CHE 620 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 5: SCHEDULING THE WORK OF A PROJECT

PREPARED BY: NUR SYABILLA MOHAMED NIZA (2009802134) EH220 6C

PREPARED FOR: DR. ABDUL HADI

CHAPTER 5 SCHEDULING THE WORK OF A PROJECT The project schedule is simply the project plan in an altered format. It is a convenient form for monitoring and controlling project activities. The schedule can be prepared in several formats; the most common formats described in this chapter are Gantt charts and PERT/CPM networks. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and the Critical Path Method (CPM) were initially developed separately. PERT was developed by the U.S. Navy, Booz-Allen Hamilton and Lockhead Aircraft; while CPM was developed by DuPont De Nemours Inc. There are similarities and differences between PERT and CPM. Generally, PERT used probabilistic (or uncertain) estimates of activity durations, whereas CPM used deterministic (or certain) estimates but included both time and cost estimates to allow time/cost trade-offs to be used. The similarities between PERT and CPM are plenty; (1) networks were employed to schedule and display task sequences; (2) a critical path of tasks that could not be delayed without delaying the project was identified; (3) activities with slack that could be somewhat delayed without extending the time required to complete the project were also identified. Table 5.1 describes the similarities and differences of PERT and CPM. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) Critical Path Method (CPM)

Differences
-used probabilistic estimates of activity durations -used deterministic estimates including time and cost estimates

Similarities
-employed networks to schedule and display task sequences -identified critical path of tasks that could not be delayed -identified activities with slack that could be delayed

Table 5.1 Differences and similarities of PERT and CPM There are several terms used in PERT/CPM analysis, as shown in Figure 5.1 below.

Activity Critical Time

Event

Languages in PERT/CPM
Critical Path Milestones

Path

Network

Figure 5.1 Languages in PERT/CPM

Table 5.2 describes in detail the languages used regarding PERT/CPM analysis.

Terms used in PERT/CPM

(1) Activity (2) Event (3) Milestones (4) Network

Definition
A task or set of tasks required by the project and uses resources and time. An identifiable state resulting from the completion of one or more activities, and consume no resources or time. Identifiable and noteworthy events showing progress on project. A diagram of nodes connected by directional arcs that defines the project and illustrates the technological relationships of all activities. A series of connected activities between any two events. The set of activities on a path from projects start event. The time required to complete all activities.

(5) Path (6) Critical path (7) Critical time

Table 5.2 The terms used in PERT/CPM analysis and the definitions. There are two ways of displaying a project network; activity-on-arrow (AOA) and activity-on-network (AON). AOA is usually associated with PERT whereas AON is usually associated with CPM. Figure 5.2 describes the process of creating AON network whereas Figure 5.3 describes the strategies of making AOA network, which is more difficult to draw compared to AON network.

1 2 3

Task(s) that has no predecessor follow the Start node, connected with arrows.

Task(s) that has predessors are connected with arrows accordingly.

When no more task is available, tie all loose ends to Finish node.

Figure 5.2 Process to draw AON network.

(1) Create a Start node, followed by tasks that has no predecessor.

(2) Complete in numbered nodes (often drawn as circles)

(3) Tasks with predecessors are connected, with additions of numbered event nodes.

(5) Tasks with no successors go to Finish node.

(4) Dummy activity can be used when two activities have same starting and finishing nodes.

Figure 5.3 Process to draw AOA network Figure 5.4 shows an example of AON network and Figure 5.5 shows an example of a completed AOA network.

Figure 5.4 A sample of AON network.

Figure 5.5 A sample of a completed AOA network.

Consider Figure 5.6, a sample of AON network with the activity names and durations shown in the appropriate nodes.

Figure 5.6 A sample of AON network. There are 5 paths involved in the above network; (1) a-d-g-j, (2) a-d-h-j, (3) a-e-h-j, (4) a-c-f-i, and (5) b-f-i. The durations for each paths are; (1) 5+4+5+4=18, (2) 5+4+6+4=19, (3) 5+6+6+4=21, (4) 5+3+4+6=18 and (5) 4+4+6=14. From the information available, we can say that the critical time for the project described is 21 days whereby path (3) is the critical path. Thus, any activities involved in the critical path cannot be delayed as it will automatically delay the whole project duration. In addition, it is a common practice to show the earliest start time (ES) and the earliest finish time (EF) above each node and the latest start time (LS) and the latest finish time (LF) at below each node. Figure 5.7 shows the information contents in an AON network. The ES and EF for each activity can be easily found by beginning at the start node and moving from left to right through the network. This is called a forward pass, which also help in determining the critical path and time of the PERT/CPM network. The LS and LF values can as well be found by performing the backward pass. All activities, and thus all tasks, must be completed to finish the project. The shortest time for completion of the network is equal to the longest path through the network.

ES Activity name Activity duration

EF

LS

LF

Figure 5.7 Information contents in an AON network. The amount of time a noncritical task can be delayed without delaying the project is called slack or float, which can be easily calculated as LS ES = LF EF = slack. It should be clear that for any task on the critical path, its LF must be the same as its EF, therefore it has zero (0) slack.

A Gantt chart is the most popular ways of exhibiting sets of related activities in the form of a schedule, whereby it displays project activities as bars measured against a horizontal time scale. In a Gantt chart, each task is shows its name, WBS number, or ID number in order to identify predecessors. Any activity that has no predecessors starts at the beginning of Day 1 and extends to its duration. An activity with predecessor begins when its latest predecessor has been completed. The major advantage of the Gantt chart is that it is easy to read and to show show the current status of a project that is partially complete. Time and resource requirements may also be automatically transferred to the chart and information can easily be added to show such things as ES, EF, LS, LF and slack. Nevertheless, it may be difficult to find the critical path on a Gantt chart.

Figure 5.8 A sample Gantt chart showing actual progress vs. baseline