Project Management Notes by Dr.

Abe Feinberg Network Development The first phase of project management is network planning, incl !ing" information gathering, task !escriptions, constraints, timing, se# encing an! reso rces re# ire!. The res lt of network planning is the project network. The network alone is a sef l !evice for project management beca se" $omm nication is str ct re! an! se# encing is portraye! graphically. Preparation for network planning incl !es" !etermination of project objectives, responsibilities, organi%ation an! information. &asic Terms Activity ' an elemental part of a project that cons mes time or reso rces an! has a !efinable beginning an! en!ing. (vent ' beginning or en!ing point of an activity Project' a collection of interrelate! activities lea!ing to the accomplishment of a major objective. )epresentation" Activity ' arrow or an arc (vent ' no!e Project ' network Note" with this representation, it may be necessary to have ! mmy activities to reflect e*act se# encing. An e*ample is given ne*t. (*ample +ll strating the nee! of a ! mmy activity when the activities are represente! by arrows Activity A & $ D Description +nstall Machine -ire operator Train .perator +nspect Machine Pre!ecessors ,,, ,,, A,& A

Network ) les /. &efore an activity can begin, all actyivities prece!ing it m st be complete!. Note that activities at the beginning of a project can begin at project initiation. 0. Arrows imply logical prece!ence only. Neither arrow length nor !irection on the !rawing have any implication. 1. (vent n mbers cannot be ! plicate! in a network. 2. Any two events may be connecte! by no more than one activity. 3. Networks m st have only one initial an! one terminal event. 4. Activities m st connect from a lower n mbere! no!e at the tail of the arrow to a higher n mbere! no!e at the hea! of the arrow. This is necessary to avoi! loops or cycles in the network. $ommon (rrors in Network Diagramming /. 0. 1. 2. +ncorrect representation of se# encing re# irements 5too m ch or too little6 7oops (*cessive 5re! n!ant6 ! mmy activities D plicate activities (*ample for Network Diagramming" .ffice Move Activity A & $ D ( F ; + = Description 8elect .ffice 8ite $reate .rg. 9 Financial Plan Determine Pers. )e# irements Design Facility $onstr ct +nterior 8elect Personnel To Move -ire New (mpls. +mme!iate Pre!ecessors ,,, ,,, & A,$ D $ F (*pecte! Activity Time 5in weeks6 1 3 1 1 : 0 2 0 3 1

Move )ecor!s, F People, etc. Make Arrs. <ith & +nst. +n New 7oc. Train New Persons -,(,;

P()T,$PM Terminology an! $alc lations <itho t the loss of generality, ass me that the project has its start time or origin at time %ero. This simplifies calc lations. (A)7> T+M( $A7$?7AT+.N8 (arliest 8tart Time ' (8 is the earliest possible time that an activity can begin ass ming that all prece!ing activities also starte! at their (8 times. (arliest Finish Time ' (F is the earliest possible time that an activity can en! ass ming that all prece!ing activities also en!e! at their (F times. To $alc late (8 an! (F times" /. 7abel (8 ' %ero at the start of the project. 0. 7abel (F ' @ A activity time for activities witho t any prece!ing activities. For activities with prece!ing activities, (F ' A activity time. 1. 7abel (8 for each activity, all of whose pre!ecessors have been labele! ' Ma*im m of B(F times of all imme!iately prece!ing activities incl !ing ! mmy activitiesC 2. 8ystematically work from the beginning to the en! of the network. 7AT( T+M( $A7$?7AT+.N8 7atest 8tart Time ' 78 is the earliest possible time that an activity can begin witho t !elaying the 78 time of any s ccee!ing activity. 7atest Finish Time ' 7F is the latest possible time that an activity can en! witho t !elaying the 7F time of any s ccee!ing activity.. To $alc late (8 an! (F times" /. Ass me that the target !ate for completing the project ' (F '7F for the project. )easoning base! on worker motivation will be provi!e! in class. 0. 78 for each activity en!ing the project ' 7F D activity time. For other activities, once 7F is !etermine!" 78 ' 7F , activity time 1. 7abel 7F for each activity, all of whose s ccessors have been labele! ' Minim m of B78 times of all imme!iately s ccee!ing activities incl !ing ! mmy activitiesC 2. 8ystematically work backwar! to the beginning of the network. Total 8lack for an activity ' T8 ' 7F D (F or ' 78 D (8, an! is the ma*im m time that an activity can be !elaye! witho t !elaying project completion.

P()T (*ample A$T+E+T> P)(D($(88.)8 TA8F T+M( (8 (F 78 7F T8 $P A & $ D ( F ; D?MM> , A , $ A D D,( &,F,; D 1 4 1 0 / 3 G 2 @

Use the network diagram below to calculate ES, EF

B Aa C D STA T E G F H

E!D

Then se the !iagram on the ne*t page to calc late 78 an! 7F. $ombine the two to !etermine slack T8 an! whether or not the activity is on the $ritical Path 5$P6.

B Aa C D STA T E G F H

E!D