Network Scheduling Techniques
Network Scheduling Techniques
TECHNIQUES
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PMI defines the scheduling process as:
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Show Help
interdependence schedule
resources
Show
Facilitate start &
communication finish
dates
Determine project Identify
completion critical
activities
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Network scheduling techniques provide a
logical process to consider the order in which
the project activities should occur.
The primary methods for developing project
activity networks are:
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
Critical Path Method (CPM) – Also called Arrow Diagram
Method (ADM)
Precedence Diagram Method (PDM)
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There are two ways to show the network:
Activity-On-Node (AON) – nodes represent the activities
Activity-On-Arch (AOA) – archs represent the activities
AON is easier, and it used in commercial
software.
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activities on arrow
D E
B F
C
activities on node
D E
B
F
C
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PERT was developed in the late 1950s in
collaboration between the US Navy, Booz-Allen
Hamilton and Lockeed Corporation for the
creation of the Polaris missile program.
CPM was developed at the same time by
DuPont.
Over the years the differences between
PERT and CPM have blurred, so it is common to
refer these techniques as just PERT/CPM.
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All activities must be linked to each other
Network diagrams flow from left to right
An activity cannot begin until all preceding
connected activities have been completed
Each activity should have a unique identifier
(number, letter, code, etc.)
Looping is not permitted
It is common to start from a single beginning
and finish on a single ending node
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Define the project and all of its significant
activities
Develop the relationship among activities
Decide which activities must precede others
Draw the network connecting all of the
activities
Compute the longest path which is the
critical path
Calculate activity slacks (float)
Use the network to help plan, schedule, and
control the project
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Nodes representing activities should be
labeled with the following information:
Identifier
Description
Duration
Early Start Time
Early Finish Time
Late Start Time
Late Finish Time
Float
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Early ID Early
Start Number Finish
Activity
Activity Descriptor
Float
Late Activity Late
Start Duration Finish
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Early Start (ES) – Earliest possible date an
activity can start based on the network logic
and any schedule constraints.
Early Finish (EF) = ES + Dur
Late Start (LS) – Latest possible date an
activity may begin without delaying a specified
milestone (usually project finish date).
Late Finish (LF) = LS + Dur
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A D E F
C
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Serial activities flow from one to the next
Concurrent activities are accomplished at
the same time
Merge activities have two or more
immediate predecessor
Burst activities have two or more successor
activities
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Activity A
Activity B Activity D
Activity C
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Activity B
Activity A Activity C
Activity D
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E
B Dev. Present.
Design 6
5
A
Contract
5 F H
D
Survey Analysis Present
13 4 2
C
Market ID G
6 Demog.
9
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Path One: A-B-E-H = 18 weeks
Path Two: A-B-D-F-H = 29 weeks
Path Three: A-C-D-F-H = 30 weeks
Path Four: A-C-G-H = 22 weeks
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Forward pass determines the earliest times
(ES) each activity can begin and the earliest it
can be completed (EF).
There are three steps for applying the
forward pass:
Add all activity times along each path as we move through
the network (ES + Dur = EF)
Carry the EF time to the activity nodes immediately
succeeding the recently completed node. That EF becomes
the ES of the next node, unless the succeeding node is a
merge point
At a merge point, the largest preceding EF becomes the ES
for that node (because the earliest the successor can begin is
when all preceding activities have been completed)
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5 B 10 10 E 16
Design Dev. Present
5 6
11 D 24 24 F 28 28 H 30
0 A 5 Survey Analysis Present
Contract 13 4 2
5
5 C 11 11 G 20
Market ID Demog.
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28 H 30
0 A 5 11 D 24 24 F 28 Presentation
Contract Survey Analysis 28 2 30
0 5 5 11 13 24 24 4 28
5 C 11 11 G 20
Market ID Demograph.
5 6 11 19 9 28
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5 B 10 10 E 16
1 Design 12 Dev. Present
6 5 11 22 6 28
0 A 5 11 D 24 24 F 28 28 H 30
0 Contract 0 Survey 0 Analysis 0 Presentation
0 5 5 11 13 24 24 4 28 28 2 30
11 G 20
5 C 11
8 Demograph.
0 Market ID
19 9 28
5 6 11
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Lag is the time between Early Start or Early
Finish of one activity and Early Start and Early
Finish on another activity.
For example, in a Finish-to-Start dependency
with a 10-day lag, the successor activity
cannot start until 10 days after the
predecessor activity has finished.
Lags are not the same as slacks. Lags are
between activities whereas slacks are within
activities.
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*Most common type of sequencing
*Shown on the line joining the modes
* Added during forward pass
* Subtracted during backward pass
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Spec Design Design Check Lag 4 Blueprinting
6 5 7
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Lead allows an acceleration of the successor
activity. We can expedite the schedule by not
waiting a preceding activity to be completely
finished before starting its successor.
For example, in a Finish-to-Start dependency
with a 10-day lead, the successor activity can
start 10 days before the predecessor activity
has finished.
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Project ABC can be completed more efficiently
if subtasks are used (Fast Tracking)
A(3) B(6) C(9) ABC=18
days
A1(1) A2(1) A3(1)
Laddered
C1(3) C2(3) C3(3)
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days
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Used as summaries for subsets of activities
0 A 5 5 B 15 15 C 18
0 5 5 5 10 15 15 3 18
0 Hammock 18
0 18 18