DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

PERT & CPM

 DIFFERENCE
PERT CPM

• PERT (Programme Evaluation • CPM (Critical Path Method)

& Review Technique) is event
oriented.
• PERT activities are shown as a
network of precedence
relationships using activity-on-
arrow network construction
• PERT treats activity time as a
random variable
• PERT focuses exclusively on
the time variable
is activity oriented.
• CPM activities are shown as
a network of precedence
relationships using activity-
on-node network
construction
• CPM requires a single
deterministic time value for
each activity.
• CPM includes the analysis
of the Time/Cost Trade-off.
 PERT
• PERT is a probabilistic
Model. It uses three
estimates of the activity
time- optimistic, pessimistic
and most Likely with a
view to take into account
time uncertainty.
• PERT is primarily
concerned with time. It
helps the manager to
schedule and co-ordinate
various activities so that the
project can be completed on
schedule time.
CPM
• CPM is a deterministic
model i.e. it dose not take
into account the
uncertainties. Involved in
the estimation of time for
execution of a job or an
activity. It completely
Ignores the probabilistic
element of the problem.
• CPM place dual emphasis
on time and cost and
evaluate the trade off
between project Cost and
project time.
 PERT CPM

• Suitable for repetitive • Suitable for new projects

projects • Does not demarcate between
• Demarcate critical and critical and & noncritical
noncritical activities activities
• determined on the basis of • Critical path is determined
slack on the basis of float
• Suitable for defense • Suitable for industrial
• Dummies are not required project settings
• Crashing is not applicable • Dummies are compulsory
• Crashing is applicable
 CPM analysis
• Draw the CPM network
• Analyze the paths through the network
• Determine the float for each activity
– Compute the activity’s float
float = LS - ES = LF - EF
– Float is the maximum amount of time that this activity can be
delay in its completion before it becomes a critical activity,
i.e., delays completion of the project
• Find the critical path is that the sequence of activities and events
where there is no “slack” i.e.. Zero slack
– Longest path through a network
• Find the project duration is minimum project completion time
 CPM Example
• Critical Path f, 15

g, 17 h, 9
a, 6
i, 6

b, 8
d, 13
j, 12

c, 5

e, 9
 PERT
• PERT is based on the assumption that an activity’s duration
follows a probability distribution instead of being a single value
• Three time estimates are required to compute the parameters of
an activity’s duration distribution:
– pessimistic time (tp ) - the time the activity would take if
things did not go well
– most likely time (tm ) - the consensus best estimate of the
activity’s duration
– optimistic time (to ) - the time the activity would take if things
did go well

Mean (expected time): te =

tp + 4 tm + to
6

2
ttp-to
p - to
Variance: Vt =2 =
darla/smbs/vit 6
6
 PERT analysis
• Draw the network.
• Analyze the paths through the network and find the critical path.
• The length of the critical path is the mean of the project duration
probability distribution which is assumed to be normal
• The standard deviation of the project duration probability
distribution is computed by adding the variances of the critical
activities (all of the activities that make up the critical path) and
taking the square root of that sum
• Probability computations can now be made using the normal
distribution table.
 Probability computation

Determine probability that project is completed within specified time

x-
Z=


where  = tp = project mean time

 = project standard mean time
x = (proposed ) specified time
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3
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2 3
7
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3
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3
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1
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Select paint
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