths within the same document. You can use Hotspots to easily bounce between your layers.

Everything you need to make a diagram

In addition to our critical path tool, Lucidchart offers support and training resources to help you branch out to any type of diagram.

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