PROJECT PLANNING

INTRODUCTION
This unit describes techniques used to plan

the work elements and activities that need to be carried out in order to accomplish a project. Here we shall discuss: Clearly defining the project objective Developing a work breakdown structure Developing a network diagram

PROJECT OBJECTIVE
o The first step in the planning process is to define the

project objective the expected result or end product. o The objective must be clearly defined and agreed upon by the customer and the contractor. o The objective must be clear, attainable, specific and measurable. o For a project, the objective is usually defined in terms of scope, schedule and costit requires completing the work within budget by a certain time.

Contd--o Ideally, the project objective should be clear and

concise at the beginning of the project. o However, sometimes the project objective needs to be modified as the project proceeds. o The project manager and the client must agree on all changes to the initial project objective. o Any such changes might affect the work scope, completion date and final cost.

WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE

Once the project objective has been defined, the next

step is to determine what work elements or activities need to be performed to accomplish it. This requires developing a list of all activities. There are two approaches to preparing such a list. One is to have the project team brainstorm the list of activities. This approach is suitable for small projects.

Contd-- For larger and more complex projects, it is difficult to

develop a comprehensive list of activities without forgetting some items. For such projects, creating a work breakdown structure( WBS) is a better approach. The WBS breaks a project down into manageable pieces or items, to help ensure that all of the work elements needed to complete the project work scope are identified.

Contd-- It is a hierarchical tree of end items that will be

accomplished or produced by the project team during the project. The accomplishment or production of all of these items constitutes completion of the project work scope. An example of a WBS for a town festival is given in figure 7.1 (Slides 13 & 14)

Contd-- The graphic structure subdivides the project into

smaller pieces called work items. Not all branches of the WBS have to be broken down to the same level. The lowestlevel item of any one branch is called a work package. Most work packages shown in figure 7.1 are at the second level, but four work items are further divided into a more detailed third level. One work item(list of volunteers) is not broken down beyond the first level.

Contd-- The WBS usually indicates the organisation or

individual responsible for each work item. The criteria for deciding how much detail or how many levels to put in the WBS are: 1. The level at which a single individual or organisation can be assigned responsibility and accountability for accomplishing the work package. 2. The level at which you want to control the budget and monitor and collect cost data during the project.

Contd-- There is not a single correct WBS for any project.

For example, two different project teams might

develop somewhat different WBSs for the same project.

RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX
The responsibility matrix is a method used to

display, in tabular format, the individuals responsible for accomplishing the work items in the WBS. It is a useful tool because it emphasises who is responsible for each work item and shows each individuals role in supporting the overall project. Figure 7.2 shows the responsibility matrix associated with the WBS in Figure 7.1 for the festival project.

Contd--Some responsibility matrices use an X to show who is

responsible for each work item; others use a P to designate primary responsibility and an S to indicate support responsibility for a specific work item. (Example) Figure 7.2 indicates that Jim has primary responsibility for the game booths, with Chris and Joe supporting this effort. It is a good idea to show only one individual as the lead, or primary, person responsible for each work item.

DEFINING ACTIVITIES
For projects in which a WBS is used, individual

activities can be defined by the person or team responsible for each work package. An activity is a defined piece of work that consumes time. For work package 3.1 in Figure 7.1, game booths, the following eight detailed activities may be identified: Design booths Specify materials

Contd-- Buy materials

Construct booths
Paint booths Dismantle booths Move booths to festival site and reassemble Dismantle booths and move to storage

Contd--When all the detailed activities have been defined for

each of the work packages, the next step is to graphically portray them in a network diagram that shows the appropriate sequence and interrelationships needed to accomplish the overall project work scope.

DEVELOPING THE NETWORK PLAN

Network planning is a technique that is helpful in

planning, scheduling and controlling projects that consist of many interrelated activities. Two network planning techniques, program evaluation and review technique(PERT) and the critical path method(CPM) were developed in the 1950s. Since that time, other forms of network planning, such as the precedence diagramming method (PDM) and the graphical evaluation & review technique(GERT) have been developed.

Contd-- All of these fall under the general category of network

planning techniques, because they all make use of a network diagram to show the sequential flow and interrelationships of activities. Network planning techniques are often compared with a somewhat more familiar tool known as a Gantt chart (Sometimes called a bar chart). This is an older planning and scheduling tool, developed in the early 1900s; however, it remains very popular today, mainly because of its simplicity.

