Project Scheduling Techniques

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Questions and Answers

What are the implications of having large variations in resource availability?

Increased efficiency in task completion

Better utilization of resources

Frequent moving of manpower and need for close control (correct)

Easier control of the job

What is a primary benefit of having smaller variations in resource requirements?

Increasing project costs significantly

Promoting a flexible workforce

Facilitating easier control of the job (correct)

Decreasing staff availability

How does the Critical Path Method (CPM) primarily affect project scheduling?

It eliminates the need for resource calculation.

It identifies the longest path of tasks, affecting total project time. (correct)

It provides a fixed schedule with no flexibility.

It increases the overall project duration.

In the context of scheduling, what does float refer to?

The amount of time that a task can be delayed without affecting the overall project timeline Signup and view all the answers

What key feature distinguishes a Gantt chart in project management?

It visually represents the duration of tasks along a timeline. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of conducting resource analysis in project scheduling?

To assess how requirements can be met and identify necessary changes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding the use of networks in scheduling?

Networks provide information about time, resources, and cost Signup and view all the answers

In a scheduling context, what does total float represent?

The amount of time that a task can be delayed without affecting the project completion time Signup and view all the answers

How does the critical path method (CPM) benefit project management?

It identifies the longest path of planned activities to the end of the project Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary method for visually representing project schedules over time?

A Gantt chart Signup and view all the answers

Which activity most effectively complements networks in project management?

Conducting resource analysis Signup and view all the answers

What does a histogram represent in the context of resource analysis?

The variation in resource requirements over time Signup and view all the answers

What should be included when calculating the total number of men required for project activities?

The maximum number of fitters required during critical phases Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of Gantt charts in project management?

To show work versus time in a visual format Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the Critical Path Method (CPM)?

A technique that identifies the longest sequence of dependent tasks in a project Signup and view all the answers

In the context of PERT, what does the term 'float' refer to?

The amount of time a task can be delayed without affecting the overall project schedule Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately reflects the strengths of Gantt charts?

They summarize project progress while displaying the overall timeline. Signup and view all the answers

What can a modified PERT/CPM diagram help a project manager identify?

The start and finish dates of individual tasks with variations Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of a 'dummy' task in a PERT/CPM network?

To show the flow of connections without taking time or resources Signup and view all the answers

How do Gantt charts assist in monitoring project progress?

By showing the planned versus actual progress of tasks over time Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a Gantt chart?

It depicts relationships between tasks Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes 'heroic' management from 'attuning' management?

Heroic management prioritizes measurable outcomes whereas attuning management values human relations. Signup and view all the answers

Which perception of management theory involves accepting all scientific theories without criticism?

Driving by the book Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the planning stage in management?

Setting organizational goals and choosing the best way to achieve them Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential downside of decision-making based on intuition as described in the content?

It fosters inherited routines and egoism. Signup and view all the answers

In what way can the 20th century be characterized in management contexts?

The dominance of theoretical frameworks and academia in practice. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the leading function in management?

Attempting to influence people's behavior, regardless of outcomes Signup and view all the answers

How does monitoring fit into the overall management process?

It ensures that organizational activities align with set objectives Signup and view all the answers

Which leadership style is described as having a sacred duty earned through respect?

Servant leadership Signup and view all the answers

Which factors are often seen as neglected by managers who 'lead from the pocket'?

Routine processes and academic research. Signup and view all the answers

In what way does organizing contribute to effective management?

By structuring resources and activities according to objectives Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about the necessity of management theory for practicing managers?

Practicing managers should only rely on intuition without deeper theoretical knowledge. Signup and view all the answers

What role does leadership play in a management context?

It defines the relationship between leaders and team members Signup and view all the answers

Why is the relationship between planning and control essential in management?

They create a balance between external and internal environments Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of management does the term 'fifty shades of grey' refer to?

The complexities and variations in management approaches. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes management as a science from other professions?

It combines both theoretical and practical approaches for effective group action Signup and view all the answers

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the concept of management?

Management practices vary depending on the objectives of the group or organization Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes heroic management?

It emphasizes the importance of managers being separate from other workers. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of tuning management?

It acknowledges the organization as an interactive network. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of decision-making, what does tuning management highlight?

Active involvement from various levels is essential for success. Signup and view all the answers

How does heroic management view the role of a CEO compared to tuning management?

The CEO holds the central role in strategy formulation. Signup and view all the answers

Which thinking type is MOST associated with effective relationship management?

Collaborative thinking. Signup and view all the answers

What challenge is commonly faced in implementation from a heroic management perspective?

Resistance from subordinates even if the boss is in favor. Signup and view all the answers

What is one way tuning management enhances decision-making?

By encouraging broader collaboration across the organization. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best contrasts heroic and tuning management?

