BASIS

OF NETWORK PLANNING
4.1 Events
& Activity
4.2 Basis
of Network Planning
4.3 The
fundamental basis of Network Planning Technique is the preparation of a
Network Diagram. In such a Network each activity is represented by an
arrow.
The points at which the arrows meet is called the node or event.
These nodes or
events are given numbers which form the basis of
preparing and analyzing the
network and finding out the critical path.
4.4 The network diagram which is the foundation of the network planning,
represents in schematic form the overall plan for the execution of the project. In
it each of the constituent activities is represented by an arrow in which the
direction of time flow is from tail to head and the positions of these arrows in
the network represent the logical order or sequence in which the activities must
be performed. All activities will normally require time, money, manpower,
machines, and other resources for their completion. Since arrows are used to
represent activities the network diagram is also called an arrow diagram.
4.5 A
network diagram for erection of a prefabricated shed is given below
(fig. 4.5),
just to indicate how the various activities follow each
other in a logical sequence
loading from the start towards completion of
the project.
 

4.6 The
first step towards preparation of a network diagram is to break down the
project into its constituent activities. The start and end points of the
project
must be clearly defined without which it will not be possible to
prepare a
network diagram. The network diagram can now be constructed
from the
starting point step by step placing each arrow to represent an
activity in the
diagram according to its interdependency on other
activities in the project. This
can be done easily by considering each
activity in turn and asking two questions.
(i) What activities must precede and completed before this particular
activity
can be taken in hand ?
(ii) What activities must follow this particular activity?
Answers to these questions must come freely in disregard of any
restrictions
which may ultimately be imposed in the form of artificial
target dates or
limitations on the availability of resources. What is
important is "what activities
must precede" and "what
activities must follow" from purely technological point
of view.
4.7 This point will be more clear from the following example. A pole is to be fixed in
the ground. There are three activities involved in this project; Dig a hole, erect
the pole, backfill and these must follow each other in the same order which is
irreversible as shown in Fig. 4.7. below :
 

4.8 Or take another example of constructing a compound wall. The activities

involved are set out, excavate foundation pour concrete, construct masonry and
 backfill which also must follow each other in that order as can be seen from
Fig. 4.8.
 

4.9 There may be other cases where some activities may start concurrently but
unless these are completed the next activity cannot start. In fact here an
advantage of the Network Planning will be immediately apparent From the
diagram in Fig. 4. 9.A. Instead of executing the project as shown in Fig. 4.9A
there is another alternative available as shown in Fig. 4.9.B.
 

  If
the resources available are limited, the project may be executed in 7
weeks
with all the activities following each other as shown in Pig.
4.9.B. If however the
time available is limited then activities of
Manufacturing Part 'A' and
Manufacturing Part 'B' can run simultaneously
so that the project duration can
be cut down by 2 weeks.
4.10 In drawing the network the arrows are not drawn to any scale (i.e. their length
is not proportional to the time the activities consume). The only important thing
so far as drawing the network diagram is concerned is the order in which the
activities must take place by virtue of their technological interdependencies. So
the third important question to be asked in drawing the network diagram is :
(iii) Which activities can be performed concurrently with this one ?
4.11 Dummy
Activities
  It is often necessary to introduce into the network diagram what are called
"dummy" activities in the form of dotted arrows in order to preserve the logical
sequences of activities. These dummies are sort of "constraints " and are
required in a situation where a certain event cannot occur until another event
has taken place but the activity connecting these two events does not itself
involve any real time or any other resource. In other words dummy activities are
activities of zero duration and consuming zero resources.
4.12 Overlapping
activities
  There are many situations where activities can partially overlap. They can
neither start at the same time nor is it necessary to wait for other following
activities to start till the whole completion of the preceding activities. For
example if a pipe line is to be laid, the normal sequence of activities will be as
under : 
(i) excavate trench
(ii) lay pipe
(iii) weld joints
(iv) backfill.
However it may be seen that these are overlapping activities in the sense that as
soon as excavation of a particular length of the trench is completed the activity
of "laying the pipe" can begin. Similarly as soon as some length of the pipe is
laid, welding of joints can start and when a few joints are welded the backfilling
activity can start. The only necessary condition in such cases is that the laying
 operation cannot overtake the excavating operation, the welding operation
cannot overtake the laying operation and RO on. In fact each activity can be
broken down to small units instead of only two parts but this would produce
such a degree of detail that it may make the whole network diagram too
cumbersome to be of any practical value. What is required is a reasonable
representation of how the operations will be carried out in practice, showing the
"lead" stagger for the first operation and the "lag" for the last operation. If the
time per unit length differs from one operation to another, this will be
represented in the way the operations are broken into parts and the "lead"
stagger may differ from the "lag".
 

