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Project Management

This document discusses key concepts related to project network diagrams and critical path analysis. It defines activities, paths, critical paths, and other important terms. It also describes the forward and backward pass processes used to calculate earliest and latest start/finish times and determine which activities have zero slack and are truly critical. Maintaining and not delaying critical path activities is important for completing the project on schedule.

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40 views

Project Management

This document discusses key concepts related to project network diagrams and critical path analysis. It defines activities, paths, critical paths, and other important terms. It also describes the forward and backward pass processes used to calculate earliest and latest start/finish times and determine which activities have zero slack and are truly critical. Maintaining and not delaying critical path activities is important for completing the project on schedule.

Uploaded by

meenakshi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Professor Maria Nikishina

Spring Term 2021


 PROJECT NETWORK - a flow chart that graphically depicts the
logical sequences, interdependencies, and start and finish times of
the project activities along with the longest path(s) through the
network—the CRITICAL PATH

 Provides the basis for scheduling labor and equipment.


 Enhances communication among project participants.
 Provides an estimate of the project’s duration.
 Provides a basis for budgeting cash flow.
 Identifies activities that are critical.
 Highlights activities that are “critical” and should not be delayed.
 Help managers get and stay on plan.
 ACTIVITY: an element of the project that
requires time but may not require
resources A
 MERGE ACTIVITY: an activity that has
two or more preceding activities on
which it depends (more than one B D
dependency arrow flowing into it)
 PARALLEL ACTIVITIES: Activities that
can occur independently and, if desired, C
not at the same time
 PATH: a sequence of connected, dependent activities

 CRITICAL PATH:
 The longest path through the activity network that allows for
the completion of all project-related activities
 The shortest expected time in which the entire project can
be completed.
 Delays on the critical path will delay completion of the entire
project.
 BURST ACTIVITY: an activity that has
more than one activity immediately B
following it (more than one dependency
arrow flowing from it)
A C

Two Approaches
 Activity-on-Node (AON) D
 Uses a node to depict an activity.
 Activity-on-Arrow (AOA)
 Uses an arrow to depict an activity.
 FORWARD PASS—EARLIEST TIMES
How soon can the activity start? (early start—ES)
How soon can the activity finish? (early finish—EF)
How soon can the project finish? (expected time—TE)
 BACKWARD PASS—LATEST TIMES
How late can the activity start? (late start—LS)
How late can the activity finish? (late finish—LF)
Which activities represent the critical path?
How long can the activity be delayed? (slack or float—SL)
 TOTAL SLACK (OR FLOAT)
 Tells us the amount of time an activity can be delayed and not
delayed the project.

 Is how long an activity can exceed its early finish date without
affecting the project end date or an imposed completion date.

 Is simply the difference between the LS and ES (LS – ES = SL) or


between LF and EF (LF – EF = SL).
 Is the network path(s) that has (have) the least slack in common.
 Is the longest path through the activity network.
 Is the shortest expected time in which the entire project can be
completed.
 Is important because it impacts completion time.
 Is where you put best people on.
 Is where you pay extra extension when doing risk assessment.
 Is where you look when other managers asking to ‘borrow’
people or equipment.
 Is where you look when you don’t have time to monitor all
activities.

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