Apparel Production

Planning and Control

TOPIC- GANTT CHART & PROJECT CRASHING

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Dr. Shakeel Iqbal Anwesha Kalita
Bipasha Nayak
Naina Kumari
 Content
Gantt Chart
Elements and benefits of Gantt Chart
Why in Apparel pre-production?
How to create a Gantt Chart?
Project Crashing
Reasons to crash the project
Project Crashing Management Stages
Example
References
What is a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a commonly used graphical

depiction of a project schedule, designed by Henry
Gantt (1861-1919), an American mechanical engineer
A Gantt Chart, in its simplest form, is a timeline that
illustrates how the project will progress during the
project management process.
It helps project managers and project teams to
assess how long a project should take, determine
the resources needed, understand the dependencies
between tasks, and plan the order in which each
task will be completed if the whole project is to
deliver on time.
Elements of a Gantt Chart
DUE DATES: The dates are one of the most essential
since they show when the project will start and end, and
also when each job will take place. These are shown at
the top of the graph.
TASKS: The tasks are displayed on the left side of the
page, running along the y-axis.
MILESTONES: Milestones are tasks that are critical to the
completion and success of a project. At the conclusion of
each block on a Gantt chart, milestones are represented
by different shapes or icons.
BARS: Bars are used to represent the time frame in
which each task should be performed.
TASKBARS: The taskbars are shaded to represent the
portion of each task that has previously been performed,
indicating progress.
DEPENDENCIES: In a project, there are some tasks and
subtasks that are dependent on one another for success.
 Benefits of a Gantt Chart
Gantt charts are easy to create, read, and use in managing projects of all sizes
and types.
Useful to identify resource needs and assign resources to tasks.
Improve communication and team cohesion.
Measure the progress of projects.
See overlapping activities and task dependencies
Experience more clarity.
Practice better time management.
Create a sense of accountability.
Boost flexibility.
Promotes transparency.
 Why in Apparel Pre-production?

Garment pre-production (also known as merchandising)

activities are characterized by people-oriented functions.
Numerous interdependent activities are synchronized
between succeeding and preceding activities to make a non-
linear process network. It is common practice to use critical
path logic in apparel pre-production activities, to set
important milestones of activities with the ultimate goal of
delivering an order within the original delivery date. This
practice is also known as Time and Action (TnA) Calendar.
The most important challenge faced by merchandisers in
manufacturing and sourcing organizations is making and
following a time and action calendar that keep track of the
sequence of tasks leading to product delivery.
In the Gantt chart, two tasks can be linked in three different relations: finish-to-start, start-to-start, and
finish-to-finish.
For example, an order of 2,000 pieces takes 4 days to cut, 7 days to sew, and 4 days to finish. If we
schedule these three activities using a typical FS relationship, then cutting to finish will take 15 days.
Realistically, sewing should not wait for 4 days (till all pieces are cut) and can start after the cutting of
the first lot is over. Say sewing can start after the first day of cutting, so cutting and sewing can follow
an SS relationship with a one-day lag in between. Similarly, finishing also can start after the first day of
sewing, but as finishing takes a total of 4 days compared to 7 in sewing, so sewing to finishing has to
follow an FF relationship, with a one-day lag in-between. That means finishing can be completed one
day after the completion of sewing. So, cut to finish can be completed in a total of 9 days.
Thus, these realistic ways of scheduling tasks in an overlapping manner using start-start and finish-
finish relationships is a very unique advantage of using the Gantt chart.
 How to create a Gantt Chart?
The Gantt chart creation process will vary slightly from software to software, but the general idea
remains the same. Here is a general step-by-step process on how to make a Gantt chart.
Step 1: Enter project tasks into the software.
All you have to do is find the “add task” function which is typically located in the top right-hand
corner of your software, then fill in the relevant details such as the task description, and due date, and
attach any relevant task documents.
Step 2: Assign tasks to the relevant team members
Once you’ve entered your tasks into your software, add the relevant team members to the tasks.
Step 3: Create task dependencies if necessary
Once you’ve added all of the relevant information and team members to your task, make sure you
create any necessary task dependencies. These dependencies will show up on your Gantt chart as
either connecting lines or arrows between the task duration bars.
Step 4: Label tasks based on the responsible teams
Using the color-coding capabilities of your project management software in order to separate tasks
by their respective teams that will make it easier to track their progress
 Top Gantt chart Software

Microsoft Project
ProofHub
Celoxis
GanttPRO
Instagantt
Tom’s Planner
TeamGantt
OpenProject
 What is a Project Crashing?

Project crashing is when you shorten the

duration of a project by reducing the time of one
or more tasks.
Crashing is done by increasing the resources of
the project, which helps make tasks take less
time than what they were planned for. Of course,
this also adds to the cost of the overall project.
Therefore, the primary objective of a project
crashing is to shorten the project while also
keeping costs at a minimum.
 Which factors should you consider?

