Project Scheduling: Networks, Duration

Estimation,
and Critical Path

9-1

Project Scheduling
Project scheduling requires us to follow some
carefully laid-out steps, in order, for the schedule to
take shape.
Project planning, as it relates to the scheduling
process, has been defined by the PMBoK as:
The identification of the project objectives and the
ordered activity necessary to complete the project
including the identification of resource types and
quantities required to carry out each activity or task.
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Purposes of Project Scheduling

1. Shows the relationship of each activity to others

and to the whole project

2. Identifies the precedence relationships among
activities
3. Encourages the setting of realistic time and cost
estimates for each activity
4. Helps make better use of people, money, and
material resources by identifying critical
bottlenecks in the project

Project Management Techniques

Gantt chart
Critical Path Method (CPM)
Program Evaluation and
Review Technique (PERT)

A Simple Gantt Chart

J
Design
Prototype
Test
Revise
Production

Time
A M J

Service For A Delta Jet

Passengers
Baggage
Fueling
Cargo and mail
Galley servicing
Lavatory servicing
Drinking water
Cabin cleaning
Cargo and mail
Flight services
Operating crew
Baggage
Passengers

Deplaning
Baggage claim
Container offload
Pumping
Engine injection water
Container offload
Main cabin door
Aft cabin door
Aft, center, forward
Loading
First-class section
Economy section
Container/bulk loading
Galley/cabin check
Receive passengers
Aircraft check
Loading
Boarding

0
Figure 3.4

10

20
Time, Minutes

30

40

Six Steps PERT & CPM

Define the project and prepare the work
breakdown structure
2. Develop relationships among the activities decide which activities must precede and which
must follow others
3. Draw the network connecting all of the activities
1.

Six Steps PERT & CPM

4. Assign time and/or cost estimates to each activity
5. Compute the longest time path through the network
this is called the critical path
6. Use the network to help plan, schedule, monitor, and
control the project

Project Scheduling Terms

Successors
Predecessors
Network diagram
Serial activities
Concurrent activities
B
D

A
C
09-09

Project Scheduling Terms

Merge activities
Burst activities
Node
Path
Critical Path
B
D

A
C
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Network Diagrams

FIGURE 9.2 Alternative Activity Networks for Term Paper Assignment

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AOA Versus AON

The same mini-project is shown with activities on arc
B

F
C

and activities on node.

E

D
B

F
C

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Node Labels
Early Start

Activity Float

Late Start

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ID Number

Early Finish

Activity Descriptor

Activity Duration

Late Finish

Serial Activities
Serial activities are those that flow from one to
the next, in sequence.

FIGURE 9.5
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Activities Linked in Parallel

(Concurrent)
When the nature of the work allows for more than one activity
to be accomplished at the same time, these activities are called
concurrent and parallel project paths are constructed through the
network.

FIGURE 9.6
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Merge Activity

FIGURE 9.7
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Burst Activity

FIGURE 9.8
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AON Example
Activities and Predecessors
Activity
A

Description
Build internal components

Immediate
Predecessors

Modify roof and floor

Construct collection stack

Pour concrete and install frame

A, B

Build high-temperature burner

Install pollution control system

Install air pollution device

D, E

Inspect and test

F, G
Table 3.1

AON Network
F
A

Start

Arrows Show Precedence

Relationships
Figure 3.8

TRY THE FOLLOWING:

Construct a network activity diagram based on the following
information:
Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I

Preceding activities
A
B, C
B
C, D
E
F
G, H
9-20

F
H
D

B
E

9-21

Node Labels
Early
Start
Activity
Float
Late
Start

ID
Number

Early
Finish

Activity Descriptor
Activity
Duration

Late
Finish

9-22

Duration Estimation Methods

Past experience
Expert opinion
Mathematical derivation Beta distribution
Most likely (m)
Most pessimistic (b)
Most optimistic (a)

ba
Activity Variance = =

a + 4m + b
Activity Duration = TE =
6
9-23

Activity Duration and Variance

Name: Project Delta

Table 9.2

Durations are listed in weeks

Activity

Description

Optimistic

Likely

Pessimistic

Contract signing

11

Questionnaire design

Target market ID

Survey sample

12

20

Develop presentation

12

Analyze results

Demographic analysis

14

Presentation to client

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Copyright 2013 Pearson Education

Sketch the network described in the table.

Determine the expected duration and variance of each
activity.

Task Predecessor
Z
-Y
Z
X
Z
W
Y, X
V
W
T
W
S
T, V

a
7
13
14
12
1
6
11

m
8
16
18
14
4
10
14

b
15
19
22
16
13
14
19
9-25

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

9-26

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 ES 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
9-27

Project Delta Information

Table 9.4

Project Delta
Activity

Description

Predecessors

Estimated Duration

None

Contract signing

Questionnaire design

Target market ID

Survey sample

B, C

13

Develop presentation

Analyze results

Demographic analysis

Presentation to client

E, F, G

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FIGURE 9.16 Partial Project Activity Network with Task Durations

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FIGURE 9.18 Activity Network with Forward Pass

Copyright 2013 Pearson Education

09-30

FIGURE 9.19 Activity Network with Backward Pass

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FIGURE 9.20 Project Network with Activity Slack and Critical Path
Note: Critical path is indicated with bold arrows.
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Task Predecessor Time

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
K

-A
A
B
B
C
D, F
E, G
H

4
9
11
5
3
7
3
2
1

Sketch the network described in the table.

Determine the ES, LS, EF, LF, and slack of each activity
9-33

Laddering Activities
It may be possible to begin a portion of one activity while work continues on
other elements of the task, particularly in lengthy or complex projects.
Create a visual basic code composed of several subroutines to cover the
systems of multiple departments.
Under sever time pressure to use our resources efficiently, however, we
might want to find a method for streamlining, or making the development
sequence more efficient.

9-34

Laddering Activities
Project ABC can be completed more efficiently if
subtasks are used
A(3)

A1(1)

B(6)

A2(1)
B1(2)

Laddered
ABC=12 days

C(9)

ABC=18 days

A3(1)
B2(2)
C1(3)

B3(2)
C2(3)

C3(3)
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Hammock Activities
Summaries for some subsets of activities identified in
the overall project network.
Hangs below the network path for consultant tasks
and serves as an aggregation of task durations for the
activities it ROLLS UP
Duration first identifying all tasks to be included and
then subtracting the ES or the first task from the EF
from the EF of the latest successor.

9-36

Hammock Activities
Used as summaries for subsets of activities
0 A 5

5 B 15

15 C 18

0 5

5 10 15

15 3 18

0 Hammock 18
0

18

18

Useful with a complex

project or one that has
a shared budget
9-37

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
9-38

Exercise:
Calculate the ES, LS, EF, LF and slack time in a table format.
Find the critical path.