CHAPTER

CHAPTER 44 NETWORK
NETWORK TECHNIQUES
TECHNIQUES --
PDM
PDM

6–1
 SCHEDULING
SCHEDULING TECHNIQUES
TECHNIQUES

Recap…
• Two methods for scheduling a project: Bar Charts and
Network Techniques
• Bar Charts are work-programming charts showing
durations of activities plotted to scale against a time
base
• Bar charts are difficult to analyze complex projects and
show clearly the inter-relationships between activities
• This call for Network techniques
• Network techniques uses a graph to show the
operations to complete the work, the order in which
they must be done and any interdependencies
6–2
 NETWORK
NETWORK TECHNIQUES
TECHNIQUES
Recap..
Two types of Network techniques:
– Critical Path Method (CPM)
– Programme Review and Evaluation Technique (PERT)
• Critical Path Method (CPM)–most popular in construction
– Uses one deterministic time estimate
– Scheduling Calculations: Forward and Backward
Pass
• Can be on activity–on-the-arrow or
• Activity-on-the-node (Precedence Diagramming Method-PDM).
PDM is very suited for a computerization.
• PERT– more popular in manufacturing
• Uses probabilistic procedures to estimate time, based on three
estimates of duration : optimistic, most likely and pessimistic
• More suited for projects where there is insufficient experience and
historical data to estimate the activity durations e.g. new /unfamiliar
projects (e.g. Polaris) or project where the method is still under R&D6–3
 THE
THE PRECEDENCE
PRECEDENCE DIAGRAMMING
DIAGRAMMING
METHOD
METHOD (PDM)
(PDM) // ACTIVITY-ON-THE-
ACTIVITY-ON-THE-
NODE
NODE

• Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)

employs the Activity-on-the-Node methodology
in solving network problems
• It is the more widely-used network technique
and very suitable for analysis by computer
• Activity-on-the-Node is also the approach for
PERT and Project Crashing

6–4
Activity-on-Node
Activity-on-Node (AON)
(AON) Fundamentals
Fundamentals

FIGURE 6.2

6–5
Activity-on-Node
Activity-on-Node Fundamentals
Fundamentals (cont’d)
(cont’d)

FIGURE 6.2 (cont’d)

6–6
 Information
Information Recorded
Recorded on
on Each
Each Node
Node // Boxes
Boxes

ES = Earliest Time of activity to start = ES

EF = Earliest Time of activity to Finish = EF
LS = Latest Time of activity to start = LS
LF = Latest Time of activity to Finish = LF
SL = Total Float = FL
Dur = Activity Duration

Description = Name of the activity 6–7

 Steps
StepsininDevelopment
Developmentof
ofPDM
PDMNetwork
NetworkDiagram
Diagram

1. List all the activities and duration for the individual task in a
table from WBS.
2. Identify which activity will start first and will start later (preceding
activities)
3. Draw a network diagram for the project.
4. Compute Forward Pass calculation to determine project
duration.
5. Compute Backward Pass Calculation.
6. From the forward and backward passes, identify Critical
activities for the project
7. Determine Float activity for the project.
8. Draw a Gantt Chart for the project.

6–8
Example:
Example: Koll
Koll Business
Business Centre
Centre Project
Project

Step
Step 11 -- List
List all
all the
the activity
activity from
from WBS
WBS and
and
duration
duration for for the
the project
project

Duration (DAYS)

5
15
10
5
15
10
170
35

6–9
 Step
Step 2-
2- Identify
Identify the
the preceding
preceding activity
activity for
for
the
the project
project

Merge activity

Merge activity

Merge activity

1. Activity B, C, D ONLY BEGAN AFTER ACTIVITY A COMPLETED

2 Activity E ONLY BEGAN AFTER ACTIVITY B, C COMPLETED.

3. Activity F ONLY BEGAN AFTER B,C,D COMPLETED

4. Activity G ONLY BEGAN AFTER F COMPLETED

6–10
5. Activity H ONLY BEGAN AFTER E,G COMPLETED
Step
Step 3-
3- Draw
Draw an
anActivity-on-Node
Activity-on-Node Network
Network
Diagram
Diagram
“links’

FIGURE 6.5

6–11
Step
Step 44 -Compute
-Compute Forward
Forward Pass
Pass Calculation
Calculation
• Forward Pass – Refer to Earliest Times
• Forward Pass to determine the earliest start and
earliest finish times of each activity
– How soon can the activity start? (early start—ES)
– How soon can the activity finish? (early finish—EF)
• It also determines the project duration.
• When forward passing (or carrying over) from
node to node, if it is a merging activity, take the
biggest value

6–12
 Computation
Computationof
of Forward
ForwardPass-
Pass- Determine
DetermineES
ESand
andEF
EFTime
Time

Carry the early finish (EF) to

the next activity where it
becomes its early start (ES).

