What is the difference between PERT and CPM? Project management entails planning, scheduling, executing, monitoring, and controlling different projects in a business organization. It uses both PERT and CPM techniques.
The article provides detailed insight into the difference between PERT and CPM with examples for easier understanding. Let’s jump into the topic.
What is PERT?
PERT stands for project evaluation and review technique. The technique helps to understand planning, arranging, scheduling, coordinating, and governing the project.
PERT is commonly used in events and activities. It was developed in the 1950s with the aim of reducing cost and time for production.
Advantages of PERT
- Ideal for planning large projects
- Help to show the critical path in a clear way
- Help to provide progress and completion report of the project
- Help improve communication between different departments
- Help identify risks linked to the project
Disadvantages of PERT
- Time-consuming technique
- Tend to entail subjective analysis
- Prediction tend to be inaccurate
- The method is generally expensive
What is CPM?
CPM stands for the Critical Path Method. This is a statistical method used to manage the activities of a project. Besides that, it helps reduce time and differentiate between critical and non-critical tasks.
Advantages of CPM
- Help recognize critical activities
- Improve the productivity of a business organization
- Manage resources effectively and efficiently
- Outline long term coordination of projects and planning
- Help in scheduling and controlling projects
Disadvantages of CPM
- Difficult for beginners to understand
- Too expensive to acquire the software
- Time-consuming when structuring the CPM
- Difficult to allocate resources
- Controlling and scheduling activities is difficult
Comparison Chart: PERT Vs CPM
| Basic Terms | PERT | CPM |
| Stands For | Project Evaluation Review Technique | Critical Path Method |
| Meaning | The technique used to manage uncertain activities of a project | The statistical technique used to manage the activities of a project |
| Method | Control time | Control cost and time |
| Evolution | Research and development project | Construction of project |
| Manages | Unpredictable activities | Predictable activities |
| Orientation | Event-oriented | Activity-oriented |
| Model | Probabilistic Model | Deterministic Model |
| Estimates | Three-time estimates | One time estimate |
| Appropriate for | High precision time estimate | Reasonable time estimate |
| Nature of jobs | Non-repetitive nature | Repetitive nature |
| Critical and Non-critical activities | No differentiation | Differentiated |
| Crashing concept | Not applicable | Applicable |
Differences Between PERT and CPM
- PERT is a technique of planning, scheduling, controlling, organizing, and coordinating uncertain activities whereas CPM is a statistical method of planning, scheduling, organizing, coordinating and controlling well-defined activities
- PERT is a technique of planning and controlling time while CPM is a technique of controlling cost and time
- PERT came as a result of the research and development of projects while CPM as a result of the construction projects.
- The model of PERT is probabilistic whereas that of CPM is deterministic.
- PERT has three times estimates while CPM has only one time estimates
- PERT has a high precision time estimate whereas CPM has a reasonable time estimate.
- PERT deals with unpredictable activities whereas CPM deals with predictable activities
- PERT deals with jobs that are non-repetitive whereas CPM deals with repetitive projects.
- CPM has boundaries between critical and non-critical activities unlike in PERT
- PERT is ideal for research and development projects while CPM is suitable for non-research projects.
- The crashing concept is applicable in CPM to reduce time while not applicable to PERT.
- PERT is set according to events while CPM align with activities
Comparison Video
Summary
The core difference between PERT and CPM is Pert deals with unpredicted activities while CPM with predicted activities. Besides that, both are essential in the reduction of production cost and time.