Heroic management emerges from individual efforts, while tuning management emerges from collaborative networks. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Network Design, Project Scheduling

Scheduling converts an action plan into an operating timetable.
It's the basis for monitoring and controlling a project.
Scheduling is more critical in projects than in production due to unique project natures.
Customer-specified requirements, like JKR projects, are often based on a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

Introduction

Schedules are crucial for project monitoring and control.
A schedule translates the action plan into an operating timetable.
Projects are more dynamic than production, demanding more scheduling attention.
Customer-defined requirements frequently guide project scheduling, especially in projects like JKR projects, which often use WBS.

Network Techniques

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique): Developed by the US Navy with Booz Hamilton Lockheed on the Polaris Missile/Submarine program in 1958.
CPM (Critical Path Method): Developed by El Dupont for Chemical Plant Shutdown projects around the same time as PERT.
Both PERT and CPM use similar calculations.
The primary difference is that PERT uses probabilistic time estimations, while CPM uses deterministic time estimations.
Gantt charts are also used in scheduling.

Network

A network is a graphical representation of activities and events.
It displays the relationships of tasks/activities within a project.
It effectively illustrates the dependencies between tasks in a logical sequence (precedence or succession).
Networks are powerful planning and controlling tools.

Example of Simple Network - Survey

The diagram visually showcases the tasks and their sequence in a survey project.
It illustrates distinct activities, like planning a survey, hiring personnel, designing questionnaires, training personnel, selecting households, printing questionnaires, conducting surveys, and analyzing results.
Each activity has a visual representation.

Example of Network - More Complex

Diagram illustrates a more complex project (developing and marketing a new computer program).
It depicts activities, such as program phases, renumbering routines, preparing operating instructions, and creating packages
It includes preparing various support material, like brochures, and advertising plans.

Definition of Terms in a Network

Activity: A portion of a project that consumes resources and time.
Event: A point in time marking the beginning or end of one or more activities, often called 'nodes'.
Network: The combination of all project activities and events.

Emphasis on Logic in Network Construction

Network construction should be based on activity dependencies (logical or technical).
"Approve Drawing" activity must follow "Prepare Drawing".
Avoid building networks using only time logic.

Example 1 - A simple network

Activities like buying plastic bodies, designing components, making components, and assembling the product are categorized, showing their immediate predecessors.
Immediate predecessors are activities completed before starting a given activity.

Sequence of activities

Activities A and B can begin anytime, unrelated to each other.
Activity C cannot start until activity B concludes.
Activity D commences only after both A and C have been completed.

Network of Four Activities

The network diagram visually illustrates four activities (A, B, C, and D) and their sequence.
Arcs between circles represent activities.
The circles (nodes) represent points where activities start, end or transition between one task and another.

Example 2

Develop a network diagram for a project based on provided activities and predecessors.
Activities include A, B, C, D, E and F.

Network of First Five Activities

A diagram illustrating the network of the first five activities (A, B, C, D, and E) of a project.
It shows how Activities are interconnected or related, using circles (nodes) and lines (arcs).

Network of Seven Activities

The network accurately identifies D, E, and F as immediate predecessors to G.
Dummy activities are used to avoid conflicts or ambiguity, ensuring logical connections in activities with shared start/end points.

Examples of the Use of Dummy Activity

Dummy activities are used to maintain logical connections in networks.

Scheduling with Activity Time

Calculated total time for completing all activities.
Activities can be simultaneously performed/conducted

Earliest Start & Earliest Finish Time

The longest path through the network defines the critical path.
Earliest start and finish times are calculated for each activity, starting at the project's origin (node 1) and using a starting time of 0.
The formula EF = ES + t is used to find the earliest finish time of an activity.

Arc with ES & EF time

The arcs of the network display expected activity time (t) along with their earliest start (ES) and finish (EF) times for each activity.

Network with ES & EF time

Diagram displays earliest start (ES) and earliest finish (EF) times for activities in a network.
The earliest start time of an activity is determined by the latest finish time for all activities entering the particular node.

Activity, duration, ES, EF, LS, LF

Network diagram includes earliest start (ES), earliest finish (EF), latest start (LS), and latest finish (LF) times for each activity.

Latest Start & Latest Finish Time

A backwards pass calculation is necessary to identify the critical path.
Latest start (LS) and finish (LF) times for each activity are determined.
Formula LS = LF - t is used to estimate the latest start time for an activity

Network with LS & LF time

A diagram showing latest start (LS) and latest finish (LF) times for different activities.
The latest finish time for an activity that enters a particular node equals the smallest of the latest start times for all activities leaving the node.

Slack or Free Time or Float

Slack is the time an activity can be delayed without affecting project completion time.
Slack for an activity is calculated as LF-EF or LS-ES.

Activity schedule for our example

Table providing an activity schedule showing earliest and latest start/finish times, slack, and critical path status for each activity in a sample project.

