Developing a Network

Plan

Source: Gray and Larson, Project Management, 2nd

ed., McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2003

1
Project Planning Steps:
SUMMARY
Develop Task List
(WBS)

Sequence Tasks
(Network Diagram)

Schedule Tasks
(Gantt Chart)

Schedule
Resources
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PERT and CPM Networks
PERT
 Program Evaluation and Review
Technique
 Uses probabilistic (uncertain) estimates of
activity duration
CPM
 Critical Path Method
 Uses deterministic (certain) estimates of
activity duration

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PERT and CPM Networks
Both PERT and CPM network
diagrams look similar
The difference is in how the
durations are determined
 CPM: Use best choice for duration
 PERT: Dur = (a + 4m + b)/6
 a = most optimistic
 b = most pessimistic
 m = most likely

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AOA / AON Network
Diagrams
Activity-on-Arrow (AOA)
C 3 D
Start 3 E Stop
1 G 0 4
1 A B 1 5 F 6
2 2 2
3

Activity-on-Node (AON)
1
C 3
D 1
Start E 2 Stop
A B F
2 3

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 6-1

WBS/Work Packages to Network

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 6-3

Activity-on-Node Network
Fundamentals

<<
“Burst”

<< “Merge”

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Example WBS
KOLL BUSINESS CENTER

County Engineers Design Department

Activity Description Preceding Activity Duration (days)

A Application approval None 5

B Construction plans A 15

C Traffic study A 10

D Service availability check A 5

E Staff report B,C 15

F Commission approval B,C,D 10

G Wait for construction F 170

H Occupancy E,G 35

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 6-5

Koll Business Center—Partial

Network

Activity Description Precedent

A Application approval None

B Construction plans A

C Traffic study A

D Service availability A
check

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 6-7

Koll Business Center—Complete

Network

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 6-9

Koll Business Center—Complete

Network

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Task Start and Finish
Dates
Early Start (ES) – the earliest date a task can
begin, given the tasks preceding it
Early Finish (EF) – the earliest date a task can
finish, given the tasks preceding it
Late Start (LS) – the latest date a task can
begin without delaying the finish date of the
project
Late Finish (LF) – the latest date a task can
finish without delaying the finish date of the
project

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 Forward Pass: Determines
ES, EF
Working forward, add activity times
along each path in the network (ES +
Dur = EF)
Carry the EF to the next activity where it
becomes its ES, unless the next
succeeding activity is a merge activity
 for a merge activity, select the largest EF of all
its immediate predecessor activities
ES ID EF
SL Act SL
LS Dur LF
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Forward Pass

0 A 5 5 C 15

5 10

ES ID EF
SL Act SL
LS Dur LF
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Forward Pass w/ Burst
5 B 20

15

0 A 5 5 C 15

5 10

5 D 10

ES ID EF 5
SL Act SL
LS Dur LF
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Forward Pass w/ Merge
Larger = 20
5 B 20 20 E 35

15 15

5 C 15

10

ES ID EF
SL Act SL
LS Dur LF
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 6-11

Activity-on-Node Network Forward

Pass

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 Backward Pass: Determines
LS, LF
Working backward, subtract activity
times along each path starting with the
project end activity (LF – Dur = LS)
Carry the LS to the next preceding
activity to establish its LF, unless the
next preceding activity is a burst
activity
ES ID EF  for a burst activity, select the smallest LS of all
SL Act SL its immediate successor activities to establish its
LF
LS Dur LF
(-) 18
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Backward Pass

F G

20 10 30 30 170200
( -) ( -)

ES ID EF
SL Act SL
LS Dur LF
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Backward Pass w/ Merge
B

5 15 20
( -)
C F

10 10 20 20 10 30
( -)
D ( -)

ES ID EF
SL Act SL 15 5 20
LS Dur LF ( -)
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Backward Pass w/ Burst
B

5 15 20

A C(-)

0 5 5 10 10 20
( -) ( -)
D

ES ID EF 15 5 20
SL Act SL
( -)
LS Dur LF
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 6-13

Activity-on-Node Network Backward

Pass

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Slack (or Float)
SL: total slack or float ES ID EF
SL Act SL

-)
-)

(
SL = LS – ES LS Dur LF
or SL = LF – EF
CRITICAL PATH: generally, the
path(s) for which SL = 0
ES ID EF
0 Act 0
LS Dur LF

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 6-15
Activity-on-Node Network with
Slack

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Slack - Graphically

KOLL BUSINESS CENTER

TASK DUR ES EF LS LF Slack

Application approval 5d Wed 2/1/06 Sun 2/5/06 Wed 2/1/06 Sun 2/5/06 0d
Construction plans 15d Mon 2/6/06 Mon 2/20/06 Mon 2/6/06 Mon 2/20/06 0d
Traffic study 10d Mon 2/6/06 Wed 2/15/06 Sat 2/11/06 Mon 2/20/06 5d
Service availability check 5d Mon 2/6/06 Fri 2/10/06 Thu 2/16/06 Mon 2/20/06 10d
Staff report 15d Tue 2/21/06 Tue 3/7/06 Sat 8/5/06 Sat 8/19/06 165d
Commission approval 10d Tue 2/21/06 Thu 3/2/06 Tue 2/21/06 Thu 3/2/06 0d
Wait for construction 170d Fri 3/3/06 Sat 8/19/06 Fri 3/3/06 Sat 8/19/06 0d
Occupancy 35d Sun 8/20/06 Sat 9/23/06 Sun 8/20/06 Sat 9/23/06 0d

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Finish to Start
Trench

Lay pipe

Refill

3 time units

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(Using Finish-to-Start
Relationship)
Trench Trench Trench
1/3 1/3 1/3

Lay Pipe Lay Pipe Lay Pipe

1/3 1/3 1/3

Refill Refill Refill

1/3 1/3 1/3

1 time unit 2/3 time unit

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Use of Lags
Lag: Minimum time a dependent
activity must be delayed to begin or
end
Why use lags?
 To break a long activity into smaller ones
to avoid long delays to successor activity
 To constrain the start and finish of an
activity

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 6-22

Finish-to-Start Relationship
Typical, generic network style
Ex: “design house, build
foundation”

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 6-23

Start-to-Start Relationship
Usually for performing a portion of one
activity and beginning a following
activity before competing the first

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Use of Lags to Reduce
6-24

Detail

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 6-26

Finish-to-Finish Relationship

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 6-27

Start-to-Finish Relationship

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 6-28

Combination Relationships
Coding must be finished
before debugging can finish

Debugging must lag start of

coding
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 6-29

Network Using Lags

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END

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