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Instructor: John Bing

Student: Nawaf Basudan Assignment: A5: CH 5--PROJECT
Course: BUA 345--Operations & Supply
Date: 07/05/19 MGT
Chain Management

Consider the following information for a project to add a drive-thru window at Crestview Bank.

Activity Activity Time (weeks) Immediate Predecessor(s)

A 2 −
B 5 −
C 9 −
D 2 A, B
E 2 B
F 8 D, C
G 4 E, C
H 6 F, G

a. Draw the network diagram for this project.

A network diagram is a network planning method, designed to depict the relationships between activities, that consists of
nodes (circles) and arcs (arrows). Nodes represent activities and arcs represent the precedence relationships between
them. If activity X is a predecessor of activity Y, then activity Y cannot start until activity X has been completed, and we
indicate this with an arrow that goes from X to Y on the network diagram.

Use the given information to draw the network diagram. Note that the Immediate Predecessor(s) column indicates the
precedence relationships. Also, each activity is marked with its activity time in the corresponding node. The network
diagram of the project is shown below.

b. Specify the critical path.

The critical path is the sequence of activities between a project's start and finish that takes the longest time to complete.
Thus, the activities along the critical path determine the completion time of the project.

Look at each path from start to finish and determine the time it takes to complete the path.

Path Estimated Time (days)

ADFH 18
BDFH 21
BEGH 17
CFH 23
CGH 19

Now specify the critical path(s) and determine the project's duration. Note that there is only one path that has the longest
completion time.

The critical path is C F H and the project duration is 23 weeks.

c. Calculate the slack for activities A and D.

The maximum length of time that an activity can be delayed without delaying the entire project is called activity slack.
Consequently, activities on the critical path have zero slack. Activity slack can be calculated in one of two ways for any
activity:

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S = LS − ES or 
 S = LF − EF,

where S represents the slack, LS is the activity's latest start time, ES is the activity's earliest start time, LF is the activity's
latest finish time, and EF is the activity's earliest finish time.

The earliest start and earliest finish times are obtained as follows:

1. The earliest finish time (EF) of an activity equals its earliest start time plus its estimated duration, t, or EF = ES + t.

2. The earliest start time (ES) for an activity is the earliest finish time of the immediately preceding activity. For activities with
more than one preceding activity, ES is the maximum of the earliest finish times of the preceding activities.

To obtain the latest start and latest finish times, we must work backward from the finish node. We start by setting the latest
finish time of the project equal to the earliest finish time of the last activity on the critical path.

1. The latest finish time (LF) for an activity is the latest start time of the activity that immediately follows. For activities with
more than one activity that immediately follow, LF is the minimum of the latest start times of those activities.

2. The latest start time (LS) for an activity equals its latest finish time minus its estimated duration, t, or LS = LF − t.

To compute the early start and early finish times, begin at the
start node at time zero. Because activities A, B, and C have no
predecessors, the earliest start times for these activities is zero.
To find the earliest finish time, add the activity time to its earliest
start:

EFA = 0 + 2 = 2, EFB = 0 + 5 = 5, and EFC = 0 + 9 = 9

Since activity D has two predecessors, A and B, its ES time is the maximum of EF times of the preceding activities. Find
ESD .

ESD = max{2,5} = 5

Find EFD by adding the activity time.

EFD = 5 + 2 = 7

Continue this same process to find ES and EF for the rest of the activities. Note that if there is more than one preceding activity,
ES is the maximum of EF times of the preceding activities.
Activity Time Earliest Start Earliest Finish
Activity (weeks) (weeks) (weeks)
A 2 0 2
B 5 0 5
C 9 0 9
D 2 5 7
E 2 5 7
F 8 9 17
G 4 9 13
H 6 17 23

To obtain the latest start and latest finish times, we must work backward from the finish node. Start by setting the latest
finish time of the project equal to the earliest finish time of the last activity on the critical path. So, the latest finish time of
activity H is the earliest finish time of this activity, which is 23 weeks. Compute the latest start time for this activity.

LSH = 23 − 6 = 17

The LF time for F and G is the LS time of H, which is the only activity that follows them.

LFG = LFF = LSH = 17

Find the LS times for F and G by subtracting their activity times.

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LSG = 17 − 4 = 13 and LSF = 17 − 8 = 9

Continue this same process to find LS and LF for the rest of the activities. Note that if there is more than one activity that
immediately follows activity, LS is the minimum of LF times of the following activities.
Activity Time Latest Start Latest Finish
Activity
(weeks) (weeks) (weeks)
A 2 5 7
B 5 2 7
C 9 0 9
D 2 7 9
E 2 11 13
F 8 9 17
G 4 13 17
H 6 17 23

Use the equation S = LS − ES or S = LF − EF to find the slack time for A and D.

Earliest Earliest Latest

Activity Latest Start On critical Slack
Activity Start Finish Finish
Time (weeks) (weeks) path? (weeks)
(weeks) (weeks) (weeks)
A 2 0 5 2 7 No 5
D 2 5 7 7 9 No 2

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