Important Questions

What's the project's total time?
What are the scheduled start and end times for each activity?
Which activities are critical for maintaining the project schedule?
How flexible are activities not on the critical path?
Slack time for all activities is documented.

Importance of Float (Slack) and Critical Path

Slack (or float) indicates the extent an activity can delay without affecting project completion.
The critical path is the sequence of activities from start to completion with zero slack.
The critical path defines the project's minimum completion time.
Shortening/extending a critical activity alters the overall project time.

Importance of Float (Slack) and Critical Path (cont)

Project completion time should be managed by controlling activities on the critical path.
Activities on the critical path should be prioritized if time constraints exist.
Resources should not be wasted on non-critical activities.
Some delay in non-critical activities could be allowed up to the slack limit.
Total float defines the latitude of an activity.

PERT For Dealing With Uncertainty

Estimating activity times under uncertainty can't be done as easily as when the times are known precisely, like in projects involving R&D, new products, or research and development etc.
PERT uses three time estimations—optimistic (a), most likely (m), and pessimistic (b)—to calculate expected activity time (TE).
Formula for Expected Value = (a + 4m + b) / 6
Variance (V) is calculated: ( (b-a)/6 )^2
Standard Deviation (δ) is the square root of variance.

Precedences And Project Activity Times

This table lists optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates for various project activities (a, b, c, etc.), and their immediate predecessors.
It also computes the expected time (TE) for each activity and the variance (V) and standard deviation.

The complete network

A diagram depicting the overall project network, indicating activities and their durations.

Figure 8-13 The complete Network

A clear illustration of the complete project network.

Critical Path Analysis (PERT)

Table showing the latest start (LS), earliest start (ES), slack, and critical status for each activity in the project.

What deadline are you 95% sure of meeting?

Calculations demonstrating the 95% confidence deadline.
A deadline with a higher degree of confidence is determined, given the standard deviation and calculating Z to figure out a 95% chance of completion.

Comparison Between CPM and PERT

CPM and PERT are different methodologies used in project management.
The table shows how CPM handles one time estimate, but PERT is more versatile due to different time estimation considerations.

BENEFITS OF CPM / PERT NETWORK

A framework to plan, schedule, control, and monitor projects.
Illustrates task/activity interactions and dependencies, and proper communication.
Enables accurate project completion date determination.
Identifies critical activities to pinpoint possible project delays.

BENEFITS OF CPM / PERT NETWORK (cont.)

Activities with slack can be delayed without impacting the project completion date.
The network precisely calculates dates for project tasks to ensure schedule adherence.
Coordinating tasks to avoid resource or timing conflicts is vital for consistent progress.
Shows work tasks that can run concurrently to meet deadlines.

Gantt Charts

Gantt charts are useful for displaying work progress over time.
They effectively visualize work and time relationships.
Gantt charts can be directly or indirectly derived from the CPM/PERT network diagram. (They are complementary)

Modified PERT/CPM diagram from network

This diagram is a visual representation of a project showing scheduled start and finish times, actual progress, current date, milestones, and completed milestones.

Gantt Chart

The specific chart shows tasks (activities) and timeframes.
The Gantt chart visualizes project progress over time.

Gantt chart showing progress of project on day 22

This chart displays the project's progress up to day 22.

Relating the budget to the Gantt chart schedule

This chart correlates the project budget to the schedule's timeframe, providing a visual connection between financial resources and the project's plan.

Gantt Charts and CPM/PERT Networks

Gantt charts are extremely straightforward to follow and comprehend, but they do not adequately address project logic or constraints effectively.
Use Gantt charts to enhance your CPM/PERT networks; do not substitute the network for Gantt charts.

RESOURCE ANALYSIS AND SCHEDULING

Project execution feasibility is determined by resource availability.
Assessing resource needs ensures project goals can be achieved.
Proper and efficient resource utilization is crucial.
Resource planning is vital for project timeline and budget management, especially in projects like the development of a new product or R&D.

Activities D, E, F, G and H require fitters

Diagram depicting planned time constraints based on the number of needed personnels for different project activities.

Convert the bar chart to a histogram

A visual depiction of resource needs across time, showing fluctuations and maximum demand.

Additional Restriction - no fitters available until the end of week 5

revised project schedule incorporating the restricted start time for fitters.

Resource constraints

Relation between resource constraints associated with variations in resource requirements and availability.
The impact of variations is analyzed to illustrate easier control aspects, and resources utilization.
Critical resource variations are important to monitor, especially issues with manpower, to maintain project control.

Histogram showing large resource variations

Shows significant variations in resource needs relating to time.

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Description

Explore the critical aspects of project scheduling and network design in this quiz. Learn about the importance of schedules in monitoring projects and the methodologies like PERT and CPM. Understand how customer requirements and a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) play a role in effective scheduling.