CHE620

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Chapter 6: Scheduling the Project

By: Cik Siti Khatijah Jamaludin

Planning

Interdependent

Scheduling

Budgeting

Scheduling is all
about the time
frame!!!
Knowing how much time a team has to complete a
project makes it easier for the project manager to allocate
tasks and get things done.

Therefore, many project managers rely on project

schedules to set timeframe parameters for projects.
Source: www.ehow.com

Importance of Project Schedules

Managers often cite delivering projects on time as
one of their biggest challenges
Time has the least amount of flexibility; it passes no
matter what
Schedule issues are the main reason for conflicts on
projects, especially during the second half of projects

How to prepare Project Schedule??

PERT/CPM
Networks

Typical
formats/methods
of preparing a
Project Schedule

Gantt
Charts

PERT/CPM Networks
Convenient analytical and visual techniques of project
scheduling which have proven to be extremely valuable in
assisting the PM in managing the projects.

PERT

stands

for

Project

Evaluation

and

Review

Technique developed in late 1950s by the US Navy. The technique was

developed and used in conjunction with the planning and designing of the
Polaris missile project.

CPM stands for Critical Path Method which was developed (also in
late 1950s) by DuPont Company and applied first to the construction projects in
the chemical industry.

Difference between PERT/CPM Networks

PERT and CPM are very similar in their approach. However, two
distinctions are usually made:

PERT
In PERT, three estimates are used to
form a weighted average of the
expected completion time, based on
a
probability
distribution
of
completion times. Therefore, PERT is
considered a probabilistic tool.

PERT is basically a tool for planning

and control of time, with no ability of
cost estimation.

CPM
In CPM, there is only one
estimate
of
duration.
Therefore,
CPM is a
deterministic tool.

CPM can be used to control the time

and at the same time allows an
explicit estimate of the project cost.

Similarities between PERT/CPM Networks

Both methods employed networks to schedule and display task
sequences.
Both methods identified a critical path of tasks that could not be
delayed without delaying the project.
Both methods identified activities with slack (or float ) that could
be somewhat delayed without extending the time required to
complete the project.

While PERT and CPM used slightly different ways of drawing the
network of activities, anything one could do with PERT, one
could also do with CPM and vice versa. Therefore, in our
syllabus, we use the term PERT/CPM when referring to
scheduling network analysis.

The Framework of PERT/CPM

PERT and CPM both follow 6 basic steps:
Define the project and prepare the WBS
Develop the relationships among the activities/tasks. Decide
which activities must precede and which must follow others
Draw the network connecting all the activities

Assign time/or cost estimates to each activities

Compute the longest time path through the
network. This is called the critical path

Use network to help plan, schedule,

monitor and control the project

First.must understand the language of

PERT/CPM
Activity A task or set of tasks required by the project. Activities
use resources and time.
Event An identifiable state resulting from the completion of
one or more activities
Events consume no resources or time. Before an
event can be achieved or realized , all its predecessor
activities must be completed.
Network A diagram of nodes connected by arrows that defines the
project and illustrates the technological relationships of all
activities.
Networks are usually drawn with a Start node on the left and a
Finish node on the right. Arrows show the direction of
precedence, that is, from predecessors to successors.

Source: Mantel Jr. et al. (2011)

Project Network Diagram: Arrows & Nodes

Project Network Diagram

AOA
(activity-on-arrow)

AON
(activity-on-node)

Activity as arrows
Events as nodes
Usually associated with PERT,
therefore AOA a.k.a. PERT
Network Diagram

Activity as node
Arrows only use to show
technological link/relationship
Usually associated with CPM,
therefore AON a.k.a. CPM
Network Diagram

Example 1: Understanding AOA & AON

Question: Draw an AON network and an AOA network for the project below.
Task/ Activity
a
b
c
d
e
f
g

Predecessor
a
b
b
c, d
e

ending nodes

Solution 1: AON network

S
t
a
r
t

a
b

c
d
e

f
g

F
i
n
i
s
h

Dummy
ending node
or dummy
activity
Source: Mantel Jr. et al. (2011)

Example 1: Understanding AOA & AON

Question: Draw an AON network and an AOA network for the project below.
Task/ Activity Predecessor
a
b
c
a
d
b
e
b
f
c, d
g
e

Dummy task

Solution 2: AOA network

1
S
t
a
r
t

a
b

e
5

1
F
i
n
i
s
h

OR

S
t
a
r
t

a
d
b

F
i
n
i
s
h

Source: Mantel Jr. et al. (2011)

Exercise
Milwaukee paper Manufacturing Inc. has long been delaying the expense of
installing air pollution control equipment in its facility. The environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has recently given the manufacturer 16 weeks to
install a complex air filter system. The company has been warned that it may
be forced to close the facility unless the device is installed in the allocated
time. The Plant Manager wants to make sure that installation of the filtering
system progress smoothly on time. He has identified 8 activities that need to
be performed in order for the project to be completed, as in Table below:

Draw a) an AON network diagram and b) an AOA network diagram for the
project
Source: techsci.msun.edu

Solution (AON network diagram)

Source: techsci.msun.edu

Solution (AOA network diagram)

Source: techsci.msun.edu

Finding Critical Path & Critical Time

Activity
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i

Predecessor
a
a
a
b,c
d
d,e
f

Duration (Days)

g,h

4
3
4
6

4
5

6
6

47

Does this means that the project needs 47 days to complete activities a to j?
Then, how do we know how long it will take to complete these activities??
Critical Path Analysis!!!

