Qualitative Planning

Methods
 INTRODUCTION

Demand for effective health services.

Nowadays healthcare is being considered as an
industry.

Therefore for the optimization of resources and

continuous quality improvement, application of
network analysis to hospital processes is must.
 What is a Network ?

 A network is a graphic plan of all the events and

activities to be completed in order to reach to the end
objectives.

This is undertaken to ensue tat the programme or

project is completed within the stipulated time.

This is very important quantitative method for

planning and controlling.
Major Techniques for Time Event Network
Analysis

Gantt Chart

Programme Evaluation
and Review Technique
(PERT)
Critical Path Method
(CPM).
 Gantt Chart
First invented in 1910 by a mechanical engineer
named Charles Henry Gantt.

Excel is a popular tool for creating Gantt

charts.

For more advanced project management

activities, The Gantt chart is an excellent tool
for quickly assessing the status of a project or
programme.
 Cont…
A Gantt chart is a simple graphical chart depicting
various tasks, activities or events performed in the
stipulated time frame work or against the
progression of time in the form of bar diagram.

Projects usually involve more than one person or

more than one step poses many questions and the
answer is the time oriented diagram i.e. the Gantt
chart.
 Construction
It is constructed with a horizontal axis representing the
total time span of a project, broken down into increments
(days, weeks or months).

It shows the relationship among different activities

required to complete a programme in a time sequence
Such relationship is expressed in terms of starting time of
various activities or some activities may be independent
and some may be dependent on other activities.
 Uses of Gantt Chart
• To show the current schedule status
• To measure task duration in the project
• To represent cost, time and scope of the
project.
• A useful tool for planning and scheduling
projects
• To plan how long a project should take.
• To monitor a project's progress
 Cont…
• Lays out the order in which the tasks need
to be carried out.
• Modern Gantt chart software provides
dependencies between tasks
• To visualize immediately what should have
been achieved at any point in time.
• To assist in taking remedial action to bring
the project back on course, if required
 Advantages

It helps in planning and monitoring the work of

project

Time is explicitly expressed in the chart

All tasks are visible at a glance in relation to

other

Deadlines are depicted in the chart

 Critical Path Method (CPM)

Critical Path Method is defined as that series of

interrelated activities, the delay of any one of which
would necessarily delay a project's completion by an
equal amount of time.

It was developed in 1957-58 by engineers at El-du Pont

de Nemours and Company and the Univac Division of
Remington Rand Corporation, USA.
 Cont…

“Critical paths are guides that outline the critical or

key events expected to happen each day of patient’s
hospitalization.” --Cohen & Cesta,2001.
“A critical pathway is the sequence of events in a process
that takes the greatest length of time.” 
 Program Evaluation and Review Technique

A method to analyze the tasks involved

in completing a given project.
Focus is paid to the time needed to
complete each task, and identifying the
minimum time needed to complete the
total project
 Purpose
To simplify the planning and scheduling of large
and complex projects.
To incorporate uncertainty in the sense that it was
possible to schedule a project not knowing precisely
the details and duration's of all the activities.
Event-oriented technique rather than start- and
completion-oriented.
Used more in R&D-type projects where Cost is not
a major factor but Time is.
 PERT & CPM Similarities
 Both follow the same steps and use network
diagrams

Both are used to plan the scheduling of

individual activities that make up a project

They can be used to determine the

earliest/latest start and finish times for each
activity
 PERT & CPM Differences

PERT is probabilistic whereas CPM is deterministic

In CPM, estimates of activity duration are based on
historical data

In PERT, estimates are uncertain and we talk of ranges of

duration and the probability that an activity duration will
fall into that range

CPM concentrates on Time/Cost trade off.

 Historical Background
PERT was invented by Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. under
contract to the United States Department of Defense's US
Navy Special Projects Office in 1958
A part of the Polaris mobile submarine-launched ballistic
missile project. This project was a direct response to the
Sputnik crisis
CPM was developed by the dupont company &
Remington-Rand-Univac
Used for large construction projects
Each were unaware of the others existence until the 1960’s
 Terminologies
PERT event : is a point that marks the start or completion
of one (or more) tasks. It consumes no time , and uses no
resources . It marks the completion of one (or more) tasks.
It is not “reached” until all of the activities leading to that
event have been completed.
Predecessor event : an event (or events) that immediately
precedes some other event without any other events
intervening. It may be the consequence of more than one
activity.
Successor event : an event (or events) that immediately
follows some other event without any other events
intervening. It may be the consequence of more than one
activity.
 Terminologies
PERT activity : is the actual performance of a task. It
consumes time , it requires resources (such as labor,
materials, space, machinery), and it can be understood as
representing the time, effort, and resources required to move
from one event to another. A PERT activity cannot be
completed until the event preceding it has occurred.
Optimistic time (O): the minimum possible time required to
accomplish a task, assuming everything proceeds better than
is normally expected
Pessimistic time (P): the maximum possible time required to
accomplish a task, assuming everything goes wrong (but
excluding major catastrophes).
 Terminologies
Most likely time (M): the best estimate of the time required
to accomplish a task, assuming everything proceeds as
normal.
Expected time (T E ): the best estimate of the time required
to accomplish a task, assuming everything proceeds as
normal (the implication being that the expected time is the
average time the task would require if the task were repeated
on a number of occasions over an extended period of time).
Critical Path : the longest possible continuous pathway taken
from the initial event to the terminal event. It determines the
total calendar time required for the project; and, therefore,
any time delays along the critical path will delay the reaching
of the terminal event by at least the same amount.
 Terminologies
Lead time : the time by which a predecessor event must be completed in
order to allow sufficient time for the activities that must elapse before a
specific PERT event is reached to be completed.

