Project Management

Network Scheduling Technique

Lecture 4
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in advance.
Techniques of Project Management (cont.)
⚫ Network diagram
◦ PERT
◦ CPM

⚫ Bar chart
Outline
⚫ Project Network
◦ Elements of Network (Steps of Network analysis)
◦ Characteristics of PERT and CPM
◦ Events and activities
◦ examples

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 Elements of Network
⚫ How to represent the project graphically?
◦ Divide the project into a number of jobs/tasks (called
ACTIVITIES)
◦ The beginning or end of each activity constitutes an EVENT
of the project.

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Elements of Network (cont.)

ty event act
t ivi ivit
ac y
activity
event event event
ty
c tivi
ac a
tiv
ity event

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 Elements of Network (cont.)
⚫ To coordinate all of these activities, in developing a
realistic schedule, and then in monitoring the progress of
the project.
◦ Two closely related operations research techniques are widely
used:
● PERT (program evaluation and review technique) and
● CPM (critical path method),

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 Elements of Network (cont.)
⚫ Types of projects used PERT and CPM
◦ Installation of a management information system
◦ Research and development of a new product
◦ NASA space exploration projects
◦ Movie productions
◦ Building ships
◦ Relocation of a major facility
◦ Maintenance of a nuclear reactor
◦…

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Characteristics of PERT and CPM
⚫ Should have clear jobs/operations
⚫ Definite commencement ‫ ﺑدء‬and completion (events)
⚫ Events and activities should occur in definite pattern

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Characteristics of PERT and CPM (cont.)
⚫ The activity-on-arc (AOA) project network, where each
activity is represented by an arc. A node is used to
separate an activity (an outgoing arc) 🡪 Activity oriented

1 2 3

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Characteristics of PERT and CPM (cont.)
⚫ The activity-on-node (AON) project network, where
each activity is represented by a node. Then the arcs are
used just to show the precedence relationships that exist
between the activities. 🡪 Event oriented

A B

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 Characteristics of PERT and CPM (cont.)
⚫ Example
◦ Await delivery of new computers
◦ Remove existing computers
◦ Install power supply
◦ Install new computers
◦ Connect to power
◦ Test
◦ Dispose ‫ اﻟﺗﺧﻠص‬the old computers

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 Characteristics of PERT and CPM (cont.)
AOA
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 Characteristics of PERT and CPM (cont.)
AON
Remove Dispose
existing old
comput comput
ers ers

Install Connect
start power finish
to Test
supply power

Install
Await
comput
delivery
ers

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Event
⚫ Is the start or finish of an activity, such as
◦ Design completed
◦ Computer installed
⚫ Should be positive, specific, tangible and meaningful
⚫ Should be definitely distinguishable ‫ ﯾﻣﻛن ﺗﻣﯾزھﺎ‬as a specific
point in time
⚫ Should be understood by all concerned with the project

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Event (cont.)
⚫ Representation

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Event (cont.)

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Event (cont.)

Dual Event

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Event (cont.)
Tail Event

Dual Event

Head Event

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 Activities
⚫ Activity is the actual performance of a task, such as
◦ Install computers
◦ Test
⚫ Represented by simple arrows
⚫ Drawn from left to right
⚫ The length of an arrow does not represent
◦ Magnitude ‫ﺣﺟم‬-‫ ﻣﻘدار‬of work
◦ Time for its completion

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Activities (cont.)

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 Activities (cont.)

Activities Predecessor Successor

‫ﻗﺒﻞ‬ ‫ﺑﻌﺪ‬
A - C
B - D
C A E
D B E
E C,D -

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 Activities (cont.)
⚫ Dummy Activities
Those do not require any
time and resources, and just
define dependency among
jobs.

A: Wait for delivery of a new machine

B: Install a new machine
C: Remove an existing machine
D: Dispose the old machine

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Activities (cont.)
⚫ Dummy Activities
◦ Grammatical purpose

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Activities (cont.)
⚫ Dummy Activities
◦ Logical purpose

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Take a breath

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Activities (cont.)
⚫ Rules for provision ‫ ﺗوﻓﯾر‬of dummies (Case 1)

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Activities (cont.) activity
P
A
predecessor
-
-
Q -
B A

⚫ Rules for provision of dummies (Case 2) C

D
A,P
A,Q

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Activities (cont.)
⚫ Rules for provision of dummies (Case 3)

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 Activities (cont.)
⚫ Exercise: introduce dummy activities to identify each activity
uniquely

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Activities (cont.)
⚫ Exercise

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Network Rules
⚫ The initial node has only outgoing arrows.
⚫ No activity can start until its predecessors are finished.
⚫ An event cannot occur twice.
⚫ Any arrow should represent a single situation.
⚫ We have only one end point.

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Graphical guidelines for network
⚫ Arrows are not used to indicate time.
⚫ Angle between arrows should be chosen to suit drafting
convenience.
⚫ As far as possible, avoid curved arrows.

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Graphical guidelines for network (cont.)
⚫ Arrows should not normally cross each other.

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Examples

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Examples (cont.)

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Examples (cont.)

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Examples (cont.)

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Examples (cont.)

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Examples (cont.)

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Examples (cont.)
Critical Path Method (CPM)
⚫ CPM was developed during the 1950s.
⚫ The focus of CPM is
◦ to determine when a project should be completed, and
◦ to schedule when each activity in the project must begin.
Why:
◦ to keep the project on schedule.

• The first step is to create the network

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 CPM (cont.)
⚫ The next step after creating the network is to determine
the earliest time (start and finish) that each activity in the
network can start and finish (forward pass).

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 CPM (cont.)
⚫ Next, we make a backward pass through the network
to determine the latest time that each activity can start
and finish without delaying the completion of the project.

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Time estimates
⚫  

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Float
⚫  

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Critical Path
⚫ The critical path is the longest path through a project
network
⚫ Any delays in the start or finish times of the activities on
the critical path (also known as critical activities) delay
the completion of the project.
⚫ Project manager should always identify the critical
activities in a project to focus attention on these
activities and to avoid delays on them when possible.

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 Example 1
1. Draw the activity on arc
(AOA) network.
Activity Duration Immediate
2. By using the visual method Predecessor

compute the event times. A 10 -

B 9 -
3. Define the critical path. C 8 A
D 10 B
E 7 C,D

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 Example 1(cont.)
11

10

2 26
10 C,
A, 8
18 26
1
E,7
0 1 4 5

0 B, 9 0
3 D, 1 19

19
9
9

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References

Punmia, B. C., and K. K. Khandelwal. Project Planning and

Control with PERT & CPM, 2006 (Chapter 3)
Punmia, B. C., and K. K. Khandelwal. Project Planning and
Control with PERT & CPM, 2006 (Chapter 8)

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