MIT422 – Technology and Project Management

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Project Time Management

Project Time Management

At the end of the module the student is expected to:
1. Understand the concept of project time management
2. Enumerate the importance of project time management and process
3. Understand the following tools Network Diagram, Critical path
method, Gannt chart and program evaluation review technique (Pert)

Introduction
Time is a terrible resource to waste. This is the most valuable resource in a
project. Every delivery that you are supposed to make is time-bound.
Therefore, without proper time management, a project can head towards a
disaster. When it comes to project time management, it is not just the time of
the project manager, but it is the time management of the project team.
Scheduling is the easiest way of managing project time. In this approach, the
activities of the project are estimated and the durations are determined
based on the resource utilization for each activity. In addition to the estimate
and resource allocation, cost always plays a vital role in time management.
This is due to the fact that schedule over-runs are quite expensive.

Project Time Management

It describes the processes required to ensure timely completion of a project.
It consists of activity definition, activity sequencing, activity duration
estimating, schedule development, and schedule control.

Importance of Project Schedules

 Managers often cite delivering projects on time as one of their biggest
challenges
 Time has the least amount of flexibility; it passes no matter what
happens on a project
 Schedule issues are the main reason for conflicts on projects,
especially during the second half of projects

Project Time Management Process

 Activity definition: identifying the specific activities/tasks that the
project team members and stakeholders must perform to produce the
project deliverables
 Activity sequencing: identifying and documenting the relationships
between project activities
 Activity resource estimating: estimating how many resources a
project team should use to perform project activities
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  Activity duration estimating: estimating the number of work periods
that are needed to complete individual activities
 Schedule development: analyzing activity sequences, activity resource
estimates, and activity duration estimates to create the project
schedule
 Schedule control: controlling and managing changes to the project
schedule

Activity Definition
Refers to the process of parsing a project into a number of individual tasks
which must be completed before the deliverables can be considered
completed. Activity definitions rely on a number of specific input processes.
Activity definition involves developing a more detailed WBS and supporting
explanations to understand all the work to be done so you can develop
realistic cost and duration estimates
The four ultimate outputs of the activity definition process are the activity
list, the resulting activity attributes, all requested changes, and any
milestones.

Network Diagrams
Network diagrams are the preferred technique for showing activity
sequencing. A network diagram is a schematic display of the logical
relationship among, or sequencing of, project activities.
Creating a network diagram, also referred to as a logic diagram, is a great
way for starting to understand and visualize how your project will proceed.
It's a simple concept successfully used in applications outside of project
management planning; commonly used in manufacturing industries, as well
as service industries requiring to map and understand work flows.
The following are some terminologies used in network diagram
Activity - any portions of project (tasks) which required by project, uses up
resource and consumes time – may involve labor, paper work, contractual
negotiations, machinery operations Activity on Arrow (AOA) showed as
arrow, AON Activity on Node.
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Project Time Management

Event – beginning or ending point of one or more activity, instantaneous

point in time also called nodes.
Network – combination of all project activities and the events.

Figure 1. Sample illustration of a network

Critical Path Method

The Critical Path Method (CPM) is one of several related techniques for doing
project planning. CPM is for projects that are made up of a number of
individual "activities." If some of the activities require other activities to
finish before they can start, then the project becomes a complex web of
activities.
CPM can help you figure out:
 how long your complex project will take to complete
 which activities are "critical," meaning that they have to be done on
time or else the whole project will take longer
If you put in information about the cost of each activity, and how much it
costs to speed up each activity, CPM can help you figure out:
 whether you should try to speed up the project, and, if so,
 what is the least costly way to speed up the project.

Background and History

CPM was developed in the 1950s by the US Navy. Originally the critical path
method is considered only as logical dependencies between terminal
elements. It has been expanded to allow for the inclusion of resources
related to each activity, through processes called activity-based resource
assignments and resource leveling.
Example 1
The following is a very simple example of a network diagram. It's for one of
life's important projects - making a cup of tea!

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Example 2
Consider the following items.
Activity Description Immediate predecessors
A Buy Plastic Body -
B Design Component -
C Make component B
D Assemble product A,C
Immediate predecessors for a particular activity are the activities that,
when completed, enable the start of the activity in question.

Sequence of Activities
 Can start work on activities A and B anytime, since neither of these
activities depends upon the completion of prior activities.
 Activity C cannot be started until activity B has been completed
 Activity D cannot be started until both activities A and C have been
completed.
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Project Time Management

Example 3
Create a network diagram from the following activities.
Activity Immediate Predecessors
A -
B -
C B
D A,C
E C
F C
G D,E,F

 Dummy activities is used to identify precedence relationships

correctly and to eliminate possible confusion of two or more activities
having the same starting and ending nodes
 Dummy activities have no resources (time, labor, machinery, etc) –
purpose is to PRESERVE LOGIC of the network

Sample Dummy Activity

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Example 4
Activity Immediate Predecessors Completion Time (Weeks)
A - 5
B - 6
C A 4
D A 3
E A 1
F E 4
G D,F 14
H B,C 12
I G,H 2

TOTAL 51
 Starting at the network’s origin (node 1) and using a starting time of
0, we compute an earliest start (ES) and earliest finish (EF) time for
each activity in the network.
 The expression EF = ES + t can be used to find the earliest finish time
for a given activity.
o For example, for activity A, ES = 0 and t = 5; thus the earliest
finish time for activity A is EF = 0 + 5 = 5
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Project Time Management

Earliest start time rule:

The earliest start time for an activity leaving a particular node is equal to the
largest of the earliest finish times for all activities entering the node.