Lag time : the earliest time by which a successor event can follow a
specific PERT event.

Slack : the slack of an event is a measure of the excess time and resources
available in achieving this event. Positive slack would indicate ahead of
schedule ; negative slack would indicate behind schedule ; and zero slack
would indicate on schedule .
 Terminologies
Early Start (ES): maximum EF of all predecessor activities,
unless the activity in question is the first activity, wherein ES
is 0
Early Finish (EF): ES plus task duration
Late Start (LS): LF minus task duration
Late Finish (LF): minimum LS on all successor activities,
unless the activity is the last activity, wherein LF equals EF
Activity on Arrow (AOA): a type of PERT diagram wherein
the activities are written on the arrows
Activity on Node (AON): a type of PERT diagram wherein
the activities are written on the nodes
 D
F

FINISH
START C

G
B E
 Creating a PERT Diagram
STEP :- 1
Determine the tasks that the project requires and the order in
which they must be completed
Determine the optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time of
each task
Compute for the Expected time using the formula
Te=(O+4M+P)/6
Determine whether to use AOA or AON diagrams
Activit Predec Optimi Norma Pessimi Te
y essor stic (o) l (m) stic (b) (o+4m+b)/6

A --- 2 4 6 4.00
B --- 3 5 9 5.33
C A 4 5 7 5.17
D A 4 6 10 6.33
E B,C 4 5 7 5.17
F D 3 4 8 4.50
G E 3 5 8 5.17
 D
F
6.33
4.50

A
4.00

FINISH
C
START
5.17

G
B E 5.17
5.33 5.17
 Creating a PERT Diagram
STEP :- 2
Determine the ES & EF of each activity by:
Start at the beginning moving towards the end
ES & EF for the start activity is always 0 since they are
milestones
Use the EF of the predecessor activity as the ES of the
current activity
EF of an activity is computed by adding its ES with its
duration
For activities with 2 or more predecessor activities, use the
predecessor with the higher EF as the ES of the current
activity
 D F
D:6.33 D:4.5
ES:4 ES:10.3
EF:10.33 EF:14.83
A
D:4
ES:0
EF:4
FINISH
C D:0
START D:5.17 ES:19.51
ES:0 ES:4 EF:19.51
FF:0 EF:9.17

G
B
D:5.33 E D:5.17
ES:0 D:5.17 ES:14.34
EF:5.33 ES:9.17 EF:19.51
EF:14.34
 Creating a PERT Diagram
STEPS 3:
Determine the LS & LF of each activity by:
Start at the end and work towards the beginning
The LF for the finish activity is equal to EF since it is the last
activity in the project. Since duration is 0, LS is equal to LF
Use the LS of the successor activity as the LF of the current
activity
LS of an activity is computed by subtracting its LF with its
duration
For activities with 2 or more successor activities, use the
successor with the lower LS as the LF of the current activity
 D
D:6.33 F
ES:4,EF:10.33 D:4.5
LS:8.68,LF:15.0 ES:10.3,EF:14.83
1 LS:15.01, LF:19.51
A
D:4
ES:0,EF:4
LS:0, LF:4
FINISH
D:0
C ES:19.51,
EF:19.51
START D:5.17 LS:19.51,
ES:0,FF:0, ES:4,EF:9.17 LF:19.51
LS:4, LF:9.17
LS:0,LF:0

B E G
D:5.33 D:5.17
D:5.17
ES:0,EF:5.33 ES:9.17,EF:14.3 ES:14.34, EF:19.51
LS:3.84, 4 LS:14.34, LF:19.51
LF:9.17 LS: 9.17,
LF:14.3
 Creating a PERT Diagram
STEPS 3:

Compute for the critical path by adding the

duration's of various paths for all activities

Determine if any activities have slack by

subtracting the activity’s LF & EF
 Critical Path

Critical Path: A-C-E-G

Path A-D-F = 14.83 work days

Path A-C-E-G = 19.51 work days
Path B-E-G = 15.67 work days
 Slack
Activity LF-EF Total
A 4-4 0
B 9.17 - 5.33 3.84
C 9.17-9.17 0
D 15.01-10.33 4.68
E 14.34-14.34 0
F 19.51-14.83 4.68
G 19.51 - 19.51 0
 Applications
Used in research and development projects
 For developing, tooling and introducing a new
project

To plan and execute the acquisition and

installation of an electronic system Development
and administration of various training program
 General Problems in Use of
Network Analysis
• There is a chance to omit the necessary day at the
time of planning of project
• Uncertainty is attached in time estimate
• Amount of resources available is an important
restriction
• There is a possibility to failure to keep all activities
progressing on schedule
• Lack of trained staff to adopt PERT/CPM
techniques