ARAB ACADEMY FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MARITIME TRANSPORT

Fig 5.7 Primavera Risk Analysis Schedule Check Report

The logic becomes very hard to trace and the scheduler looks sloppy. If the activity
truly cannot be a driver, then it would be preferable to discuss a path forward
internally. However documenting these open-ends can often save a headache during
an audit. Whether you link the activities or not, they should always be documented
that they are in the schedule but cannot under any circumstance be a driving activity.

5.2.3.2.3 Critical Schedule Check Flags

5.2.3.2.3.A Constraints

Hard constraints such as must-finish-on constraints are generally seen as the most
damaging constraint. Hard constraints should be looked at very hard and documented
if they are truly correct. A hard constraint is basically taking the place of logic so if
an activity has a hard constraint and predecessors, then the scheduler should
determine if the task is logically or constraint driven. Soft constraints can be equally
damaging in a schedule Monte Carlo analysis. Soft constraints should be used;
however it is important that they are used properly.

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Often constraints and lags are interchanged which is a critical problem in many
schedules. A lag will has a static duration that will not change as durations in the
schedule change, however a constraint is generally used to hold float in the
appropriate place. One constraint in the wrong place can completely destroy the
validity of a Monte Carlo analysis. Fig 5.8 illustrates constraints from a schedule
check report for sewage networks project. Constraints conducted are said to be
logically placed in this program. They are without any relative impact on the program
as they are placed without predecessors. Most of constraints placed are for material
delivery and milestones instructed by the owner of sewage networks project. Thus,
constraints used have no impact on the risk analysis validity for this project.

Fig 5.8 Schedule Check Report - Constraints

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5.2.3.2.3.B Out of Sequence Logic ("broken logic")

Out of sequence logic is technically wrong. Based on the progress override or

retained logic setting, the analysis will still run, however activity splits and other
unexpected issues may occur during the analysis. Although Pert-Master can
technically handle out of sequence logic, by definition it is incorrect logic and casts
doubt on the validity of the analysis. If a scheduler cannot follow a logic chain, then
it might be concluded that they are less equipped to deal with a logic chain that now
has uncertainty and risk events entered into the equation.

Often scheduler's status items out of order due to miss of experience in dealing
with similar sewage network projects. It is more time consuming to break the logic
than to status items out of order. It is a shortcut used when workloads become too
heavy. That being said, breaking the logic and correctly using a project should be the
desired method, especially before running a schedule Monte Carlo analysis on the
logic. Fig 5.9 illustrates broken logic from a schedule check report for sewage
networks project. All broken logic made in this program is due to change of working
sequence on site to that sequence of work planned to be done in the program. Thus
tasks appearing here are logically to appear due to difference in work sequence which
has no impact on the project program.

Fig 5.9 Schedule Check Report Broken Logic Tasks

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