Understanding CPM theory can be achieved through classroom-based education. Understanding CPM practice involves a specialized type of knowledge that only experts have mastered. This is especially true when examining the complexities of out-of-sequence progress and its ramifications to the construction schedule. It frequently points to disruptions in the work but it can also hide such. This paper examines various categories of out-of-sequence progress, each with a different cause.

Various CPM software platforms identity out-of-sequence progress differently, erratically, or sometimes not at all. Some platforms have various settings which can change how this occurrence affects the critical path network. Understanding the nature of out-of-sequence progress and the limitations of the software is essential in order to use a CPM schedule effectively to identify, quantify, and monitor the actual rate of progress on a project.