Contd-- The Gantt chart combines the two functions of

planning and scheduling. Activities are listed down the left-hand side, and a time scale is shown along the bottom. The estimated duration for each activity is indicated by a line or bar spanning the period during which the activity is expected to be accomplished. Columns that indicate who is responsible for each task can be added to the chart.

Contd-- One of the major drawbacks to the traditional Gantt

chart is that it does not graphically display the interrelationships activities. Therefore, it is not obvious which activities will be affected when a given activity is delayed. Because planning and scheduling are done simultaneously in a traditional Gantt chart, it is cumbersome to make changes to the plan manually. This is especially true if an activity at the beginning of the project is delayed and thus many of bars have to be redrawn.

Contd-- Network techniques, on the other hand, separate the

planning and scheduling functions.

A network diagram is the result, or output, of the

planning function and is not drawn to a time scale.

Separating the two functions makes it much easier to

revise a plan and calculate an updated schedule.

NETWORK PRINCIPLES
There are a few basic principles that must be

understood and followed in preparing a network diagram. There are also different formats that can be used in drawing the diagram. One format is activity in the box (AIB), also known as activity on the node (AON) . Another format is activity on the arrow(AOA).

ACTIVITY IN THE BOX(AIB)

In the AIB format, each activity is represented by a box

in the network diagram, and the description of the activity is written within the box as shown below:
GET VOLUNTEERS 7

Contd-- The description of activities usually starts with a verb. Each activity is represented by one and only one box.

In addition, each box is assigned a unique activity

number. In the above example, the activity Get Volunteers has been given activity number 7.

Contd-- Activities have a precedential relationshipthat is,

they are linked in a precedential order to show which activities must be finished before others can start. Arrows linking the activity boxes show the direction of precedence. An activity can not start until all of the preceding activities that are linked to it by arrows have been finished.

Contd-- Certain activities have to be done in serial order. For

example, as shown below, only after wash car is finished can dry car start.

WASH CAR

DRY CAR

 Some activities may be done concurrently. As shown

Contd---

below, Get volunteer & Buy Materials can be done concurrently; when they are both finished, Construct Booth can start. Similarly, when 10 is finished, both 11&12 can start concurrently.
GET VOLUNTEER 7 BUY MATERIAL 8 DISMANTLE BOOTH 11 CLEAN UP

CONSTRUCT BOOTH 9

PAINT BOOTH 10

12

ACTIVITY ON THE ARROW(AOA)

o In the AOA format, an activity is represented by an

arrow in the network diagram, and the activity description is written above the arrow as shown below:
o

Collect Data

o Each activity is represented by one and only one arrow.

Contd--o The tail of the arrow designates the start of the activity,

and the head of the arrow represents the completion of the activity. o The length and slope of the arrow are in no way indicative of the activitys duration or importance. o In the AOA format, activities are linked by circles called events. o An event represents the finish of activities entering into it and the start of activities going out of it.

Contd--o In the AOA format, each event not each activityis

assigned a unique number. o (Example) the activities shown below, Wash Car and Dry Car, have a serial relationship and are linked together by event 2. Event 2 represents the completion of Wash Car and the start of Dry Car . o Wash Car Dry Car
1 2 3

Contd--o The event at the beginning(tail of the arrow) of the

activity is known as the activitys predecessor event, and the event at the end( head of the arrow) of the activity is known as the activitys successor event. o For the activity Wash Car, the predecessor event is 1 and the successor event is 2; for the activity Dry Car, the predecessor event is 2 and the successor event is 3.

Contd--o All activities going into an event(circle) must be finished

before any activities leading from that event can start. Get Volunteer Paint Dismantle 6 11 8 9 10 Booth Construct 7 12 Buy Materials Clean up
o Get Volunteer & Buy Materials can be done

concurrently, but only when they are both finished can the activity Construct Booth start.

DUMMY ACTIVITIES
In the activityonthearrow format, there is a

special type of activity known as a dummy activity, which consumes zero time and is represented by a dashed arrow in the network diagram. Dummy activities, which are used only with the activity-on-the-arrow format, are needed for two reasons: 1. To help in the unique identification of activities 2. To show certain precedential relationships that otherwise could not be shown.

Contd-- In drawing an activity-on-the-arrow network diagram,

there are two basic rules with regard to the unique identification of activities: 1. Each event(circle) in the network diagram must have a unique event numberthat is, no two events in the network diagram can have the same event number. 2. Each activity must have a unique combination of predecessor and successor event numbers.

