2. Outline
Developing Project Network
From work package to network
Constructing a project network
Activity On Nod (AON) Fundamentals
Network computation process
3. Project Network
The project network is the tool used for
planning, scheduling, and monitoring
project progress
It shows project activities in logical
sequence, and their interdependencies
It is used by PM to make project time, cost
and performance decisions
It is useful when duration of project is not
short
4. Project Network (Continued…)
It provides estimates of project duration
It provides start and finish time and when
activity can be delayed.
5. From work Packages to
Network
An activity is an element in the project that
consumes time - work or waiting
Work packages from WBS are used to
build activities found in project network
An activity can include one or more work
packages.
The activities are placed in a sequence
that provides for orderly completion of the
project
6. From work Packages to Network
(Continue…)
Networks provide the project schedule by
identifying dependencies, sequencing,
and timing of activities, which the WBS is
not designed to do.
Each work package requires resources,
definite time, specifications
7.
8.
9. Terminology
Activity: Element of project that require
time. It may or may not require resources.
It represent one or more task from a work
package.
Merge Activity: Have more than one
activity immediately preceding it.
12. Terminology (Continued….)
Path: Sequence of connected, dependent
activities
Critical Path: Path with longest duration
in network.
Event: Point in time when activity is
started or completed.
14. Basic Rules for Developing Project
Network
Network flow from left to right
An activity cannot begin until all preceding
connected activities have been completed.
Arrow on network indicates precedence and
flow. Arrow can cross over each other
Each activity has unique identification number
15. Basic Rules for Developing Project
Network (Continued…)
An activity identification number must be larger
than preceding activity.
Common node should be used to show clear
start and single project end not node indicated
to show end.
16. Activity-on-Node Fundamentals
An activity is represented by a node (Box)
Dependencies among activities are
depicted by arrows
Length and slope of arrow is for
convenience to draw
26. Network Computation Process
Activity time estimates are taken from
work packages and added to network
Forward Pass (Earliest Time)
Backward Pass (Latest Time)
27. Forward Pass (Earliest Time)
1. How soon the activity starts? (early start
ES)
2. How soon the activity finishes? (early
finish EF)
3. How soon the project will be finished?
(expected time TE)
31. Forward Pass (Earliest Time)
(Continued…)
Forward pass begin with project start time
zero
Start with first project activity traces to
last project activity
You add activity times along each path in
the network (ES + DUR = EF).
32. Forward Pass (Earliest Time)
(Continued…)
You carry the early finish (EF) to the next
activity where it becomes its early start
(ES), unless
The next succeeding activity is a merge
activity. In this case you select the largest
early finish number (EF) of all its
immediate predecessor activities
33.
34. Backward Pass—Latest Times
1. How late can the activity start? (late start—
LS)
2. How late can the activity finish? (late finish—
LF)
3. Which activities represent the critical path
(CP)? This is the longest path in the
network which, when delayed, will delay the
project.
4. How long can the activity be delayed? (slack
or float—SL)
35. Backward Pass—Latest Times
(Continued…)
Starts with the last project activity(ies) on
the network
You trace backward on each path
subtracting activity times to find the late
start (LS) and finish times (LF) for each
activity.
The late finish for the last project
activity(ies) must be selected
36.
37. Backward Pass—Latest Times
(Continued…)
1) You subtract activity times along each
path starting with the project end activity
(LF - DUR = LS).
2) You carry the LS to the next preceding
activity to establish its LF, unless
3) The next preceding activity is a burst
activity; in this case you select the
smallest LS of all its immediate
successor activities to establish its LF.
38.
39. Determining Slack or Float
Which activities can be delayed by
computing “slack” or “float.”
Total slack is the amount of time an
activity can exceed its early finish date
without affecting the project end date or
an imposed completion date.
simply the difference between the LS and
ES (LS - ES = SL) or between LF and EF
(LF - EF = SL).
40.
41. Critical Path
After slack for each activity is computed,
the critical path(s) is (are) easily identified
The critical path is the network path(s) that
has (have) the least slack in common.
When the LF = EF for the end project
activity, the critical path can be identified
42. Critical Path (Continued…)
Those activities that also have LF 5 EF or
a slack of zero (LF - EF = 0)
Project managers pay close attention to
the
Critical path activities to be sure they are
not delayed
43.
44. Free Slack (Float) (FS)
It is the amount of time an activity can be
delayed without delaying any immediately
following (successor) activity.
Or, free slack is the amount of time an
activity can exceed its early finish date
without affecting the early start date of any
successor(s).
Only activities that occur at the end of a
chain of activities, where you have a
merge activity
45.
46. Using Forward and Backward Pass
Information
Slack allows flexibility in scheduling
scarce project resources
The ES and LF tell the project manager
the time interval in which the activity
should be completed
Identification of critical path will help
project manager to tightly manage
resources so no delays be made.