PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Lecture 6

Network Model (Analysis)

Activity On Node (AON)

Dr. Talal Alharbi, PhD

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Objectives

• Activity on node network.

• Early activity times.
• Late activity times.
• Float time.
• Calculations using spreadsheet
• Calendar-date schedule

2
1. Network Diagrams - Activity scheduling

Definition
Documents
Time, Cost and
Project Budget
Efforts Estimates

Work
Breakdown
Structure WBS

Activities Planning
Project Schedules
(Network Logics, ..)

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1. Network Diagrams - Activity scheduling

 The most popular method is called Activity on Node

or activity on Arrow.
 The task (activity) is represented by a Node or
Arrow, which also shows the time expected.
 Take the list of tasks from your Work Breakdown
Structure
 Determine any tasks that depend on other tasks.
 Attach resources to each task (people cannot do two
jobs at once).
 Determine the timeline for the project.
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 1. ACTIVITY ON NODE NETWORK
 Each time-consuming activity is portrayed by a
rectangular figure at a point called node.
 The dependencies between activities are indicated by
dependency lines (arrows) going form one activity to
another.
Predecessor Successor
Dependency line
Activity Activity
Box 1 Box 2

Node 1 Node 2
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1.1 Activity Box
Activity
Earliest Starting Number Earliest Finishing
Time Time

ES Code EF
Activity
Description Activity Description
LS D LF
Latest Starting Latest Finishing
Time Time
Duration

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 1.2 Network Format

 A horizontal diagram format is the standard format.

 The general developing of a network is from start to finish,
from project beginning on the left to project end on the right.
 Each activity in the network must be preceded either by the
start of the project or by the completion of a previous activity.
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 1.2 Network Format
 All activities must have at least one activity following, except
the activity that terminates the project.
 The sequential relationship of one activity to another is
shown by the dependency lines between them.
 Each path through the network must be continuous with no
gaps, discontinuities, or dangling activities.
 The length of the lines between activities has no significance.
 Each activity should have a unique numerical designation
(activity code). Activity code is shown in the upper, central
part of the activity box, with the numbering proceeding
generally from project start to finish.
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 1.2 Network Format

 Arrowheads are not always shown on the dependency

lines because of the obvious left to right flow of time.
 Dependency lines that go backward from one activity to
another (looping) should not be used.
 Crossovers occur when one dependency line must
cross over another to satisfy job logic.

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 Example
The activity list shown below represents the activities, the job
logic and the activities’ durations of a small project. Draw an
activity on node network to represent the project.

Activity Depends on Duration (days)

A D 4
B R 5
C D 8
E R, S 7
F B 3
D None 4
S A, C 2
R A, C 9

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 Activity Depends on Duration (days)
A D 4
B R 5

Example
C D 8
E R, S 7
F B 3
D None 4
S A, C 2
R A, C 9

A S
4 2

E END
D
7 0
4

C R B F
8 9 5 3

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 1.3 Network Computations
 The purpose of network computations is to determine:
 The overall project completion time and
 The time brackets within which each activity must be
accomplished (Activity Times ).

 In activity on node network, all of the numbers associated with

an activity are incorporated in the one node symbol for the
activity, whereas the arrow symbols contain each activity’s data
in the predecessor and successor nodes, as well as on the arrow
itself or in a table.
ES Activity code EF
Activity Description
LS Duration LF
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 2. EARLY ACTIVITY TIMES

1. The "Early Start" (ES) or "Earliest Start" of an activity

is the earliest time that the activity can possibly start
allowing for the time required to complete the preceding
activities.
2. The "Early Finish" (EF) or "Earliest Finish" of an
activity is the earliest possible time that it can be
completed and is determined by adding that activity's
duration to its early start time.

Early Finish (EF) = Early Start (ES) + Activity's duration D

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 2.1 Computations Of Early Activity Times
 Direction: Proceed from project start to project finish, from left
to right.
 Name: This process is called the "forward pass".
 Assumption: every activity will start as early as possible. That
is to say, each activity will start just as soon as the last of its
predecessors is finished.
 The ES value of each activity is determined first.
 The EF time is obtained by adding the activity duration to the
ES time (EF = ES + D).
 In case of merge activities the earliest possible start time is
equal to the latest (or largest) of the EF values of the
immediately preceding activities. 14
 Example
Calculate the early activity times (ES and EF) and determine project
time.

