Precedence Project

Engineering Management 1 Diagramming Resources:

Method Loading

Class 3: Project
Scheduling II

Ruel Ellis Project Project

Department of Mechanical and Resources Schedule
Manufacturing Engineering Leveling Compression

Precedence
Diagramming Method
Precedence Extension of basic PERT/CPM
Diagramming Permits partial parallel
performance of mutually
Method (PDM) dependent activities
Allowance of “overlap” of
activities - not just serial
Better recognition of “real world”
relationships between activities

Precedence
Diagramming Method
Used by “virtually all” project
management software
PDM Lead-Lag
More popular than CPM/PERT
method Relationships
Allows more flexibility than
CPM/PERT in lead/lag relationships
– different types of dependencies
 PDM Activity
Relationships
Complements traditional PERT
(Start-Finish) relationship
between activities
Four additional lead-lag
relationships besides simple
Start -to- Start lead SSAB
Finish -to- Finish lead FFAB
Finish -to- Start lead FSAB
Start -to- Finish lead SFAB
PDM Finish to Finish
Finish -to- Finish lead FFAB
Activity B cannot finish until
at least FF time units after
completion of activity A
A B
FFAB = 4
PDM Start to Finish
Start -to- Finish lead SFAB
there must be at least SF
time units between the
start of activity A and the
completion of activity B
SFAB = 6
A B
PDM Start to Start
Start -to- Start lead SSAB
Activity B cannot start until
activity A has been in
progress for at least SS
time units
SSAB = 2
A B
PDM Finish to Start
Finish -to- Start lead FSAB
Activity B cannot start until
at least FS time units after
the completion of activity A
FSAB = 3
A B
Problem Exercise:PERT
Network Analysis
Complete the PERT
network AON diagram
for the project.
You want to determine
Critical Path
Duration of the Critical
Path
 Example Project
Example Project (b-a)/6

Activity Description Pred Dur "a" Dur "m" Dur "b" (a + 4m + b)/6
(days) (days) (days)
A Test Plan Design None 3 5 7
Activity Description Pred Dur "a" Dur "m" Dur "b" Te Std
B Prototype Sample Const A 5 9 19
C Shock Testing B 3 4 11 (days) (days) (days) (days) Dev
D Environmental Testing B 8 16 18 A Test Plan Design None 3 5 7 5 0.67
E Shock Test Analysis B,C 10 12 32 B Prototype Sample Const A 5 9 19 10 2.33
F Shock Test Report E 6 11 10 C Shock Testing B 3 4 11 5 1.33
G Final Testing Draft Report D,F 2 4 6 D Environmental Testing B 8 16 18 15 1.67
H Final Test Report Delivery F,G 2 3 16 E Shock Test Analysis B,C 10 12 32 15 3.67
F Shock Test Report E 6 11 10 10 0.67
G Final Testing Draft Report D,F 2 4 6 4 0.67
H Final Test Report Delivery F,G 2 3 16 5 2.33

PERT Network Analysis

What is the probability that
the project will complete in
Less than 54 days? Constrained
Greater than 54 days?
Greater than 57 days? Resources
Less than 48 days?
95% confidence range for
duration?

Resource Allocation - the Project Constraints:

Issue Principal Types
Issues of resource utilization and Technical constraints
availability – fact of life Task inter-relationships
Scheduling is focused on time – Resource Constraints
physical resources are also People
important Materials
Equipment
Resources (including time) must
Capital
be considered – example, the
Physical constraints
students workload
Resource Constraining Constrained Resources
Constrained resource problem –
CPM & PERT both assume activity, duration, and resources
unlimited resources SUBJECT TO ________ (fill in the blank)
Generally accepted approaches:
NOT TRUE
Heuristic Methods (rules of thumb) –
– may have only a finite number of skilled
assets (example - systems analysts, used by software for leveling
programmers) resources
RESOURCE LEVELING - balance Optimization Models (mathematical)
the resource load – not good for large complex
situations
RESOURCE CONSTRAINING -
don’t exceed available resources

Resource Loading
Project Manager is responsible for
the design which will:
Resource Provide required resources,
in the required amounts, to
Loading where they are needed,
when they are needed
Loading provides a picture of the
work flow requirements in a
project – throughout the project
life cycle

