Fuzzy Critical Path Method Based on Metric Distance Ranking of Fuzzy Numbers

The Critical Path Method (CPM) is a vital tool for the planning and control of complex projects. The successful implementation of CPM requires the availability of a clear determined time duration for each activity. However, in practical situations this requirement is usually hard to fulfill since many of activities will be executed for the first time. Hence, there is always uncertainty about the time durations of activities in the network planning, leading to the development of fuzzy critical path methods. We propose a metric distance ranking method for fuzzy numbers to a critical path method for fuzzy project network, where the duration time of each activity in a fuzzy project network is represented by a trapezoidal fuzzy number. A numerical example is particularly provided to explain the proposed procedure in detail. Possibility of meeting a fuzzy project in a specified time is calculated for different projects having different number of activities using fuzzy critical path method based on signed distance ranking of fuzzy numbers and also using proposed method. The comparison reveal that the method proposed in this paper is more effective in determining the activity criticalities, finding the critical path and possibility of meeting a fuzzy project in a specified time.