A S
4 2

E END
D
7 0
4

C R B F
8 9 5 3
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 Example
Calculate the early activity times (ES and EF) and determine project
time.
4 8 12 14
A S
4 2

21 28 29 29
0 4
E END
D
7 0
4

4 12 12 21 21 26 26 29
C R B F
8 9 5 3
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 3. LATE ACTIVITY TIMES
3. The “Late finish" (LF) or "Latest Finish" of an
activity is the very latest that it can finish and allow
the entire project to be completed by a designated
time or date.
4. The “Late start” (LS) or "Latest Start" of an activity
is the latest possible time that it can be started if the
project target completion date is to be met and is
obtained by subtracting the activity's duration from
its latest finish time.
Late start (LS) = Late finish (LF) - Activity's duration (D)
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 3.1 Computations Of Late Activity Times
 Direction: Proceed from project end to project start, from
right to left.
 Name: This process is called the “backward pass".
 Assumption: Each activity finishes as late as possible without
delaying project completion.
 The LF value of each activity is obtained first and is entered
into the lower right portion of the activity box.
 The LS is obtained by subtracting the activity duration from
the LF value (LS = LF – D).
 In case of burst activities LF value is equal to the earliest (or
smallest) of the LS times of the activities following.
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 Example
Calculate the late activity times (LS and LF).
4 8 12 14
A S
4 2

21 28 29 29
0 4
E END
D
7 0
4

4 12 12 21 21 26 26 29
C R B F
8 9 5 3
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 Example
4 8 12 14
A S
8 4 12 20 2 22

21 28 29 29
0 4
E END
D
22 7 29 29 0 29
0 4 4

4 12 12 21 21 26 26 29
C R B F
4 8 12 12 9 21 21 5 26 26 3 29

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 4. FLOAT TIME (AKA "Slack")
 Float or leeway (margin/freedom) is a measure of
the time available for a given activity above and
beyond its estimated duration.

 Two classifications of which are in general usage:

 Total float, and
 Free float.

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 4.1 Total Float
 The total float of an activity is obtained by
subtracting its ES time from its LS time.
Subtracting the EF from the LF gives the same
result.
Total float (TF) = LS - ES = LF - EF
 An activity with zero total float has no spare time
and is, therefore, one of the operations that controls
project completion time.
 Activities with zero total float are called "critical
activities”. 22
 4.2 Critical Path
 Critical activity is quickly identified as one whose two start times
at the left of the activity box are equal. Also equal are the two
finish times at the right of the activity box.
 The critical activities must form a continuous path from project
beginning to project end, this chain of critical activities is called
the "critical path".
 The critical path is normally indicated on the diagram in some
distinctive way such as with colors, heavy lines, or double lines.
 The critical path is the longest path in the network.
 Any delay in the finish time of a critical activity, for whatever
reason, automatically prolongs project completion by the same
amount.
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 4.3 Free Float
 The free float of an activity is the amount of time by
which the completion of that activity can be deferred
without delaying the early start of the following
activities.
 The free float of an activity is found by subtracting its
earliest finish time from the earliest start time of the
activities directly following.

FF = The smallest ES value of those activities immediately

following “j” (successor) - EF of the activity “i".
FFi = Min. (ESj) – EFi
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 5. CALCULATIONS USING SPREADSHEET
A C E F G I J K M
Duration Preceding Successor
5 Task ES EF LS LF Float
(DAYS) Activities Activities

6 1 30 None 0 =C6+F6 4, 7 =K6-C6 =MIN(J9,J12) =K6-G6

7 2 10 None 0 =C7+F7 3, 7 =K7-C7 =MIN(J8,J12) =K7-G7
8 3 45 2 =G7 =C8+F8 5, 8 =K8-C8 =MIN(J10,J13) =K8-G8
9 4 25 1 =G6 =C9+F9 6, 8 =K9-C9 =MIN(J11,J13) =K9-G9

10 5 15 3 =G8 =C10+F10 9 =K10-C10 =J14 =K10-G10

11 6 40 4 =G9 =C11+F11 9 =K11-C11 =J14 =K11-G11

12 7 20 1, 2 =MAX(G6,G7) =C12+F12 8 =K12-C12 =J13 =K12-G12

=MAX(G8,G9,G1
3, 4, 7,
13 8 25 2, =C13+F13 9 =K13-C13 =J14 =K13-G13
10
G15)
=MAX(G10,G11,
14 9 15 5, 6, 8 =C14+F14 =K14-C14 =G14 =K14-G14
G13)

15 10 35 None 0 =C15+F15 8 =K15-C15 =J13 =K15-G15

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 5.1 Assignment
For the project given in the previous slide:
1) Draw the AON diagram for the project. In the diagram
all calculations for ES, EF, LS and LF should be
performed
2) Calculate the total and free float for each activity and
determine the critical path.
3) Re-perform all calculations using a spread sheet (MS
Excel) and compare the calculations resulted from the
AON diagram.
4) Draw a Gaunt Chart for the project plan (Activities
versus Time) 26
 6. CALENDAR-DATE SCHEDULE

 Activity times (ES, EF, LS, LF) obtained from previous

calculations are expressed in terms of expired working
days.

 For purposes of project directing, monitoring and

control, it is necessary to convert these times to calendar
dates on which each activity is expected to start and
finish.

 This is done with the aid of a calendar on which the

working days are numbered consecutively, starting with
number 1 on the anticipated start date and skipping
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weekends and holidays.
6.1 Example

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Summary

• Activity on node network.

• Early activity times.
• Late activity times.
• Float time.
• Calculations using spreadsheet
• Calendar-date schedule

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