Contd-- Activities A and B below both have the predecessor-

successor event number combination 1-2. This is not allowed in an AOA network diagram, because if someone referred to activity 1-2, you would not know whether activity A or activity B was being discussed. A

Contd-- If computer software is used to calculate a project

schedule based on activity-on-the-arrow network diagram, it will probably require that each activity be identified by a unique predecessor-successor event number combination.

 The insertion of a dummy activity, as shown below, allows

activities A and B to have unique predecessor-successor event number combinations. In (a), activity A is referred to as 1-3 & activity B as 1-2. Similarly, in(b), activity A is referred to as 1-2 & activity B as 1-3.Both approaches are acceptable ways. A A 1 3 1 2 3 B B (a)
2

(b)

Contd-- Let us consider an example of a case in which a dummy

activity must be used to show precedential relationships that otherwise could not be shown. The situation is as follows: Activities A and B can be done concurrently. When activity A is finished, activity C can start. When both activity A and activity B are finished, activity D can start. To portray this logic a dummy activity must be used, as shown below:

Contd--1

The dummy activity 3-4 in a sense extends activity A to

show that, in addition to being necessary in order to start activity C, its finish is also needed(along with the finish of activity B) in order to start activity D.

Contd-- The format shown below is incorrect because it

indicates that activities A and B must both be finished in order for activities C and D to start, when, in fact, only activity A (not A and B) must be finished in order for activity C to start.
1

A
3

C D

Contd-- An advantage of the activity-in-the-box format is that

the logic can be shown without the use of dummy activities. For example, below is the AIB format for the relationship shown above; no dummy activity is needed.
A C

B 2

LOOPS
Shown below in AIB and AOA formats is an illogical

relationship among activities known as a loop. In preparing a network diagram, drawing activities in a loop is not allowed because it portrays a path of activities that perpetually repeats itself.
1 A 2 B 1

A C
3

LADDERING
Some projects have a set of activities that are repeated

several times. For example, consider a project involving the painting of three rooms. Painting each room requires: (1) preparing the room to be painted, (2) painting the ceiling and walls, (3) trimming. Assume that three experts will be available- one to do preparation, one to paint the ceilings and walls, and one to do the trim.

It may seem logical to draw a network diagram for the

Contd--PREPARE ROOM 1 1

project as shown below:

PAINT ROOM1 2 TRIM ROOM 1 3 PREPARE ROOM2 PAINT ROOM2 5

TRIM ROOM3

PAINT ROOM3 8

PREPARE ROOM3 7

TRIM ROOM2 6

(Activity-in-the-Box Format)

or
1

Prepare Room 1

Paint Room 1

Trim 3 Room 1

Prepare room 3 Trim Room 2 Paint Room2 Prepare R Room 2 8 7

6 5

Paint Room 3 Trim Room 3

9 10

(Activity-on-the-Arrow Format)

Contd--The following figure shows a technique known as

laddering, which can be used to diagram this project. It indicates that each expert, after finishing one room, can start working on the next room. This approach will allow the project to be completed in the shortest possible time while making the best use of available resources.

Contd--PREPARE ROOM 1 1 2 PAINT ROOM 1 4 TRIM ROOM1

PREPARE ROOM 2 3 5

PAINT ROOM2

TRIM ROOM2 7

PREPARE Activity-inROOM3 The-Box Format 6

PAINT ROOM3

TRIM ROOM3

ACTIVITY-ON-THE-ARROW FORMAT
1

Prepare Room 1 Prepare Room2 4

Paint Room1 Paint Room2 5

Prepare Room3

Trim Room1 Trim Room2

7

Paint Room3

Trim Room3
10

PREPARING THE NETWORK DIAGRAM

Given a list of activities and knowledge of network

principles, you can prepare a network diagram. First, select the format to be usedactivity in the box or activity on the arrow. Next, start drawing the activities in their logical precedential order, as the project should progress from initiation to completion.

Contd-- When deciding on the sequence in which the activities

should be drawn to show their logical precedential relationship to one another, you should ask the following three questions regarding each individual activity: 1. Which activities must be finished immediately before this activity can be started? 2. Which activities can be done concurrently with this activity? 3. Which activities cannot be started until this activity is finished?

Contd-- By answering these questions for each activity, you

should be able to draw a network diagram that portrays the interrelationships and sequence of activities needed to accomplish the project scope. The entire network diagram should flow from left to right. Unlike the Gantt chart, the network diagram is not drawn to a time scale. It is easier to visualise the entire project if the network diagram can be drawn to fit on a large sheet of paper.

