Project Scheduling:
Networks, Duration
Estimation, and
Critical Path
09-01
Chapter 9 Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, students will be able to:
Understand and apply key scheduling terminology. Apply the logic used to create activity networks, including predecessor and successor tasks.
Develop an activity network using Activityon-Node (AON) techniques.
Perform activity duration estimation based
09-02
Copyrighton
© 2013
Pearson
Education,
Publishing as Prentice Hall estimating the use ofInc.probabilistic Chapter 9 Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, students will be able to:
Construct the critical path for a project schedule network using forward and backward passes.
Identify activity float and the manner in which it is determined.
Calculate the probability of a project finishing on time under PERT estimates.
Understand the steps that can be
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Publishing as Prentice to Inc. reduce the Hall critical path. 09-03
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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09-04
Project Scheduling Terms
Successors
Predecessors
Network diagram
Serial activities
Concurrent
activities
B
D
A
E
F
C
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09-05
Project Scheduling Terms
• Merge activities
• Burst activities
• Node
• Path
• Critical Path
B
D
A
E
F
C
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09-06
Network Diagrams
FIGURE 9.2 Alternative Activity Networks for Term Paper Assignment
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09-07
AOA Versus AON
The same mini-project is shown with activities on arc…
B
E
D
F
C
…and activities on node.
E
D
B
F
C
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09-08
Node Labels
Early Start
Activity Float
Late Start
ID Number
Early Finish
Activity Descriptor
Activity Duration
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Late Finish
09-9
Activity Node Labels Using MS Project 2010
FIGURE 9.4
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09-10
Serial Activities
Serial activities are those that flow from one to the next, in sequence.
FIGURE 9.5
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09-11
Activities Linked in Parallel (Concurrent)
en the nature of the work allows for more than one activity be accomplished at the same time, these activities are called ncurrent and parallel project paths are constructed through th work. FIGURE 9.6
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09-12
Merge Activity
FIGURE 9.7
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09-13
Burst Activity
FIGURE 9.8
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09-14
Complete Activity Network
FIGURE 9.10
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09-15
Developing the Activity Network Using MS
Project 2010
FIGURE 9.11
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09-16
Duration Estimation Methods
Past experience
Expert opinion
Mathematical derivation – Beta
distribution
Most likely (m)
Most pessimistic (b)Activity
Most optimistic (a)
b a
Variance = s
6
2
a 4m b
Activity Duration = TE
6
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09-17
2
FIGURE 9.14 Symmetrical (Normal)