Resource Loading Resource Loading

Time-phased resources - describes
amount of individual resources an Resource loading is the time
existing schedule requires during individual resources (people,
specific time periods
subcontractors, groups) have
Resource loads (requirements) of
each resource type are listed as a committed to a project
function of time period Introduction of constraints to the
The schedule becomes directly schedule
linked to requirements for
supporting resources
 Resource Loading
Constraints to the schedule
Can be given as a percentage
Can provide dates of availability
Work contour loading
Resource
A couple of issues:
Overloading – Pay overtime, Work
Leveling
over
Underloading – 100% committed
(wasted resource)

Resource Leveling Resource Leveling

Based on the results from the
resource loading – identification of
“peaks” and “valleys” in resources
assigned to the project
Leveling is designed to create a
smoother distribution of resource
usage – reduce variability of
resource commitment
Leveling also changes cost (cash
flow) distribution
Resource leveling is the process of
shifting resource usage to distribute
workload of team members and
availability of equipment/critical
resources
This is where the project managers
earn their money – making schedule-
costs tradeoffs

Resource Leveling Resource Leveling

Approaches to resource leveling Example: Unleveled
40
Redistribution of work – split/stagger
35
activities
30
Task shifting – using slack as shifting
25
leverage
20 analysts
Add additional resources programmers
15
Substitute resources (temporary) 10 trainers
Change scope – Eliminate activities 5
Change schedule 0
1st Qtr 2nd 3rd 4th
Qtr Qtr Qtr
 Resource Leveling Resources and Scheduling
Example: Leveled Resource leveling
25
Assumes sufficient resources to meet
20 peak project demands
Schedule tasks to smooth or balance
15 use of resources
analysts
10 programmers Resource constrained scheduling
trainers Assumes insufficient resources to
5 meet peak project demands
0
Schedule tasks to minimize project
1st Qtr 2nd 3rd 4th duration while adhering to limited
Qtr Qtr Qtr resources

Resources and Resource Leveling:

Scheduling An Illustrative Example
Assumptions (for convenience
not in practice) B
Tasks cannot be pre-empted
Constant resource level E
requirement for each task A C G
F

Task Schedule Details: Leveling

CPM at Work 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Task Resources DUR ES EF LS LF SL Task Res DUR ES LF SL
A 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 A 2 2 0 2 0 2 2
B 2 6 2 8 4 10 2 B 2 6 2 10 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
C 2 4 2 6 2 6 0 C 2 4 2 6 0 2 2 2 2
D 1 2 2 4 8 10 6 D 1 2 2 10 6 1 1
E 1 2 6 8 8 10 2 E 1 2 6 10 2 1 1
F 1 4 6 10 6 10 0 F 1 4 6 10 0 1 1 1 1
G 1 2 10 12 10 12 0
G 1 2 10 12 0 1 1

Which are the critical tasks? Total 2 2 5 5 4 4 4 4 1 1 1 1

Will now level use of resources:

assume only 1 type of resource used.
 Leveling Leveling
Task Res DUR SL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Resources
A 2 2 0 2 2
B 2 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 6
C 2 4 0 2 2 2 2
D 1 2 6 1 1 5

E 1 2 2 1 1 4
F 1 4 0 1 1 1 1
3 Series1
G 1 2 0 1 1
2
Total 2 2 5 5 4 4 4 4 1 1 1 1 1

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Leveling Leveling
Task Res DUR SL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Resources
A 2 2 0 2 2
B 2 6 2 X X 2 2 2 2 2 2 4.5
C 2 4 0 2 2 2 2
4
D 1 2 6 1 1
E 1 2 2 1 1 3.5
F 1 4 0 1 1 1 1 3
G 1 2 0 1 1 2.5
Series1
2
total 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 3 3 1 1 1.5
1
0.5
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

MS Project (automatic
leveling factors)
1. Predecessor – delay tasks without
dependencies first Project
2. Total slack – delay tasks with more
slack
3. Start Date – delay tasks that start
Schedule
earlier
4. Priority Value – delay lower priority
Compression
tasks first
5. Constraints – constrained tasks less
likely to be delayed
 Short Exercise: Shortening the
Shortening the Schedule Project Duration
Why would we want to shorten the
Identify several duration of a project?
Changed program deadlines
possible reasons why Change in project scope or technical
we might want to performance requirements
Budget timing shifts
shorten the duration for
Shift in Resources – M5I
a project. How can you shorten the project
duration? -- Typical Approaches