When assessing the feasibility of crashing a project, it's essential to look at these key factors:
1. Schedule
2. Scope
3. Cost
According to the triple constraint of the project, if you shorten the project duration, the
costs increase or the project scope is reduced.
In the case of a project crashing, the scope must remain the same, i.e., the results expected
at the beginning of the project are not expected to change, which necessarily means
increased costs.
Thus, the main goal of a project crashing is to reduce the duration of activities while
keeping costs to a minimum.
 Reasons to crash the project
Choosing to crash a project is a decision you may make for several strategic reasons, such as:

A delay in the project timeline: If you face penalties because of delays in the project timeline,
adding more resources to move up the completion date may be worthwhile.
Availability of resources: If your team or organization has resources available, using those
resources can help you speed up the project timeline.
Avoiding a future delay: Adding resources to prevent a delay in the future typically adds some
cost, but that may be preferable to facing future delays that are more costly.
Time bonuses on the project: If you can qualify for a bonus based on the project completion
date, paying the cost of additional resources to finish the project sooner may make financial
sense.
New project: If your team is working on a project and receives the assignment to take on a new
project, you may crash the original project to finish it faster and focus on the new project.
 Project Crashing Management Stages
Once you’ve made the decision to use project crashing, there are some steps you’ll want to follow to
get the results you want.
1. Critical Path
The first thing to do is analyze the critical path of your project. This will help you determine which
tasks can be shortened to bring the project to a close sooner. Therefore, if you haven’t already,
calculate your critical path, see which tasks are essential and which are secondary to the project’s
success.
2. Identify Tasks
Get a list of all the tasks you have, then meet with those who have been assigned to complete them.
Ask if they believe any of the tasks they’re responsible for are in the critical path and can be cut
down. Then, start looking for ways to tighten up those tasks.
3. What’s the Trade-Off?
Once you’ve narrowed down the tasks in the critical path that you believe can be shortened, start
calculating how much adding more resources will cost. Find the tasks that can be allocated
additional resources, and come in sooner with the least amount of strain on your budget.
4. Make Your Choice
When you know what you will have to spend (compared to how much time you’ll save) for each of
the tasks in your critical path, you must now make a decision and choose the least expensive way
forward. Project crashing is not just adding resources to get done faster, but it’s getting the most in
return for that extra expense.
5. Create a Budget
Like any project, once you’ve decided on your plan, you have to pay for it. Making a project-crashing
budget is the next step in executing your project-crashing plan. You’ll have to update your baseline,
schedule, and resource plan to align with your new initiative.
 Example

Problem-
The management of a company is interested in crashing of the following project by spending an
additional amount not exceeding Rs. 2,000. Suggest how this can be accomplished.
Solution-
We have the following network diagram for the given project with normal costs:

Therefore Path I is the critical path and the critical activities are A, B, D and E. The non-critical
activity is C.
The crash cost per unit time for the activities in the project are provided in the following table.

We have to choose one of the activities A, B, D, and E for crashing. The crash cost per unit time is
as follows:
Rs. 3,000 for A; Rs. 1,000 for B; Rs. 1,000 for D; Rs. 500 for E.

The least among them is Rs. 500. So we have to choose the activity E for crashing. We reduce
the time of E by one week by spending an extra amount of Rs. 500.
After this step, we have the following network with the revised times for the activities:

The revised time for Path I = 7 + 12 + 11 + 5 = 35 weeks.

The time for Path II = 7 + 22 + 5 = 34 weeks.
Maximum of {35, 34} = 35.

Therefore Path I is the critical path and the critical activities are A, B, D and E. The non-critical
activity is C.

The time of E cannot be reduced further. So we cannot select it for crashing. Next B and have
the smallest crash cost per unit time. Let us select B for crashing. Let us reduce the time of B by
one week at an extra cost of Rs. 1,000.
After this step, we have the following network with the revised times for the activities:

The revised time for Path I = 7 + 11 + 11 + 5 = 34 weeks.

The time for Path II = 7 + 22 + 5 = 34 weeks.
Maximum of {34, 34} = 34.

Since both paths have equal times, both are critical paths. So, we can choose an activity for crashing
from either of them depending on the least crash cost per unit time. In path I, the activities are A, B, D
and E. In path II, the activities are A, C and E.

The crash cost per unit time is the least for activity C. So we select C for crashing. Reduce the time of C
by one week at an extra cost of Rs. 500. By the given condition, the extra amount cannot exceed Rs.
2,000.
Since this state has been met, we stop with this step.
Result:

The following crashing scheme is suggested for the given project:

Reduce the time of E, B and C by one week each.

Project time after crashing is 33 weeks.

Extra amount required = 500 + 1,000 + 500 = Rs. 2,000.

 References
https://in.apparelresources.com/business-news/manufacturing/gantt-chart-easy-use-
tool-monitoring-tna-status/
https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/small-business/project-management/articles/gantt-
chart/
https://apparelresources.com/business-news/manufacturing/apparel-merchandising-
multi-order-tna-calendar-is-the-answer/
https://www.knowledgehut.com/blog/project-management/what-is-crashing-a-project-
in-project-management
https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/project-crashing-definition
http://arts.brainkart.com/article/problem-of-crashing-of-a-project-1161/
https://twproject.com/blog/what-is-project-crashing-and-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-it/
Thank You.