Network Analysis: Critical Path Method

GN KHALSA COLLEGE TYBMS

Group Members
Purna Kaur Arora Tejal Kaur Arora 02 04

Saloni Jain
Prateek Palahe 21

16

Yash Thakkar
Aakash Wig 32

28

Introduction

What is Network Analysis?

Two different techniques for network analysis were developed independently in the late 1950's these were: PERT (for Program Evaluation and Review Technique) CPM (for Critical Path Management)

Objectives of Network Analysis

Relationships between activities Minimum project completion time Minimum project completion cost Minimization of cost for a given total time Minimization of cost for a given total cost Minimization of idle resources

Basic Concepts

An Activity An Event Sequential Activities Preceding or Predecessor Activity Succeeding or Successor Activity Concurrent Activities Merge Event Burst Event Merge & Burst Event

Construction of Network Diagram

Guidelines Interdependency Precedence relationship Concurrence relationship Subsequence relationship Dummy Activity

Network Diagram

Interdependency & Dummy Activity

Common Errors in Networking

Dangling
Looping Redundancy

 Determination of Critical Path

Time estimates in Network Analysis Forward Pass Backward Pass Floats Total float Free float Independent float Interfering float Slacks

Critical Path Method

Critical Event Critical Activity Critical Path Advantages of Critical Path Method

Limitations of Critical Path Method

Network analysis Example 1

Precedence table

Solution
Activity on Arc Network

2
A(3) 1 D(12)

B(8) 3

E(10)
C(7) 4

Event Times
2 A(3) 1 D(12)
Each event node needs two boxes, to mark in the event times.

B(8)
3 5

E(10)
C(7) 4 Earliest event time EET Latest event time LET F(20)

Earliest Event Times

2 A(3) 1 0 D(12) 3

The EET for an event occurs when all activities leading into that event are complete.

B(8)
12 3 42 5

E(10)
C(7) 4
To find EETs, work forwards through the network from the start node to the finish node.

F(20) 22

Latest Event Times

2 A(3) 1 D(12)

3 4
B(8)

The LET for an event is the latest it can occur without delaying subsequent events.

12 12
3

42 42
5

E(10)

C(7) 4
To find LETs, work backwards through the network from the finish node to the start node.

F(20)

22 22

Critical Activities
Critical activities are activities that cannot run late. For critical activities:

2 A(3) 1

3 4
B(8)

Latest finish Earliest start = length of activity

D(12)

12 12
3 E(10)

42 42
5 F(20)

0 0

C(7)

4
The green arrows mark the critical activities, which form the critical path. The critical path(s) must form a continuous route from the start node to the finish node.

22 22

Float
Total Float latest finish earliest start length of activity Independent Float earliest finish latest start length of activity Interfering Float Total float Independent float

Total
It is useful to represent float in a table.

Independent

Interfering

A B C

Float (answers)
A B C

Total 1 1 15

Independent 0 0 15

Interfering 1 1 0

Hint: Total is maximum possible float so take outside no.s Independent is minimum possible float so take inside no.s

Network Analysis Example 2

Activity
1-2 1-3 1-4 2-4 2-5 3-6 4-6

Duration
4 days 12 days 10 days 8 days 6 days 8 days 10 days

With the help of the activities given above draw a network. Determine its critical path, earlier start time, earliest finish time, latest start time, latest finish time, total float, free float and independent float.

Solution The network based on the activities given in the example is as follows:

E=4 L=4 2
4 10 8

E =10 L =12
10

7
10

E= 22 L = 22

10

1 E=0 L=0
12

4 E =12 L =12

6
8

8 E =22 L =22 E =32 L =32

9 E =38 L = 38

3 E= 12 = 14 The time estimates and floats L are calculated as below:

Job or activity

Duratio n of an activity Dij

EST (=Ei)

EFT (Ei +Dij)

LST (Lj-Dij)

Slack of Tail event (Lj-Ej) Head event (Lj-Ej)

Total (LSTEST)

Free float (Total Floatslack of head event)

Independent (free float slack of tail event)

1-2 1-3 1-4 2-4 2-5 3-6 4-6 5-7 6-7 6-8 7-8 8-9

4 12 10 8 6 8 10 10 0 8 10 6

0 0 0 4 4 12 12 10 22 22 22 32

4 12 10 12 10 20 22 20 22 30 32 38

0 2 2 4 6 14 12 12 22 24 22 32

0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0

0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 0

0 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 0

0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0

Network Analysis Example 3

Analyze the network below for the critical path and for different floats 5

6 E = 19 L = 19
6 1

2 E=3 L=3

10 3

1 E=0 L=0

3 E = 13 L = 13 4

E = 17 L = 18

14

E =14 L = 17

Network analysis table

Activity 1-2 1-3 1-4 2-3 2-6 3-5 3-6 4-5 5-6

Duration 3 4 14 10 5 4 6 1 1 E 0 0 0 3 3 13 13 14 17

Start L 0 9 3 3 14 14 13 17 18 E 3 4 14 13 8 17 19 15 18

Finish L 3 13 17 13 19 18 19 18 19

Float Total Free Ind. Interfering 0 0 0 0 9 9 9 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 11 11 11 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0

Network Analysis Example 4

A small assembly plant assembles PCs through 9 interlinked stages according to following precedence/ process:
Stage from to 1-2 1-3 1-4 2-4 2-5 3-6 4-6 5-7 6-7 6-8 7-8 8-9 Duration (Hours) 4 12 10 8 6 8 10 10 0 8 10 6

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

Draw an arrow diagram (network) representing the above assembly work. Tabulate earliest start, earliest finish, latest start and latest finish time for all the stages. Find the critical path and the assembly duration. Tabulate total float, free float and independent float.