Contd--If the network is very large, however, it may require

multiple pages. In such cases, it may be necessary to create a reference system or set of symbols to show the linkages between activities on different pages. When initially drawing the network diagram for a project, dont be too concerned about drawing it neatly.

Contd--It is better to sketch out a rough draft of the diagram

and make sure the logical relationships among the activities are correct.
Then , go back later and draw a neater diagram ( or

have the computer generate the diagram if you are using project management software)

NETWORK DIAGRAM--GUIDELINES
The following guidelines should be considered in deciding how detailed ( in terms of number of activities) a network diagram for a project should be: 1. If work breakdown structure has been prepared for the project, then activities should be identified for each work package. 2. It may be preferable to draw a summary-level network first and then expand it to a more detailed network. A summary network contains a small number of higher-level activities rather than a large number of detailed activities.

Contd--In some cases, a summary network may suffice for use throughout a project. 3. The level of detail may be determined by certain obvious interface or transfer points. For example, if one person is responsible for building an item and another person is responsible for packaging it, these should be two separate activities. If there is a tangible, deliverable output or product as a result of an activity, it should define the end of one activity and the start of other activities.

Contd--4. Activities should not be longer in estimated

duration than the time intervals at which actual project progress will be reviewed and compared to planned progress .For example, if the project is a three-year endeavor and the project team plans to review project progress monthly, then the network should contain no activities with estimated durations greater than 30 days. If there are activities with longer estimated durations, they should be broken up into more detailed activities with durations of 30 days or less.

Contd--5. Whatever the level of detail used in the initial

network diagram, some activities may be broken down further as the project progresses. It is always easier to identify activities that need to be done in the near term ( the next several weeks or months) than to identify activities that are a year in the future. It is not unusual to add more detail to a network diagram as the project moves forward.

Contd--6. In some cases, an organisation may do similar

projects for different customers, and certain portions of these projects may include the same types of activities in the same logical precedential relationships. If so, it may be worthwhile to develop standard subnetworks for these portion of the projects. Having standard subnetworks can save effort and time when a network diagram is developed for an overall project.

Contd--7. Finally, when the entire network diagram has been

drawn, it is necessary to assign a unique activity number either to each activity(box), if you are using the activity-in-the-box format, or to each event ( circle) , if you are using the activity-in-the-arrow format. The choice between the activity-in-the-box format and the activity-on-the-arrow format is a matter of personal preference. Both formats use a network based on precedential relationships.

Contd-- The network diagram is a roadmap that displays how

all the activities fit together to accomplish the project work scope. It is also a communication tool for the project team because it shows who is responsible for each activity and how that persons work ties into the overall project.

KEY FOR ACTIVITY-IN-THE-BOX FORMAT

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

ACTIVITY NUMBER
PERSON RESPONSIBLE

KEY FOR ACTIVITY-ON-THE-ARROW FORMAT

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

PERSON RESPONSIBLE EVENT EVENT NUMBER NUMBER

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

A wide variety of affordable project management

software packages are available for purchase. These packages allow the project manager and the project team to plan and control projects in a completely interactive mode. Common features of project management software allow the user to:

Contd-- Create lists of tasks with their estimated durations Establish interdependencies among tasks

Work with a variety of time scales, including hours,

days, weeks, months and years Handle certain constraints- for example, a task can not start before a certain date, a task must be started by a certain date, labour unions allow no more than two people to work on the weekends.

Contd-- Track team members, including their pay rates, hours

worked thus far on a project and upcoming vacation dates. Incorporate company holidays, weekends and team member vacation days into calendering systems. Handle shifts of workers( day, evening, night) Monitor and forcast budgets Look for conflicts-for example, over allocated resources and time conflicts

Contd-- Generate a wide variety of reports

Interface with other software packages such as

spreadsheets and databases Sort information in a variety of ways- for example, by project, by team member or by work package. Handle multiple projects Work online and respond quickly to changes in schedule, budget or personnel Compare actual costs with budgeted costs

Example
A small conveyor is to be installed at a tea garden involving the following activities:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Foundation work of the support framework involving 32 nos. of foundation blocks. Supply and erection of the support framework Procurement and installation of motor and gear box. Procurement and installation of conveyor belts. Alignment of conveyor system. Installation of electric appliances and supply of electricity Trial run of the system.

Constraints: 1. Framework can be started only after completing the corresponding foundations. 2. Installation of motors, gearbox and belts can be done simultaneously at site. 3. Alignment of the system can be done only after installation of all equipments is complete. 4. Trail run can be given on supply of electricity and the alignment work is completed.