Construction

Management
Project Scheduling
PDM & PERT

Samantha Manawadu
 1.0 Precedence Diagramme
• A Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) is a graphical representation
technique. It shows the inter-dependencies of activities and is used in
schedule development. The other name for this technique is Activity on
Node (AON).

• PDM is more flexible than AON or AOA networks because PDM allows the
overlapping of concurrent activities. Additionally, almost all
commercially available microcomputer-based project management
systems are based on PDM.
 Precedence Diagrammes
Precedence

Precedence assumes that succeeding activities cannot start until all

preceding activities are complete.

A predecessor activity is any activity that must be completed before a

given activity can be started.

A successor activity is any activity that cannot start until a given

activity has been completed.
 Type of Dependencies in PDM
The PDM uses four dependencies:

1. Mandatory Dependency

are those that are inherent in the nature of the work being
done. They are involved physical limitations and are also called
hard logic
Ex: on a construction project, it is impossible to erect
superstructure until after the foundation has been built.
 Type of Dependencies in PDM
2. Discretionary Dependency

This dependency is also known as preferential or soft logic, it plays a

role in optimizing resources.

Ex. you can construct the four walls in any sequence. However, if
constructing them in a certain sequence is beneficial you build
them in that order.

Here, you can change the sequence of activities as per your preferred
logic.
 Type of Dependencies in PDM
3. External Dependency

These are dependencies that are outside the control of the

project team, but nonetheless must be reflected in the project
schedule.
Ex. Approval from an external organization ( Government/
Client/funding agency ) must be received prior to starting
an activity.

4. Internal Dependency
These are dependencies are within the control of your project
or organization.
Ex. you cannot get a resource until it is free from another
project.
Dependency (Activity) Relationships
Finish-to-start- Most common. The earliest the next activity can begin
is when a certain activity is completed.

Ex. In this case, the first activity (A) is Plastering wall and the second
activity (B) is painting. You cannot start painting the wall until the
Plastering wall is finished
 Dependency (Activity) Relationships
Start-to-start- Is used to show how the start of one activity triggers the
start of a successor activity.

• Suppose you have to apply a coating on a wall, but the wall must be
cleaned in order to apply it.
• Therefore, one team will clean the wall and second team will coat it.
Both activities can start simultaneously.
 Dependency (Activity) Relationships
Finish-to-finish- Necessary for the initial activity to remain ahead of its
successor activity. Completion is contingent upon completion of its
predecessor.

Ex: Electrical work cannot finish until wall construction is complete.

Design work cannot finish until environmental studies are
complete
Dependency (Activity) Relationships
Start-to-finish- This relationship is utilized when two activities will be
launched at the same time. They may end at different times (depending on
the duration of each activity), but they can start at the same time..

For example, let us say you are moving into a new home and your old home
has to be demolished. In this case, you cannot move into your new home until
it is ready. Hence, the second activity (construction of the new home) must
be finished before the first activity starts (moving into a new home).
Dependency (Activity) Relationships
Graphical presentation of Precedence
Node
PDM Example
 2.0 Programme Evaluation and Review
Technique ( PERT)
• The Project Evaluation and Review Technique, commonly abbreviated
PERT, is a statistical tool, used in project management. It was developed
for the U.S. Navy Special Projects Office in 1957 to support the U.S.
Navy's Polaris nuclear submarine project. An early example was, it was
used for the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France.

• The PERT, is a form of the ‘Network Diagram’ project management tools.

PERT is used for identifying the critical path for the project. This
technique was developed to simplify planning and scheduling large and
complex projects and creating more realistic estimates towards the
duration of each activity.

• PERT is a Network analysis technique used to estimate project duration

when there is a high degree of uncertainty abbot the individual activity
duration estimates
 2.0 Programme Evaluation and Review
Technique ( PERT)
PERT, unlike CPM, uses three time estimates for each activity. These
estimates of the activity duration enable the expected mean time, as well
as the standard deviation and variance, to be derived mathematically. These
duration estimates are:
• Optimistic Time (To); an estimate of the minimum time required for an
activity if exceptionally good luck is experienced.

• Most likely or modal time (Tm); the time required if the activity is
repeated a number of times under essentially the same conditions.

• Pessimistic duration (Tp); an estimate of the maximum time required if

unusually bad luck is experienced.
2.0 Programme Evaluation and Review
Technique ( PERT)
 2.0 Programme Evaluation and Review
Technique ( PERT)
 A typical beta distribution is shown below, note that it has
definite end points
 The expected time for finishing each activity is a weighted
average

optimistic  4most likely   pessimisti c

Exp. time 
6
 Calculating Expected Task Times

optimistic  4most likely  pessimistic

Expected time 
6
 Calculating Expected Task Times

optimistic  4most likely  pessimistic

Expected time 
6
Optimistic Most likely Pessimistic Expected
Activity
time time time time
A 2 4 6 4
B 3 7 10 6.83
C 2 3 5 3.17
D 4 7 9 6.83
E 12 16 20 16
F 2 5 8 5
G 2 2 2 2
H 2 3 4 3
I 2 3 5 3.17
J 2 4 6 4
K 2 2 2 2
Network Diagram with Expected
Activity Times
 Estimated Path Durations through the Network

Activities on paths Expected duration

ABDEGHJK 44.66
ABDEGIJK 44.83
ACFGHJK 23.17
ACFGIJK 23.34
• ABDEGIJK is the expected critical path & the project has an
expected duration of 44.83 weeks
 Estimating the Probability of
Completion Dates
• Using probabilistic time estimates offers the advantage of predicting the
probability of project completion dates
• We have already calculated the expected time for each activity by making
three time estimates
• Now we need to calculate the variance for each activity
• The variance of the beta probability distribution is:

2
p o
σ 2
  
 6 

• where p=pessimistic activity time estimate

o=optimistic activity time estimate
 Project Activity Variance

Activity Optimistic Most Likely Pessimistic Variance

A 2 4 6 0.44
B 3 7 10 1.36
C 2 3 5 0.25
D 4 7 9 0.69
E 12 16 20 1.78
F 2 5 8 1.00
G 2 2 2 0.00
H 2 3 4 0.11
I 2 3 5 0.25
J 2 4 6 0.44
K 2 2 2 0.00
 Variances of Each Path through the
Network

Path Number Activities on Path Path Variance (weeks)

1 A,B,D,E,G,H,J,k 4.82

2 A,B,D,E,G,I,J,K 4.96

3 A,C,F,G,H,J,K 2.24

4 A,C,F,G,I,J,K 2.38
 Calculating the Probability of Completing the Project
in Less Than a Specified Time
• When you know:
• The expected completion time
• Its variance
• You can calculate the probability of completing the project in “X” weeks
with the following formula:

specified time  path expected finish time  DT  EFP 

z 
 

path standard deviation  σ P
2


Where DT = the specified project completion time

EFP = the expected completion time of the path
σP 2  variance of path
 Example: Calculating the probability of finishing the
project in 48 weeks
• Use the z values in Appendix B to determine probabilities
• E.G. for path 1
 48 weeks  44.66 weeks 
z
 
  1.52
 4.82 

Path Activities on Path Path Variance z-value Probability of

Number (weeks) Completion
1 A,B,D,E,G,H,J,k 4.82 1.5216 0.9357
2 A,B,D,E,G,I,J,K 4.96 1.4215 0.9222
3 A,C,F,G,H,J,K 2.24 16.5898 1.000

4 A,C,F,G,I,J,K 2.38 15.9847 1.000