Shortening the Shortening a Project

Project Duration
Descope or “decontenting”
Technical performance relief or
reduction
Sacrifice quality
Subcontract elements
Introduce different
approach/technology (risk?)
Assign additional resources
Increase utilization of current resources
Rearrange sequencing of tasks
Schedule
Shortening durations of critical tasks
usually requires: (1) adding more
resources, (2) changing the scope,
and/or (3) changing the sequencing
Schedule crashing - obtaining the
greatest amount of schedule
compression for the least
incremental cost
Fast tracking – parallel processing
activities or overlapping them

Schedule Compression:
Crashing a Project Crashing a Project
Recognize a relationship between
Crashing as a “problem” vs.
project cost and schedule
crashing as an “exercise”
Why is this so difficult?
Provides the project manager
information to make “informed
Project system
Intended and unintended
decisions” about tradeoff of
consequences time for cost, or vice versa
Crashing by design vs. crashing Specify (normal time, crash time)
by force – Example, rebuilding the and (normal cost, crash cost)
interstate
 Crashing Sequence Cost Slope
Cc − C n
1. Determine critical path cost slope =
Tc − Tn
2. Establish cost slope for each
activity on the critical path
3. Select activity with lowest cost CC = crash cost
slope – decrease by unit
Cn = normal cost
4. Recompute new time, cost, and
critical path Tc = crash time
5. Repeat steps 2-4 until the Tn = normal time
desired duration is achieved

Crashing Example Short Exercise: Project

Problem Schedule Crashing
Activity Predecessor Duration

A -- 3 Draw an activity on arc

diagram for the project.
B A 2
Determine the critical
C A 2 path and the duration for
D* A 4
the critical path.

E** B 3

Crashing Example Problem

Act Pred Dur Dur Cost ($) Cost ($) Cost
Short Exercise: Project
Normal Crash Normal Crash Slope $/wk Schedule Crashing
A -- 3 2 400 800 -400
B A 2 1 200 800 -600 Determine the cost slope
for each activity in the
C A 2 2 200 200 ---
project and select the
D* A 4 1 300 1200 -300 activity to “crash” to
reduce the project by 1
E** B,C
B 3 1 100 800 -700
(2 wks)
week.
*partial crashing permitted
** no partial crashing permitted
 Crashing Example Problem Crashing
Act Pred Dur Dur Cost ($) Cost ($) Cost
Normal Crash Normal Crash Slope $/wk Limitations
A -- 3 2 400 800 -400 Assumes linear relationship
B A 2 1 200 800 -600 between time and cost
Not usually true (indirect costs don’t
C A 2 2 200 200 --- change at same rate as direct costs)
D* A 4 1 300 1200 -300 Requires a lot of extra cost
estimation
E** B,C
B 3 1 100 800 -700 Time consuming
(2 wks)
Ends with tradeoff decision –
*partial crashing permitted something has to give C, P, T, or S
** no partial crashing permitted

Fast-Tracking

Project A different approach to project

schedule compression
Overlapping the activity sequencing
Schedule Fast – example concurrent engineering –
EXAMPLE (Factory of the Future)
Tracking What are some of the issues in
Fast-tracking?

Shortening Project
Schedules
Original
schedule Issues in
Shortened
Project
duration
Scheduling
Overlapped
tasks
 Scheduling Issues
“Busting” the critical path
Critical Path MISCONCEPTIONS:
The critical path defines all the
critical project activities; this is all
that is “critical” for the PM
There is one critical path for a
project
The critical path is a constant
once established for a project
Scheduling Issues
Importance of estimating
Schedule trade-offs ----
Cost = f(Performance, Scope,
Time)
Scheduling is only part of a
complete approach to project
management
Tradeoffs between sophistication
and cost of methods for
scheduling – estimation & analysis

Scheduling Issues Scheduling Issues

Project scheduling is critical Project scheduling difficult
Project duration typically a (developing precedence
primary focus relationships, task durations)
Most PMs do not perform
Schedule slippage linked to:
probabilistic analysis
Increased costs
Most new DoD and other major
Unhappy customers procurements require project
Unhappy management schedule risk analysis

Next Class Session

Estimation Earned Value
of Project Analysis
Costs
Project
Control

Monitoring Project
Progress