Solution (i) The network diagram representing th given assembly work is as follows

E=4 L=4

E = 10 L = 12
10

7
10

4 8

E=0 L=0
10 10

0 8 6

4 E = 12 L = 12
12 8

6 E = 22 L = 22

8 E = 32 L = 32

9 E = 38 L = 38

3 E = 12 L = 14

Stage or Activity

Duration (hours)

Earliest start (EST)

Earliest finish (EFT)

Latest start (LST)

Latest finish (LFT)

Floats Total (LSTEST) Free (Total float-slack of head event) (8) Independent (free float)slack of tail event) (9)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

1-2 1-3 1-4 2-4 2-5 3-6 4-6 5-7 6-7 6-8 7-8 8-9

4 12 10 8 6 8 10 10 0 8 10 6

0 0 0 4 4 12 12 10 22 22 22 32

4 12 10 12 10 20 22 20 22 30 32 38

0 2 2 4 6 14 12 12 22 24 22 32

4 14 12 12 12 22 22 22 22 32 32 38

0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 0

0 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 0

0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0

Case Study
Reliable Construction Company Project The Reliable Construction Company has just made the winning bid of $5.4 million to construct a new plant for a major manufacturer. The contract includes the following provisions: A bonus of $150,000 if reliable has completed the plant with in 40 weeks.

START

Activ ity Code

A. Exc avate B. Fou ndation C. Roug h w all

D. Roof E. Exter io r plu mb ing

10

F. I nterior plumbing G. Exter ior s id ing H. Exter io r p ainting

I. Electr ic al w or k J. Wallboar d K. Floor in g L. I nterior painting

M. Exterior f ixtur es N. In ter ior fixtures J 8

9 K M 2 N 6 4 L 5

FINISH

The Paths for Reliables Project Network

ES and EF Times
START 0 ES = 0 EF = 0 A 2 ES = 0 EF = 2

LS and LF Times
START 0 LS = 0 LF = 0 A 2 LS = 0 LF = 2

ES = 2 EF = 6
B 4

10 ES = 6 EF = 16

LS = 2 LF = 6 LS = 6 LF = 16

10

6 ES = 16 EF = 22

4 ES = 16 EF = 20

ES = 16 7 EF = 23
D

6 LS = 20 LF = 26

LS = 16 LF = 20

LS = 18 7 LF = 25

ES = 22 7 EF = 29

ES = 20 5 EF = 25 ES = 25 EF = 33

LS = 26 7 LF = 33

LS = 20 LF = 25 LS = 25 LF = 33

J H ES = 29 9 EF = 38 K M 2 ES = 38 EF = 40 N 4 ES = 33 EF = 37

J H LS = 33 9 LF = 42 K M 2 LS = 42 LF = 44 N 4 LS = 34 LF = 38

ES = 33 5 EF = 38

= 33 5 LS LF = 38

ES = 38 6 EF = 44

= 38 6 LS LF = 44

FINISH 0 ES = 44 EF = 44

FINISH 0 LS = 44 LF = 44

The Complete Project Network

START 0 S = ( 0, 0) F = ( 0, 0)

S = ( 0, 0) F = ( 2, 2)

S = ( 2, 2) F = ( 6, 6) S = ( 6, 6) F = ( 16, 16 )

10

6 S = ( 16, 20 ) F = ( 22, 26 )

S = ( 16, 16 ) F = ( 20, 20 )

S = ( 16, 18 ) 7 F = ( 23, 25 )

S = ( 22, 26 ) 7 F = ( 29, 33 )

S = ( 20, 20 ) 5 F = ( 25, 25 ) S = ( 25, 25 ) F = ( 33, 33 )

J H 9 S = ( 29, 33 ) F = ( 38, 42 ) K M 2 S = ( 38, 42 ) F = ( 40, 44 ) N

4 S = ( 33, 34 ) F = ( 37, 38 )

S = ( 33, 33 ) F = ( 38, 38 )

S = ( 38, 38 ) 6 F = ( 44, 44 )

FI NI SH 0 S = ( 44, 44 ) F = ( 44, 44 )

Evaluation
CPA is a planning and project management tool. Whilst it can help ensure a project is completed as quickly as possible, and resources used as efficiently as possible, it does depend on the accuracy of the information used. Just drawing up a CPA will not in itself ensure a project runs to plan; most projects encounter some delay or something unexpected, so managers need to use tool such as CPA to monitor the project and take swift action to rectify any problems. These days, businesses use a software package such as Microsoft Project to draw up and manage a CPA.