MTDE 333 / 633

Project Management for Engineers

Project Scheduling - I

Instructor:
Dr. Walter Olarte

Network Methods
Activity-On-Arrow (AOA)
Activity-On-Node (AON)

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 Scheduling Using Network Methods
 Network methods are more sophisticated planning tools
than Gantt charts

 Two network methods:

 Activity on Node (AON) or Precedence Diagram

Method (PDM)

 Activity on Arrow (AOA) or Activity on Link (AOL)

Activity-On Node (AON)

 Each schedule activity in a project is represented by a
node or block
 A project is represented by a network of nodes
connected with arrows arranged in sequence as
specified by immediate predecessors.

Activity “d”
initiates the project

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 AON (cont’d)
 Example
Activity Immediate
Predecessors
A -- C

B A
C B A B E F

D B
E C, D D

F E

Draw the first activity and then draw an arrow to the activity
that happens next

Activity-On Arrow (AOA)

 Each activity is represented by an arrow, with nodes
(events) at each end to represent the start and finish of
the activity

AOA networks are more similar to Gantt charts than AON

networks, but they may require the use of dummy activities

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 AOA and “Dummy” Activities
 Let’s now assume the following conditions:
 The start of activity C depends only on the completion
of activity B and A
 The start of activity D depends only on the completion
of activity A (in this case D is independent of B)

1 A 4 A D
D 1 5
3
3 X
B C B C
4
2 5 2 6

AOA and Dummy Activities

 Dummy Activities

 Are used to show predecessor relationships

 Are called “dummies” because they are not

real activities, involve no work and have zero
duration.

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 AOA and Dummy Activities

Convert the following AON diagram into AOA:

AOA and Dummy Activities

AOA diagram requires a dummy activity:
Activity
Name Description
1-2 Buy computer
1-3 Write computer program
2-4 Pay for computer
2 3-4 Install program on computer
Buy Pay
Dummy

1 4

Write 3 Install

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 AON and AOA
 Both AON and AOA kinds of networks are used in
industry, but AON has become more popular

 We will therefore use AON in class examples but

be prepared for AOA in homework and exams.

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AON: Example (Illustrative only)

Network Paths

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 AON: Example (Illustrative only)
Mandatory:
impossible to reverse
sequence

Discretionary: can be reversed

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AON: Example (Illustrative only)

Parallel Relationship -
can be done in any order

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 AON: Types of Dependencies
 Mandatory – impossible to reverse
sequence

 Discretionary – can delete dependency to

fast-track project

 External – dependent on some event

external to the project

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Drawing AON Networks

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8
 Let’s Draw an AON Network for the
Following:

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Let’s Draw an AON Network for the

Following:

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 Let’s Draw an AON Network for the
Following:

A B

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Let’s Draw an AON Network for the

Following:

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 Let’s Draw an AON Network for the
Following:

A D

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Let’s Draw an AON Network for the

Following:

B D

C E

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 AON (cont’d)
• A good practice is that networks (both AON and
AOA) have only one start and one end node
• If the project does not have a single end node
(or a single start node), insert a milestone
(dummy activity)

Activity X Activity R

Start End
Activity Y Activity S

Duration = 0 Duration = 0

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Let’s Draw an AON Network for the

Following:

B D

A End

C E (Milestone)

Duration = 0

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 AON (cont’d)
 Milestones can also be used to simplify the
network.

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Class Exercise
Drawing AON Networks

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 Class Exercise:
Draw an AON Network for the Following:

Activity Immediate Duration

Predecessors
A -- 1
B -- 3
C A 2
D A 7
E B, D 2
F C, D 3
G E 6
H F 1

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Class Exercise:

Answer:

A F H

START D END

B E G

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 The Critical Path Method
(CPM) Scheduling
Procedure

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Forward Pass

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 AON: Consider a specific Activity
From To
preceding Start time Finish time succeeding
activities = 60 = 660 activities
Take a shower
Duration = 600

End date = Start date + duration

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Determining Earliest Times for

Activities

Forward Pass:

“The calculation of the early start and early

finish dates for the uncompleted portions of
all network activities”
— PMBOK

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 Forward Pass
0 10 10 16 20 30

10 20

Finish date = Start date + duration

Finish date (A) = 0 + 10

H Steyn (Ed). Project Management – A Multi-disciplinary Approach

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Forward Pass
0 10 10 16 20 30

10 20

Finish date = Start date + duration

Finish date (C) = 20 + 10
When an activity has more than one
predecessor, (like Activity C) use the
latest predecessor to determine the
early start date
H Steyn (Ed). Project Management – A Multi-disciplinary Approach

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 Class Exercise
Forward Pass

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Forward Pass: Class Exercise

LOGON Project

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 Backward Pass

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Determining Latest Times for Activities

Backward Pass:

“The calculation of the late start dates and late finish

dates for the uncompleted portions of all schedule
activities. Determined by working backwards through
the schedule network logic from the project’s end
date. The end date may be calculated in the forward
pass or determined by the customer or sponsor”
—PMBOK

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 Backward Pass

Early Finish = Early Start + duration

Late Start = Late Finish – Duration

Latest allowable time that the activity can be

started without delaying the project
completion.

