LECTURE 5
Scheduling Techniques
Introduction
An important part of project planning is determining the
logical workflow of the various activities you identified
in the WBS.
Network diagrams are used that represent a graphical
flow plan of activities that must be accomplished to
complete the project.
The diagram illustrates which activities must be
performed in sequence.
It also shows the planned sequence of steps, with all
dependencies.
Project management software will automatically
prepare network diagrams and bar charts.
Scheduling techniques
Gantt or bar charts
Milestone charts
Line of balance
Networks
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
Arrow Diagram Method (ADM) [Sometimes called the
Critical Path Method (CPM)]
Precedence Diagram Method (PDM)
Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERT)
Advantages of Scheduling techniques
Basis for planning and predicting and how to
use the resources
Provide visibility to control
Help management evaluate alternatives
Basis for obtaining facts for decision making
Utilize time network analysis
Basic structure for reporting information
Reveal interdependencies of activities
Identify the longest path or critical path
Aid in scheduling risk analysis
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interdependencies of activities
Advantages of Scheduling techniques
Basis for planning and predicting and how to
use the resources
Provide visibility to control
Help management evaluate alternatives
Basis for obtaining facts for decision making
Utilize time network analysis
Basic structure for reporting information
Reveal interdependencies of activities
Identify the longest path or critical path
Aid in scheduling risk analysis
6
GANTT Chart
A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart, illustrate the start
and finish dates of the terminal tasks and summary
tasks of a project
A Gantt chart is eveloped by Karol Adamiecki in 1896,
and independently by Henry Gantt in the 1910s
A Gantt chart is one of the most popular and useful tool
of showing activities (tasks or events) displayed against
time
Gantt Chart Example
Job
Day
1
Day
2
Day
3
Day
4
Day
5
Day
6
Day
7
Day
8
Start of an
activity
End of an
activity
Scheduled
activity time
allowed
Maintenance
Actual work
progress
Nonproduction
time
Point in time
when chart
is reviewed
Now
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Milestone schedules
A tool used to mark specific points along a project
timeline. They focus on major progress points that must
be reached to achieve success.
Project milestone schedules contains information:
Project start date
Project end date
Other milestones (review meetings or testing)
Data items (deliverables or reports)
Milestones are a good means to determine if your
project is on schedule and a useful tool for reporting to
management
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Milestone schedules
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Network analyis
The major disadvantage of GANTT and milestone is the
inability to show the interdependencies between events
and activities
Network analysis can provide valuable information for
planning, integration of plans, time studies, scheduling
and resource management.
Network are composed of events and acivities
There are two different format diagram
AON: Activities on the node (AIB- Activities in the box)
AOA: Activities on the arrow
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AON: Activities On the Node
Order
Pipe
Deliver
Pipe
D
Start
Lay
Pipe
Finish
B
Dig
Trench
Precedence Diagram Method
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AOA: Activities On the Arrow
ACTIVITY
3 WEEKS
COMPLETE TESTING
COMPLETE FINAL REPORT
LEGEND
EVENT
ACTIVITY
Standard PERT Nomenclature
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AOA: Terminology
Event: equivalent to a milestone indicating when activity
starts or finish
Activity: Element of work must be accomplished
Duration: Total time required to complete the activity
Critical path: The longest path thru the network and
determines the duration of the project
Dummy activity: showing the precedential relationships
between activities and consuming zero time
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Dependencies
26
31
31
18
18
BURST POINT
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SINK
15
Dependencies
a
a
b
d
b
1
e
d
Activity c must not precede activity e Which one is correct?