 To find the critical path we need a backward pass calculation.

 Starting at the completion point (node 7) and using a latest finish
time (LF) of 26 for activity I, we trace back through the network
computing a latest start (LS) and latest finish time for each activity
 The expression LS = LF – t can be used to calculate latest start time for
each activity. For example, for activity I, LF = 26 and t = 2, thus the
latest start time for activity I is LS = 26 – 2 = 24

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Latest finish time rule:
The latest finish time for an activity entering a particular node is equal to the
smallest of the latest start times for all activities leaving the node.
Slack is the length of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the
completion date for the entire project.

Example 5
In this example we will construct a network diagram with a Work
Breakdown Structure (WBS) should be developed. To illustrate how a
schedule is constructed from a WBS, we consider a simple job of maintaining
the yard around a home.
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Project Time Management

Work breakdown structure for yard project.

There are two ways to develop a schedule. One is to begin at the end and
work back until you arrive at the beginning. The second method is to start at
the beginning and work toward the end. Usually, it is easiest to start at the
beginning.
This small project might be thought of as having three phases: preparation,
execution, and cleanup. There are three preparation tasks: pick up trash, put
gas in equipment, and get out hedge clipper. The cleanup tasks include
bagging grass, bundling clippings, and hauling trash to the dump.
There is a basic rule of scheduling—to diagram what is logically possible,
then deal with resource limitations. For a yard project, if no one is helping
me, then there really can be no parallel paths in getting the job done i.e. two
tasks cannot take place at the same time. On the other hand, if I can enlist
help from the family or neighborhood youth, then parallel paths are possible.
The rule I suggest is that you go ahead and schedule as if it were possible to
get help. This is especially important to remember in a work setting, or you
will never get a schedule put together. You will be worrying about who will
be available to do the work and end up in analysis paralysis.
The next step is to figure out how long it will take to do the job. Time
estimates for each task are made by using history—remembering how long
each activity has taken in the past. Remember, though, that the estimate is
valid only for the individual who is going to do the task. If my daughter, who
is sixteen, does the lawn mowing using a push mower, it will probably take
less time than if my son, who is only twelve, tackles the job.
The first step is to create a work breakdown table. The table will show the
name of each task (usually each task is also given a letter code), the duration
of the task and what events must be completed before the task can begin. The
list of preceding tasks are only those that immediately precede an individual
task, not a list of all the tasks that occurred earlier. As an example for the
lawn case a work breakdown table would appear as follows:

PRECEDING
TASK DESCRIPTION DURATION
EVENT

A Pick up trash None 15

B Put gas in mower None 5

Get hedge
C None 5
clippers

D Trim weeds A and B 45

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 E Mow front yard A and B 12

F Edge sidewalk A and B 15

G Trim hedge C 30

H Mow backyard E 30

I Bag grass D, H, F and G 30

J Bundle Trash D, H, F and G 15

K Haul Trash I and J 45

A network diagram can be drawn from the information in the work

breakdown table. D is the task duration and arrows indicate precedence.

Scheduling Computations
Once a suitable network has been drawn, with durations assigned to all
activities, it is necessary to determine where the longest path is in the
network and whether it will meet the target completion date.
First, consider what we want to know about the project. If it starts at some
time = zero, we want to know how soon it can be finished. Naturally, in most
actual work projects, we have been told when we must be finished; that is,
the end date is dictated. Further, the start date for the job is often
constrained for some reason: resources won’t be available, specs won’t be
written, or another project won’t be finished until that time. Therefore,
scheduling usually means trying to fit the between two fixed points in time.
Whatever the case, we want to know how long the project will take to
complete; if it won’t fit into the required time frame, then we will have to do
something to shorten its duration.
In the simplest form, computations are made for the network on the
assumption that activity durations are exactly as specified. However, activity
durations are a function of the level of resources applied to the work, and if
that level is not actually available when it comes time to do the work, then
the scheduled dates for the task cannot be met. It is for this reason that
network computations must ultimately be made with resource limitations in
mind. Another way to say this is that resource allocation is necessary to
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Project Time Management

