Project Scheduling:

Networks, Duration estimation,

and Critical Path
 Project Scheduling Terms
• Successors
• Predecessors
• Network diagram
• Serial activities
• Concurrent activities

A D E F

C
 Project Scheduling Terms
• Merge activities
• Burst activities
• Node
• Path
• Critical Path

A D E F

C
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 Network Diagrams
Show Help
interdependence schedule
resources
Show
Facilitate start &
communication finish
dates
Determine project Identify
completion critical
activities
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 AOA vs. AON
The same mini-project is shown with activities on
arrow…
D E
B F
C

…and activities on node.

D E
B F

C
 Node Labels

Early ID Early
Start Number Finish
Activity
Float Activity Descriptor
Late Activity Late
Start Duration Finish
 Duration Estimation Methods
• Past experience
• Expert opinion
• Mathematical derivation – Beta distribution
– Most likely (m)
2
– Most pessimistic (b) ba
– Most optimistic (a)
Activity Variance = s  
2

 6 

a  4m  b
Activity Duration = TE 
6
1. Sketch the network described in the table.
2. Determine the expected duration and variance of each
activity.

Task Predecessor a m b
A -- 7 8 15
B A 13 16 19
C A 14 18 22
D B, C 12 14 16
E D 1 4 13
F D 6 10 14
G F, E 11 14 19
 Constructing the Critical Path
• Forward pass – an additive move through the
network from start to finish

• Backward pass – a subtractive move through

the network from finish to start

• Critical path – the longest path from end to end

which determines the shortest project length

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 9-9

 Rules for Forward/Backward Pass
Forward Pass Rules (ES & EF)
– ES + Duration = EF
– EF of predecessor = ES of successor
– Largest preceding EF at a merge point becomes EF
for successor

Backward Pass Rules (LS & LF)

– LF – Duration = LS
– LS of successor = LF of predecessor
– Smallest succeeding LS at a burst point becomes LF
for predecessor
Task Predecessor Time
1. Sketch the network
A -- 4 described in the table.
B A 9
C A 11 2. Determine the ES,
D B 5 LS, EF, LF, and slack
E B 3 of each activity
F C 7
G D, F 3
H E, G 2
K H 1
 Laddering Activities
Project ABC can be completed more efficiently if
subtasks are used
A(3) B(6) C(9) ABC=18 days

A1(1) A2(1) A3(1)

B1(2) B2(2) B3(2)

Laddered
ABC=12 days C1(3) C2(3) C3(3)
 Hammock Activities
Used as summaries for subsets of activities
0 A 5 5 B 15 C 18
15
0 5 5 15 3 18
5 10
15
0 Hammock 18
0 18 18
Useful with a complex
project or one that has
a shared budget
 Reducing the Critical Path
• Eliminate tasks on the CP
• Convert serial paths to parallel when possible
• Overlap sequential tasks
• Shorten the duration on critical path tasks
• Shorten
– early tasks
– longest tasks
– easiest tasks
– tasks that cost the least to speed up
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 9-14
 Lags in Precedence Relationships
The logical relationship between the start
and finish of one activity and the start and
finish of another activity.

Four logical relationships between tasks

1. Finish to Start
2. Finish to Finish
3. Start to Start
4. Start to Finish
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 Finish to Start Lag
• Most common type of sequencing
• Shown on the line joining the modes
– Added during forward pass
– Subtracted during backward pass

0 A 6 6 B 11 Lag 4 15 C 22
Spec Design Design Check Blueprinting
6 5 7
This lag is not
the same as
activity slack
 Finish to Finish Lag
Two activities share a similar completion point
– The mechanical inspection cannot happen until
wiring, plumbing, and HVAC installation are complete

15 A 21
Lag 3
Wiring
6

10 B 16 16 C 24 24 D 25
Plumbing HVAC Inspection
6 5 1
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 Start to Start Lag

Logic must be
maintained by both
forward and backward
30 A 36 pass
Wiring
6

Lag 3
33 C 36 36 D 37
31 B 32 HVAC Inspection
Plumbing 5 1
1
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 Start to Finish Lag

• Least common type of lag

relationship
• Successor’s finish dependent on
30 A 36
predecessor’s start
Wiring
6 Lag 3

22 B 28 28 C 33 33 D 34
Plumbing HVAC Inspection
6 5 1
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 Gantt Charts
 Establish a time-phased network
 Can be used as a tracking tool

Benefits of Gantt charts

1. Easy to create and comprehend
2. Identify the schedule baseline network
3. Allow for updating and control
4. Identify resource needs

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 10-20

 Create a Gantt chart based on the
activities listed in the table.

Task Time Pred

A 8 --
B 5 A
C 8 A
D 4 B,C
E 5 D

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 10-21

 Crashing
The process of accelerating a project

Principal methods for crashing

 Improving existing resources’ productivity
 Changing work methods
 Increasing the quantity of resources

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 10-22

 Managerial Considerations

• Determine activity fixed and variable costs

• The crash point is the fully expedited activity
• Optimize time-cost tradeoffs
• Shorten activities on the critical path
• Cease crashing when
– the target completion time is reached
– the crashing cost exceeds the penalty cost

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 10-23

 What is the lowest cost to complete this project in 52
weeks? Times are in weeks and costs in dollars. Plot
the AON & AOA networks and the GANTT chart.
Activity Pred Normal Min Normal Crash
Time Time Cost Cost
A -- 14 9 500 1500
B A 5 2 1000 1600
C A 10 8 2000 2900
D B, C 8 5 1000 2500
E D 6 6 1600 1600
F D 9 6 1500 3000
G E, F 7 4 600 1800
H G 15 11 1600 3600
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 Activity on Arrow Networks

 Activities represented by arrows

 Widely used in construction
 Event nodes easy to flag
 Forward and backward pass logic similar to AON
 Two activities may not begin and end at
common nodes
 Dummy activities may be required
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 10-25
1. Use AOA to sketch the network that represents the
project as described in the table.
2. Calculate early and late event times for all activities.

Activity Time Pred Activity Time Pred

A 4 -- F 15 E
B 2 A G 4 E
C 10 A H 7 D,F,G
D 3 B I 11 H
E 15 B,C

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 Activity on Arrow Network

B D I
A H
E F

C
G

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 Controversies in the Use of Networks

 Networks can be too complex

 Poor network construction creates problems
 Networks may be used inappropriately
 When employing subcontractors
– The master network must be available to them
– All sub-networks must use common methods

 Positive bias exists in PERT networks

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 10-28