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Longest path

What is the longest path?

In phase pull planning, the longest path is the chain of dependent activities that takes the most time to complete before reaching a specific milestone. It represents the critical flow of work — any delays on this path will directly impact the milestone date. 

Identifying the longest path helps teams: 

  • Understand where the biggest risks to the schedule may lie.
  • Prioritize coordination across key trades.
  • Optimize sequencing to meet the phase milestone on time.
The path is calculated from the first day of the first activity in a sequence to the last day of the final activity — with dependency connections between activities. 

 

How to view the longest path 

Follow these steps to access the longest path for a milestone: 

  1. Ensure all necessary dependencies between activities and the milestone have been created. This is done using the green circle when the tag is selected. Drag the line to a preceding tag for which the activity is dependent on being completed. 
  2. Right-click (or press and hold on a touchscreen) on the milestone.
  3. In the contextual menu, select Show longest path.
  4. The Longest path dialog will appear. 

[ 🎥G1 video of creating dependencies form the milestone and between tags and then choosing longest path ]

 Understanding the longest path dialog 

The longest path dialog shows key information related to the milestone and its connected path: 

Milestone 

  • Name — the milestone’s title
  • Date — the scheduled date for completion of the milestone 

Longest path 

  • Days — total number of working days along the longest dependency chain
  • Weeks — approximate length of the path expressed in calendar weeks
  • Start day — the earliest date where the first activity on the path begins
  • End date — the last day of the final activity before the milestone 

This data helps you evaluate if the schedule is realistic or tight and if it has room for improvement.  

When activated, the longest path will also be highlighted directly on the board using blue connector lines. These lines trace the full path from the first activity to the milestone, making it easy to: 

  • Spot critical tasks at a glance. 
  • Focus team discussions during planning.
  • Refine sequencing or address constraints that may affect flow.