To find the critical path, we calculate two distinct starting and

ending times for each activity, as defined below:
Earliest Start Time (ES) = earliest time at which an activity can
start, assuming all predecessors have
been completed.
Earliest Finish Time (EF) = earliest time at which an activity can
be finished.

Latest Start Time (LS) = latest time at which an activity can

start so as to not delay the completion
time of entire project.
Latest Finish Time (LF) = latest time by which an activity has to
finish so as not to delay the
completion time of the entire project.

Earliest
time (TE)

Latest
time (TL)

Notations used in nodes for critical path analysis

Forward Pass Process

OR

Backward Pass Process

d 4
0

a 5
0

S
t
a
r
t

g 5

11

12

17

11

11

17

e 6
5

11

c 3
8

11

h 6
11

b 4
7

11

17

12

f 4
11

Usually is assumed
as the projects due
date

14

15

17

21

Critical time

j 4
17

21
a e h j : critical path
12 18

i 6
15 21

F
i
n
i
s
h

 Activities on the critical path cannot be delayed, because it

will cause the entire project to be delayed.
What about activities not
on the critical path? Can
they be delayed without
causing delay to the entire
project?

Yes, they can be delayed,

but with a certain limit. The
amount of time a noncritical
path can be delayed without
delaying a project is known
as float or slack

Float = Slack = LS ES = LF - EF

For any activity on critical path, LF = EF.

Float/ Slack for activities on critical path = 0

But for any activity NOT on the critical path, LF EF (and LS ES)
This difference causes the activity float or slack

d 4
0

a 5
0

S
t
a
r
t

14

g 5

11

12

17

11

11

17

e 6
5

11

c 3
8

11

h 6
11

f 4

b 4
7

11

Float = Slack = LS ES = LF - EF

15

21

j 4
17

21
a e h j : critical path
12 18

i 6

12

11
0

17

17

Critical time

15 21
Float
0
7
3
2
0
3
3
0
3
0

F
i
n
i
s
h

Exercise
Referring to the AON network diagram drawn in the previous exercise on the
Milwaukee Paper Project, a) calculate the float/ slack for each activity
b) determine the critical path and indicate it on the diagram c) determine the
critical time (project completion time).

Solution for a)

Gantt Chart
A GANTT chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a
project schedule.
After the PERT/CPM analysis is completed, the
following phase is to construct the GANTT chart and
then to re-allocate resources and re-schedule if
necessary.
GANTT charts have become a common technique for
representing the phases and activities of a project
work breakdown structure.
It was introduced by Henry Gantt around 1910
1915.
Source: Maria Petridou

Gantt Chart : Example 1

Gantt Chart: Example 2

Gantt Chart: Example 3

Characteristics of a Gantt Chart

The bar in each row identifies the corresponding task
The horizontal position of the bar identifies start and end times
of the task
Bar length represents the duration of the task
Task durations can be compared easily
Good for allocating resources and re-scheduling
Precedence relationships can be represented using arrows
Critical activities are usually highlighted
Slack times are represented using bars with doted lines
The bar of each activity begins at the activity earliest start time
(ES)
The bar of each activity ends at the activity latest finish time (LF).

Source: Maria Petridou

Gantt Chart: Advantages/Disadvantages

Advantages

Simple
Good visual communication to others
Task durations can be compared easily
Good for scheduling resources

Disadvantages

Dependencies are more difficult to visualise

Minor changes in data can cause major changes in the chart

Source: Maria Petridou

Constructing Gantt Chart

The steps to construct a GANTT chart from the information

obtained by PERT/CPM are:
1.
2.
3.

Schedule the critical tasks in the correct position.

Place the time windows in which the non-critical tasks can be
scheduled.
Indicate precedence relationships between tasks.

Source: Maria Petridou

Constructing Gantt Chart

Example of an early GANTT chart construction:

Step 1. Schedule critical tasks:

Source: Maria Petridou

Constructing Gantt Chart

Example of an early GANTT chart construction:

Step 2: Place time windows for non-critical tasks

Source: Maria Petridou

Constructing Gantt Chart

Example of an early GANTT chart construction:

Step 3. Indicate precedence relationships between tasks:

Source: Maria Petridou

Thats all.thank U!