  This
same diagram can be improved upon by insertion of dummy arrows. The
diagram can be redrawn as shown below making use of dummies.
 

  This
diagram indicates that the four operations can be broken down into
convenient units or sections which can be linked to provide continuous
work and
thus save time.
4.13 In practice this type of representation would most often be employed in refining
a network to make it more closely represent the practical outcome. The
activities concerned may not be overlapped in the first drawn network but when
they are found to be on the "Critical path" the further refinement of overlapping
may become necessary. The original time assumed for these activities in the
first drawn network can be reduced by use of this overlapping. When the "lead"
stagger is the minimum practical distance between two consecutive gangs then
the diagram represents the maximum overlap and the minimum time required
for the whole operation. It is therefore the closest representation of the actual
outcome which can be achieved in actual practice.
4.14 In certain circumstances it is necessary to have in the network diagram arrows
to represent activities which consume only time and no other resources. For
example "curing concrete" or "allow first coat of paint to dry" are activities
which are important because further activities like "building wall on the
 concrete" or "applying second coat of paint" cannot be taken in hand until these
time consuming activities are completed. These "time only" activities can
influence the possible starting and finishing times of other activities in the
network and also the total project time and therefore must be 'included in the
network diagram. They are treated as activities of the specified duration but
requiring no resources. Another kind of activity which may consume only time
and require no other resource is provision For likely delays. To avoid building
inefficiency in the plan, no provision is made in the activity durations for
overtime, extended work weeks, strikes, late deliveries, authorization delays,
bad weather and acts of God. The occurrences may be allocated time by
including an activity at the end of the network. Its duration depends on the
number of days expected to be lost on the project because of any or all of these
misfortunes. This is done so that the estimation of time for each activity is not
biased.
4.15 It may some times happen, through some fallacy in logic, that a chain of arrows
in the network forms a closed loop implying that other carrying out a number of
activities, one returns to the point of time from which to start was made. This
will give rise to an impossible situation.
 

  Such a situation may arise where some kind of recycling or reiterative process
towards a choice is involved as shown in the above diagram. The problem can be
resolved by breaking the loop and converting it into one or more activities as
below :
 

  In
any case it is necessary to see that no such loop is allowed to exist in
a
network diagram.
4.16 Sometimes possibly through, oversight some activities may remain unconnected
with other activities resulting in "dangling arrows". This is obviously not an
acceptable situation. Every activity must be connected at its head and tail with
some other activity or activities. No dangling arrow should be allowed to remain
unconnected.
 

4.17 The construction of a network diagram is not quite as simple as it may appear.
Although in every project the activities naturally fall into logical order,  it is not
always easy particularly in long and complex projects, to identify the logic and
describe it on a network diagram. One difficulty is in deciding how to break the
whole project down into its constituent activities and deciding now large or
small the activities should be or in other words what should be the degree of
detail. The answer will depend on the complexity of the project and the needs of
 the individual who is going to use it. The manager of a large project may be
interested in activities of not less than a week's duration while the foreman may
be interested in operations of a day's duration. The practical approach to
drawing the network is to draw long arrows in the first instance and
subsequently break them down into several smaller arrows. Sometimes before
starting the drawing of the network diagram, a list is made of all the activities
but in actual practice it is possible to break down the project into its constituent
activities while actually drawing the network diagram.
4.18 While drawing the network diagram arrows are drawn straight or dog-legged
and at least a part of the arrow is kept horizontal so that a brief description of
the activity can be written on the Horizontal portion. This makes it easier to
locate an arrow quickly. Arrows may and will have to cross each other in a
complex network. The network is drawn from left to right. The network diagram
can be drawn in sections on several sheets of paper say to represent activities of
a particular department and then to link these together. The diagram as a whole
however must have only a single start and a single end point.