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Backward Pass
00 10 10 16
16 20 30
30
0 10
30 30
14 30
20 20
30 30

10 20
20
10
30 20
30

Late Start = Late Finish – Duration

Late Start (C) = 30 - 10
When an activity has more than
one successor, (like Activity A)
use the earliest start date to
determine the late finish date of
the predecessor

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 Class Exercise
Backward Pass

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Backward Pass: Class Exercise

LOGON Project

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 Critical Path (CP)

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Critical Path
 The longest path through a network (from start
to finish)

 Activities on the Critical Path are called critical

activities

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 Gantt Chart (Improved Version)
 Say you are asked to finish the project in 15 days.
What activities would you try to expedite to meet the
deadline?

A
B
C
D
Tasks

E
F
G

1 3 8 10 11 12 16
Time (days)

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Critical Path
 Why is it an important concept?

 Determines the project duration

 Shows the project manager where to focus

attention (critical activities have least
flexibility)

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 The Critical Path is Not Stable
“The critical path will generally change from time to time
as activities are completed ahead or fall behind
schedule”
—PMBOK, PMI 1996

As the project advances, insert the as-built start dates,

finish dates, and durations into the network in place of
the estimated values, for all activities that have started
to date; then re-compute the critical path with these
numbers.

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(Total) Float/Slack

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 Total Float

A Float (slack)

B
C
D
Tasks

E
F
G
H

1 3 8 10 11 12 16
Time

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Total Float

A Float (slack)

B
C
D
Tasks

E
F
G
H

1 3 8 10 11 12 16
Time

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 Total Float

A Float (slack)

B
C
D
Tasks

E
F
G
H

1 3 8 10 11 12 16
Time

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Total Float (cont’d)

 Float represents scheduling flexibility
 How much later than early start time is
permissible
 How much an activity can exceed expected
duration
 Some activities cannot be delayed by any
amount (zero float). This is often the case on
the critical path

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 Total Float (cont’d)
Example:
Activity “C”

ES EF

LS LF

Float = LS - ES

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Total Float

Total Float = LS – ES
or
= LF – EF

Total Float = Total Slack (or simply “Float”)

Definition: Amount of time an activity can

be delayed or extended
without delaying the project.

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 Free Float/Slack

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Free Float vs. Total Float

 Total Float is late times minus early times, and
is the amount of time an activity can be delayed
without delaying project

 Free Float is the amount of time an activity can

be delayed without delaying start of any
successor activity

 If an activity is delayed more than the free float,

it will delay successors that are scheduled as
early as possible and that could be disruptive

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 Example:
What is the total float of Activity E? 10 (25-15 or 20-10)
A B C D
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40
10 10 10 10
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40

E F
10 15 15 20
5 5
20 25 25 30

X
10 13
3 Key:
22 25 Critical Path
ES EF
Duration
LS LF

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Example:
What is the total float of Activity E? 10 (25-15 or 20-10)
A B C D
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40
10 10 10 10
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40

E F
10+10 15+10 15 20
5 5
20 25 25 30

X
10 13
3 Key:
22 25 Critical Path
ES EF
Duration
LS LF

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 Example:
What is the total float of Activity E? 10 (25-15 or 20-10)
A B C D
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40
10 10 10 10
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40

E F
10+10 15+10 15+10 20+10 Activity F
5 5 originally had
20 25 25 30 a total float of
10 days. Now
it has no
X float.
10 13
3 Key:
22 25 Critical Path
ES EF
Duration
LS LF

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Example:
What is the total float of Activity X? 12 (25-13 or 22-10)
A B C D
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40
10 10 10 10
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40

E F
10 15 15 20
5 5
20 25 25 30

X
10 13
3 Key:
22 25 Critical Path
ES EF
Duration
LS LF

60

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 Example:
What is the free float of Activity X?
A B C D
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40
10 10 10 10
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40

E F
10 15 15 20
5 5
20 25 25 30

X 15 – 13 = 2 days

10 13
3 Key:
22 25 Critical Path
Free float is amount of time an activity ES EF
can be delayed without delaying start Duration
of any successor activity. LS LF

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Example:
What is the free float of Activity X? 2 days
A B C D
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40
10 10 10 10
0 10 10 20 20 30 30 40

E F
10 15 15 20
5 5
20 25 25 30

X 15 – 13 = 2 days

10 13
3 Key:
22 25 Critical Path
ES EF
Free Float (activity) = ES (earliest successor) – EF Duration
(activity) LS LF

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 Total Float vs. Free Float

Total Float

Total Float

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Class Exercise
Forward/Backward Pass
Critical Path
Total and Free Floats

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 65

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CPM Diagram with Logic & Activity Durations

3 7 4
6 4 2

2 4 7 2 2 2 3

5 8 12

6 4

4 9

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 CPM Diagram with Early Finish Dates (forward pass)

3 7 4

6 4 2

2 4 7 2 2 2 3

5 8 12

6 4

4 9

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CPM Diagram with Early and Late Finish Dates

3 7 4

6 4 2

2 4 7 2 2 2 3

5 8 12

6 4

4 9

68

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 CPM Diagram with Total & Free Floats and Critical Path

3 7 4

6 4 2

2 4 7 2 2 2 3

5 8 12

6 4

4 9

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