Project Management and scheduling

Objectives of project scheduling

Network analysis
Scheduling techniques

Objectives of project scheduling

Produce an optimal project schedule in
terms of cost, time, or risk.
Usually, it is difficult to optimize the three
variables at the same time. Thus,
setting an acceptable limit for two of the
three varaibles and optimizing the project in
terms of the third variable.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

Produce the earliest and lastest starting and
finishing times for each task or activity.
Calculate the amount of slack associated
with each activity.
Determine the critical tasks (Critical path).
Forward pass and backward pass
computational procedures.

Network control
Track the progress of a project on the basis
of the network schedule and taking
corrective actions when necessary.
Evaluate the actual performance against
expected performance.

PERT/CPM
Node

4
Merge point Successor

Burst point

2
Arrow

Predecessor

Two models of PERT/CPM

Activity-on-Arrow (AOA): Arrows are used
to represent activities or tasks. Nodes
represent starting and ending points of
activities.
Activity-on-Node (AON): Nodes are used
to represent activities or tasks, while arrows
represent precedence relationships.

Recap - purpose of CPM

Critical path
Earliest starting time
ES
Earliest completion time EC
Latest starting time LS
Latest completion time LC
Activity Capital letter
Duration
t

Example

Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

Predecessor
A
C
A
B, D, E

Duration
2
6
4
3
5
4
2

Activity on Node Network

F
4

A
2

End

D
3
G
2

B
6

S ta rt

C
4

E
5

Forward pass analysis

2

0
A
2
0

2
D
3

0
0

S ta rt
0

C
4

B
6
4

F
4

E
5

11

G
2

11

End

11

Backward pass analysis

2

0
4
0

A
2

0
3

B
6

0
0

C
0 4

6
9

11
11

D
3

F
4

0
S ta rt

9
9

E
5

9
9

G
2

11
11

11

End

11
11

Slack Time in Triangles

0
4
0

A
2

0
3

B
6

0
0
0

C
4
0

D
3

11
11

5
9

F
4

S ta rt
0

9
9

E
5
0

9
9

G
2
0

11
11

11

End
0

11
11

Critical path
F
4

A
2

End

D
3
B
6

S ta rt

C
4

G
2

E
5

Computational analysis
of network
Forward pass: each activity begins at its
earliest time. An activity can begin as soon
as the last of its predecessors is finished.
Backward pass: begins at its latest
completion time and ends at the latest
starting time of the first activity in the
project network.

Rules for implementation forward pass

The earliest start time (ES) for any node (j)
is equal to the maximum of the earliest
completion times (EC) of the immediate
predecessors of the node.
The earliest completion time (EC) of any
activity is its earliest start time plus its
estimated time (its duration).
The earliest completion time of the project
is equal to the earliest completion time the
very last activity.

Rules for implementation backward pass

The latest completion time (LC) of any
activity is the smallest of the latest start
times of the activitys immediate
successors.
The latest start time for any activity is the
latest completion time minus the activity
time.

Calculate slack time for each

activity
Slack time: the difference in time between
the two dates at the beginning of a job or
the two dates at the end of the job. Slack
time represents the flexiblity of the job.
Thus, slack time = LS - ES or LC - EC

PERT
PERT is an extension of CPM.
In reality, activities are usually subjected to
uncertainty which determine the actual
durations of the activities.
It incorporates variabilities in activity
duration into project entwork analysis.
The poetntial uncertainties in activity are
accounted for by using three time estimates
for each activity

Variation of Task Completion Time

Average

Task A
2
4
6
4

Task B
3
4
5
4

PERT Estimates & Formulas

a+4m+b
te =
6

2
(b-a)
s2 = 36

a = optimistic time estimate

m = most likely time estimate
b = pessimistic time estimate (a < m < b)
te = expected time for the activity
s2=variance of the duration of the activity

PERT
Calculate the expected time for each
activity
Calculate the variance of the duration of
each activity
Follow the same procedure as CPM does to
calculate the project duration, Te
Calculate the variance of the project
duration by summing up the variances of
the activities on the critical path.

Sources of the Three Estimates

Furnished by an experienced person

Extracted from standard time data
Obtained from historical data
Obtained from regression/forecasting
Generated by simulation
Dictated by customer requirement

A PERT Example
Activity Predecessor

te

s2

1
5
2
1
4
3
1

2
6
4
3
5
4
2

4
7
5
4
7
5
3

2.17
6.00
3.83
2.83
5.17
4.00
2.00

0.2500
0.1111
0.2500
0.2500
0.2500
0.1111
0.1111

A
B
C
D
E
F
G

A
C
A
B, D, E

What do Te & S2 tell us?

How likely to finish the project in a
specified deadline.
For example, suppose we would like to
know the probability of completing the
project on or before a deadline of 10 time
units (days)

Probability of finishing the

project in 10 days
Te = 11

S2 = V[C] + V[E] + V[G]

S= 0.7817
= 0.25 + 0.25 + 0.1111
= 0.6111
( 10-Te )
P( T<=Td ) = P(T<=10) = P(z<=
)
S
(10-11)
= P(z<=
0.7817
= 0.1003

) = P(z<= -1.2793)

About 10% probabilty fo finishing the project within 10 days

Probability of finishing the

project in 13 days
Te = 11

S2 = V[C] + V[E] + V[G]

S= 0.7817
= 0.25 + 0.25 + 0.1111
= 0.6111
( 13-Te )
P(T<=Td ) = P(T<=10) = P(z<=
)
S
(13-11)
= P(z<=
0.7817
= 0.9948

) = P(z<= 2.5585)

About 99% probabilty of finishing the project within 13 days

Gantt Chart
Gantt chart is a matrix of rows and
columns. The time scale is indicated along
the horizontal axis. Activities are arranged
along the vertical axis.
Gantt charts are usually used to represent
the project schedule. Gantt charts should be
updated periodically.

Gantt Chart
G
F
E
D
C
B
A
1

10

11

Gantt Chart Variations

Linked Bars
Progress - monitoring
Milestone
Task - combinations
Phase-Based
Multiple-Projects
Project-Slippage-tracking

Linked Bars Gantt Chart

G
F
E
D
C
B
A
1

10

11