ME4103

INTRODUCTION TO
PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A/Prof Loh Wai Lam

ME4103 Introduction to Project Management
ME4103 Introduction to Project Management

Effective Project Planning

1. List all activities that have to be done to complete
the project.
2. Determine dependencies, e.g. tasks/events that must
happen before or after a particular task.
3. Draw a Network Diagram of this activities and
dependencies.
4. Add time estimates to tasks.
5. Roll forward and backwards through the network to
determine the Critical Paths which dictates the
completion time of the project.
6. Draw a Bar Chart for each major section of the
project.
ME4103 Introduction to Project Management

Bar Charts and Network Diagrams

Professional project planning normally uses two types of chart
representation:
• Gantt Chart

• Network Diagram (or Critical Path Scheduling or PERT

Charts
ME4103 Introduction to Project Management

Bar Charts (Gantt Chart)

Gantt Charts (developed in 1917 by Henry L. Gantt, an American
engineer and social scientist) give a very effective overview and
perspective of the whole project and enables everyone to see the
dependencies and sequence of activities.
They are simple to construct and can capture a great deal of information
about the project plan.
Gantt Charts is a very useful and effective tool for:
• Controlling project
• Spotting deviations and problems
• Sharing information with the team and reporting progress.
Gantt Charts can also used to schedule resources, e.g. manpower,
equipment, etc. or budget.
Gantt Charts also help to avoid over-scheduling.
Bar Charts (Gantt Chart) - examples
Bar Charts (Gantt Chart) - examples
ME4103 Introduction to Project Management

Tutorial
Your have just bought an apartment and would like to
have complete renovation before you move in.
• Name all the possible constraints.
• What task are required?
• What resources are needed?
Prepare a Gantt Chart for this home renovation project
in MS Excel.