determine what kind of schedule is actually achievable. Failure to consider

resources almost always leads to a schedule that cannot be met.
The first step in network computations is to determine the schedule and
what kind of latitude is available to shift resources to shorten the project’s
duration. The ideal situation is one in which unlimited resources are
available, so the first computations made for the network are done ignoring
resource requirements.
Network Rules and Computation
Three rules are applied to all networks in order to compute network start
and finish times.
Rule 1: Before a task can begin, all tasks preceding it must be completed.
Rule 2: Arrows denote which tasks come first.
Rule 3: When two or more activities precede another activity, the earliest
time that the final activity can be started is the larger of the durations of the
activities preceding it.
Let’s look at an example to clarify what the rules mean. First, let us examine
the boxes in the network diagram below used to calculate the schedule. Each
box in the network now contains three pieces of information, not just the
duration as in the network shown above. The box shows:
D=Duration (of the task)
ES=Earliest Start i.e. the earliest time the task can begin, given all preceding
tasks are completed
EF=Earliest Finish i.e. the earliest time the task can finish, given the
completion of all preceding tasks and the task itself.
Network diagram for yard project used for schedule calculations.

Earliest finish of a task equals the earliest start plus the duration of the task
or EF= ES +D.
Consider a single activity in the network, such as picking up trash from the
yard (TASK A). It has a duration of fifteen minutes. Assuming that it starts at

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time = zero, it can finish as early as fifteen minutes later. We therefore can
enter fifteen in the cell labeled EF. Putting gas in the mower and the weed
whacker (TASK B) takes only five minutes. The logic of the diagram says that
both of these tasks must be completed before we can begin trimming weeds,
cutting the front grass, and edging the sidewalk (TASKS D,E and F). The
cleanup task takes fifteen minutes, whereas the gas activity takes only five
minutes. How soon can the following activities start? Not until the cleanup
has been finished, since it is the longest of the preceding activities (rule 3) In
fact, then, the Early Finish for cleanup becomes the Early Start for the next
three tasks. It will always be true that the latest Early Finish for the earlier
tasks becomes the Early Start for subsequent tasks. That is, the longest path
determines how early subsequent tasks can start.
Following this rule, we can fill in Earliest Start times for each task in the
network diagram. This diagram shows that the project will take a total of 165
minutes to complete, if all work is conducted exactly as shown. Computer
programs do exactly this computation and also convert the times to calendar
dates, making quick work of the computations.
The time determined for the end or final task (TASK K) is the earliest finish
for the whole project in working time.
Gannt Chart
A Gantt chart, commonly used in project management, is one of the most
popular and useful ways of showing activities (tasks or events) displayed
against time. On the left of the chart is a list of the activities and along the top
is a suitable time scale. Each activity is represented by a bar; the position and
length of the bar reflects the start date, duration and end date of the activity.
This allows you to see at a glance:
 What the various activities are
 When each activity begins and ends
 How long each activity is scheduled to last
 Where activities overlap with other activities, and by how much
 The start and end date of the whole project
To summarize, a Gantt chart shows you what has to be done (the activities)
and when (the schedule).

Gantt Chart History

The first Gantt chart was devised in the mid 1890s by Karol Adamiecki, a
Polish engineer who ran a steelwork in southern Poland and had become
interested in management ideas and techniques. Some 15 years after
Adamiecki , Henry Gantt, an American engineer and management consultant,
devised his own version of the chart and it was this that became widely
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known and popular in western countries. Consequently, it was Henry Gantt

whose name was to become associated with charts of this type.

Figure 2. Karol Adamiecki

Figure 3. Henry Gantt

Originally Gantt charts were prepared laboriously by hand; each time a

project changed it was necessary to amend or redraw the chart and this
limited their usefulness, continual change being a feature of most projects.
Nowadays, however, with the advent of computers and project management
software, Gantt charts can be created, updated and printed easily.
Today, Gantt charts are most commonly used for tracking project schedules.
For this it is useful to be able to show additional information about the
various tasks or phases of the project, for example how the tasks relate to
each other, how far each task has progressed, what resources are being used
for each task and so on.

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PERT – Program Evaluation Review Technique
In most cases PERT is applied for individual task.
Uses probabilistic time estimates
Optimistic time - he shortest possible time in which an activity is likely to be
completed.
Most likely time - the time that the activity would most likely take if it were
repeated time and time again.
Pessimistic time - the longest possible time in which an activity is likely to
be completed.
The PERT equation for expected time is E = (O + 4M + P)/6
Where O is the optimistic value, M is the most likely value, and P is the
pessimistic value. This equation is a weighted average where the most likely
estimate is weighted 4 times more heavily than the optimistic and
pessimistic estimates. The prevents the PERT number from being too heavily
skewed in one direction.
Example: 1
Optimistic time 20 days
Most likely time 30 days
Pessimistic time 60 days
Pert weighted average
20 + (4 *30) + 60 = 33.3
6
Example: 2
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Suppose a project manager estimates that the most likely time to complete a
project is 12 days--assuming predictable delays and ignoring unlikely
scenarios that will either decrease or increase the time. Her optimistic
prediction for the project is 7 days--assuming that there are none of the usual
delays. Her pessimistic prediction for the project is 29 days--assuming that
all possible delays occur. The PERT estimate for the duration of the project is
(7 + 4(12) + 29)/6 = 14 days, or two weeks.

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