WRONG
RIGHT
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Simplified PERT Network
3
1
4
LEGEND: (TIME = WEEKS)
EVENT
ACTIVITY
CRITICAL PATH ACTIVITY
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Dummy Activities
D
A
PRECEDING
ACTIVITY ACTIVITY
DUMMY
B
A
B
C
D
B
A,B
C
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Dependencies
c
b precede d
b
d
a and b precede c
a and b precede d
b
c
a,b, and c precede e
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Dependencies
c
d
b
d
d depends on a and b
e depends on b and c
b
c
d depends on a and b
c depends only on a
e depends only on b
e
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Constructing the Network
a
d
a
1
c
b
e
WRONG
RIGHT
d
c
2
a,b,c must precede d, but only a,b precede e
d
a
d
1
1
a precede d
e
2
a and b
precede d
f
3
2
b and c
precede d
WRONG
f
3
RIGHT
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Estimating Activity Time
PERT (Program evaluation and review technique):
A method to analyze the involved tasks in completing a
given project, especially the time needed to complete each
task, and to identify the minimum time needed to complete
the total project.
Optimistic time (a): the minimum possible time
required to accomplish a task
Pessimistic time (b): the maximum possible time
required to accomplish a task,
Most likely time (M): the best estimate of the time
required to accomplish a task
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Estimating Activity Time
Expected time (TE): The best estimate of the time
required to accomplish a task
TE = (a + 4M + b) / 6
Standard deviations of each activities
=(b-a)/6
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Crashing the Schedule
If the schedule you develop does not allow the project
to complete when desired, you might have to take
action to decrease the total project duration.
This is known as crashing the schedule.
You need to look at options in areas such as:
Resources
Activities
Project Objectives.
Look for options that give the greatest compression at
the lowest costs.
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Schedule Compression
Elimination of some parts of the project
Addition of more resources
Substitution of less time-consuming
components or activities
Parallelization of activities
Shortening critical path activities
Shortening early activities
Shortening longest activities
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Schedule Compression
(Continued)
Shortening easiest activities
Shortening activities that are least costly to
speed up
Shortening activities for which you have more
resources
Increasing the number of work hours per day
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Resource Leveling
Resource leveling is an attempt to eliminate the
manpower peaks and valleys by smoothing out
the period-to-period resource requirements.
The ideal situation is to do this without changing
the end date. However, in reality, the end date
moves out and additional costs are incurred.
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Resource Allocation
Resource allocation (or resource limited
planning) is an attempt to find the shortest
possible critical path based upon the available
or fixed resources.
The problem with this approach is that the
employees may not be qualified technically to
perform work on more than one activity in a
network.
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Activity to Construct a Pump Station
Activity
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Activity description
Start
Mobilise
Survey
Grade site
Trench footings
Form and pour concrete
Cure concrete
Concrete and material design
Spec prefab metal building
Plumbing materials, pump
Electrical materials, lights, panel
Install pump
Erect structural steel
Install roofing and siding
Install lights and panels
Test Pump
Paint
End
Duration ,days
0
2
1
2
5
5
8
5
4
5
5
7
4
5
3
2
3
0
Immediate
Predecessors
1
2
2
3,4
5,8
6
1
1
1
1
7,9,10
7,9,10
13
11,14
12
15
16, 17
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Classroom Activity 6a
Draw a network diagram using the details in
the previous slide.
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Precedence Network
The interrelationships on bar charts
MONTHS AFTER GO-AHEAD
TASKS
1
2
3
4
5
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Types Of Precedence Charts
FINISH
FINISH-TO-START
ACTIVITY 1
START
ACTIVITY 2
START
START-TO-START
ACTIVITY 1
START
ACTIVITY 2
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Types Of Precedence Charts
FINISH
FINISH
ACTIVITY 1
FINISH-TO-FINISH
ACTIVITY 2
PERCENT COMPLETE
ACTIVITY 1
50 %
20 %
ACTIVITY 2
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ACTIVITY INFORMATION
EARLY START
01/06/97
TIME DURATION
2 WORK-WEEKS
TOTAL
SLACK(TS)
ACTIVITY 4
LATE START
15/06/97
FREE SLACK
(FS)
COST/PROFIT
CENTER 2810
EARLY FINISH
14/06/97
$250,000
LATE FINISH
28/06/97
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Questions?
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