Project Scheduling

Techniques
Project Network Diagram
Project Scheduling Techniques
Principles for creations of a software project schedule
Classification
 Classification of activities as per WBS
Interdependence
 To determine the interdependence and sequence of activities
e.g. some activities can be completed without any inputs from
other activities, whereas other activities cannot start unless a
preceding activity is completed.
Time and effort allocation
 Assigning time slices to the activities identified in
classification.
Project Network Diagram (PND)
Network diagrams are the preferred technique for
showing activity sequencing.
A network diagram is a schematic display of the
logical relationships among project activities.
Activities are shown from WBS, not all activities from
WBS to be added to network diagram
All activities on the network diagram should be
completed to mark the project completion
Also, referred to as Project Schedule Network Diagram
OR PERT (Project Evaluation review Technique) Chart
Methods to draw PND
Activity on Arrow (AOA) or Arrow
Diagramming Method (ADM)
Activity on Node (AON) or Precedence
Diagramming Method (PDM)
AOA Network Diagram
Activity on Arrow (AOA) or Arrow
Diagramming Method (ADM)
Activities are represented by arrows
Arrows connected at points called Nodes
Nodes represent starting and ending points of
activities
First node signifies start of project and last node
represents end of project.
Easy to develop and understand
Activity on Arrow (AOA)

 Letters A through J represents Activities with assigned number of

days. Activities are from WBS.
 The arrows represents the activity sequencing or relationships
between tasks.
Steps to create a AOA Network Diagram
Find all activities that starts from Node A. Draw their finish
nodes and place an arrow between node 1 and each of finish
nodes. Put the activity letter on the arrow. Write duration
estimates next to activity letter e.g. A=1
Look for Bursts (when 2 or more nodes follow a single
node) and Merge (when 2 or more nodes precede a single
node)
All arrow head must face toward right and no arrows should
cross on AOA Diagram.
Continue drawing from Left to Right until all activities are
included on the PND
Steps to create a AOA Network Diagram
Dummy Activity
This is an imaginary activity that enables the network
schedule to display parallel activities. For example,
consider A and B as two parallel activities that can be
executed simultaneously. Both A and B must end so that
activity C can begin. A dummy activity is introduced as a
dashed arrow to mark the start of activity C.
The dummy activity is introduced to show the
dependency between activities in the network
schedule and does not have a description or duration.
Activity on Node (AON) or Precedence
Diagramming Method (PDM)
Activities are represented by Boxes
Arrows represent flow and precedence
Nodes represent starting and ending points of
activities
First node signifies start of project and last
node represents end of project.
Activity Dependencies /
Relationship
Finish to Start (FS): predecessor must finish to
start successor
Start to Start (SS): predecessor cannot start
until successor is started
Finish to Finish (FF): predecessor must be
finished before successor is finished
Start to Finish (SF): predecessor must start
before successor can be finished
 High-level Design
(Activity A) is completed,
Detailed Design (Activity B)
can begin

Development of training
Documentation
(Activity B) can only
finish when System
Design (Activity A)
finishes

Analysis of System
Requirements
(Activity A) starts,
Analysis of Interface
Requirements (Activity
B) can start The 2nd shift security
guard starts his shift
(Activity A), the 1st shift
security can finish his
(Activity B).
Steps to create a AON Network
Diagram
Start with the activities and tasks that were defined in the WBS.
Estimates for each activity or task defined in the WBS should have
an associated time estimate.
Determine which activities are predecessors, successors, or parallel.
Predecessor activities are those activities that must be completed
before another activity can be started
Successor activities are activities that must follow a particular activity
in some type of sequence.
A parallel activity is an activity or task that can be worked on at the
same time as another activity.
An activity cannot begin until all of its predecessor activities have
been completed.
Project Network Diagram (PND)
A D H
Start: 01/05/2012 ID=1 Start: 02/05/2012 ID=4 Start: 10/05/2012 ID=8
End: 01/05/2012 Duration:1 End: 07/05/2012 Duration:4 End: 17/05/2012 Duration:6

B E
Start: 01/05/2012 ID=2 Start: 03/05/2012 ID=5 J
End: 02/05/2012 Duration:2 End: 09/05/2012 Duration:5 Start: 20/05/2012 ID=10
End: 22/05/2012 Duration:3

C F
Start: 01/05/2012 ID=3 Start: 03/05/2012 ID=6
End: 03/05/2012 Duration:3 End: 08/05/2012 Duration:4

I
G Start: 14/05/2012 ID=9
Start: 06/05/2012 ID=7 End: 15/05/2012 Duration:2
End: 13/05/2012 Duration:5
Exercise
Activity Description Duration Predecessor
A Evaluate current technology platform 2 None
B Define user requirements 5 A
C Design Web page layouts 4 B
D Set-up server 3 B
E Estimate Web traffic 1 B
F Test Web pages and links 4 C,D
G Move Web pages to production environment 3 D,E
H Write announcement of intranet for corporate newsletter 2 FG
I User Training 5 G
J Write report to management 1 HI
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
The Activity Event Times establish the Project Schedule. Computations
are performed to determine the overall project completion date and the
time requirements for each activity. To determine the project schedule,
you must perform these network computations.
First, calculate the Forward Pass (Tail to head of the arrow) to determine
the earliest event times.
The Earliest Start (ES) is placed in the top left hand portion of each
activity. Start at the beginning of the project, use zero as the starting and
place in the top left hand portion of the first activity. Then add the
duration to the Earliest Start of the activities and place in the top right
hand portion of the activity, called the Earliest Finish (EF).
To determine Earliest Start of the next activity in the forward pass, select
the Largest Early Finish from all preceding paths coming into the
specific activity and place in the top left hand portion of the activity.
The Earliest Finish (EF) is placed in the top right hand portion of each
activity. The EF is calculated at each Activity by completing the forward
pass and taking the Earliest Start (ES) of that activity and adding the
duration. EF = ES + DURATION
Second, calculate the Backward Pass (head to the tail of the
arrow) to determine the latest event times.
The Latest Finish (LF) is placed in the bottom right hand
portion of each activity. The LF is calculated at each Activity
by completing the Backward pass.
Start at the completion of the project and select the largest
number and place in the bottom right hand portion of the last
activity. Then, subtracting the duration from the Latest Finish
of that activity and place in the bottom left hand portion of
the activity, called the Latest Starts (LS).
To determine the Latest Finish of the next activity in the
backward pass, select the smallest Latest Start (LS) from all
paths (head to the tail of the arrow) going into the specific
activity and place in the bottom right hand portion of the
activity.
The Latest Start (LS) is placed in the bottom left hand portion
of each activity. The LS is calculated by taking the LATEST
FINISH (LF) of that activity and subtracting the DURATION.
LS = LF - DURATION
Precedence Diagramming Method
(PDM)
Float (slack) - amount of time that a task
can be delayed without causing a delay to:
Subsequent tasks (free float)
Project completion date (total float)
Precedence Diagramming Method
(PDM)
The Total Float (TF) is defined as the amount of slack
through a path of activities and shared by all activities.
Total Float is calculated by subtracting the Earliest Start
(ES) from the Latest Start (LS) or by subtracting the
Earliest Finish (EF) from the Latest Finish (LF).
 TF = LS - ES or TF = LF - EF
The Free Float (FF) is defined as the amount of slack
within an activity. Free Float is calculated by
subtracting the Earliest Finish (EF) of that activity from
the Earliest Start of the next activity.
 FF = ES next activity - EF that activity
Exercise