This document discusses how open-ended activities can impact project completion dates when activity durations change. It provides two examples: 1) When activity B's duration increased from 30 to 50 days, and it was linked to predecessor and successor activities with finish-to-start and finish-to-start/start-to-start relationships, the project completion date was delayed by 20 days. 2) When activity B had start-to-start relationships with all successor activities, its increased duration from 30 to 50 days did not impact the project completion date, as long as activity B finished on or before the original project end date. This type of activity is called an "open-ended activity." Identification of open-ended

2. (as long as open ended
activity finish date earlier or equal to project completion date)
AACE International March 2010

3. Discussion About Open Ended Activities
AACE International
There Is More Than Carrots Dangling Here
virtual library at the AACE website as reference number 20820
The Problem with Dangling Activities
By David T. Hulett, Ph.D.
Practice Standard For Scheduling
Project Management Institute PMI
Click on To see the attached files

5. What happens if activity B impacted by delay 20 days ?

6. So if activity B duration changed from 30 days to 50 days
Completion date of the project will be impacted and
change from 22 May 2016 to 14 June 2016

7. SUMMARY
Project completion date increased by 20 days due to the impact of
Activity B duration increase
Note: activity B linked with predecessor activity (finish to start) and with
successor activities (finish to start) and (start to start)

9. What happens if activity B impacted by delay 20 days ?

10. So if activity B duration changed from 30 days to 50 days
Completion date of the project will not be impacted and
Completion date is still 17 April 2016

11. Summary
In case no. 2:
Relations between activity B and all its successors are “start to start “
This resulted in that any increase in activity B duration will not impact
the completion date of the project (as long as activity B finish date
earlier or equal to project completion date)
In this case activity B is called “ Open Ended Activity ”

12. Note:
Primavera P6 checks only the
existence of predecessors and
successors regarding less the
relations between activities
Many tools we can use to identify the open ended activities like:
Pertmaster and Excel.
How to use Excel?
Example
Click on To see the attached files

13. Conclusion
1-Any activity must be linked at both ends with at least one activity (except
project finish and start milestones) .
2- Primavera P6 is different in its identification of open activities, where it
only monitors the existence of predecessors and successors regarding less the
relations between them and the activity.
3- Many tools could be used to identify the open ended activities like
Microsoft Excel and Pertmaster.

14. ThankYou
Eng.Hossam Hefnawy