Activity A , = 0 +5 = 5
Activity B , = 5 +15 =20
Activity C , = 5 + 10 = 15
Activity D , = 5 + 5 = 10
1.Start from left to right
Activity E = Merge activity , choose highest duration for
2. Add activity duration along each path in the network ES (20)
3. EF = ES + DURATION Activity F = Merger activity, choose , highest duration for
4.Carry the early finish (EF) to the next activity where it becomes ES(20)
its early start (ES). Activity G = 30 +170 = 200
5. If the next succeeding activity is a merge activity, in which case Activity H = Merge activity , choose highest duration, for ES
the largest EF of all preceding activities will be selected. (200)

6–13
 Step
Step55––Compute
Computethe
theBackward
BackwardPass
Pass calculation
calculation

• Backward Pass—Latest Times (LS)

How late can the activity start? (late start—LS)
How late can the activity finish? (late finish—LF)

• When backward passing (or carrying over) from node to

node, if it is a merge activity (burst activity when doing
forward pass), take the smallest value

6–14
 Backward
BackwardPass
PassCalculation-
Calculation-Determine
Determine LS
LS and
and LF
LFTime
Time

Carry the late start (LS) to the

next activity where it becomes
its late finish (LF).

LS= LF-d End node :

EF = LF

Activity H , 235 – 35= 200 Start from right to left

Activity G , 200 -170 = 30
Activity F , 30 – 10 = 20
Activity E , 200 -15 = 185
Activity B , Merge activity , choose LOWEST duration for LF = 20
Activity C , Merge activity , choose LOWEST duration, LF = 20
1. Start from right to left, Use EF of last activity as its LF Activity D , 20-5 = 15
2. Subtract activity times along each path in the network Activity A= Merge activity , choose LOWEST duration, for LF = 5
3. LS = LF – Duration.
4. Carry the late start (LS) to the next activity where it becomes its late
finish (LF).
5. If the next succeeding activity is a merge activity,
in which case the lowest LF of all preceding activities will be
selected
6–15
Draw
Drawnetwork
networkDiagram
Diagram with
withForward
Forwardand
andBackward
BackwardPass
Pass
ES EF ES EF

ES EF

LS LF LS LF
ES EF ES EF ES EF ES EF

LS LF

LS= LF-d End node :

LF = EF
LS LF LS LF LS LF LS LF
ES

N.B. here denote a C.P. , not dummy

(AON do not need to use dummies)
At the CP nodes, ES = LS and EF = LF .

LS LF

6–16
 Step
Step66––Identify
IdentifyCritical
CriticalActivity
Activity

• Critical path: the longest (longest time) path through the

activity network that allows for the completion of all
project-related activities. It sets the project completion
time. Delays on the critical path will delay completion of
the entire project.

• Critical Activity is : ES = LS , and EF = LF .

Note: For simple network, it is possible to find the C.P. by

just inspecting each possible route from start to finish and
find the time for each. The route with the biggest time is
the C.P. It may also turn out that there may be two
biggest-time routes (a tie), meaning there are two C.P.’s
. 6–17
Calculation
Calculation for
for Critical
Critical Activity
Activity

Backward Forward

Critical Activity is determined for activity having

ES = LS AND EF = LF.

Critical Activity are :

Activity A, B, F, G, and H.

MEANING THAT WE CANNOT DELAY ANY OF THIS

ACTIVITY .

6–18
 Step
Step 77 -- Determining
Determining (Float)
(Float) -- SL
SL

Is the amount of time an activity can be delayed after

the start of a longer parallel activity or activities.
Is how long an activity can exceed its early finish date
without affecting early start dates of any successor(s).
Allows flexibility in scheduling scarce resources.
Float (SL) apply for non critical activities only.
Is calculated by the following :
SL = LS - ES or LF – EF
Total Float for project = Float of Critical Path – Float of
Non-critical Path

6–19
 Calculation
Calculation for
for FLOAT
FLOAT (SL)
(SL)

Float (SL)

= LS – ES OR LF –EF

SL = APPLY FOR NON CRITICAL ACTIVITY ONLY.

SL ACTIVITY ARE ACTIVITY C, D, AND E.

SL FOR ACTIVITY C = LS- ES,

= 10 -5
N.B. = 5.
LF= SL+ EF and
LS= SL+ES SL FOR ACTIVITY D = LS- ES
= 15-5
= 10
CP= ABFGH
CP duration = SL FOR ACTIVITY E = LS –ES
5+15+10+170+35= 235 = 200-35
6–20
= 165
Step
Step 88 Draw
Draw Gantt
Gantt Chart
Chart // Work
Work program
program

NOTE:

BAR Chart is sample only

and times not to scale
EF at A = ES at B,C,D; ES at F = biggest of EF at B,C,D =20 and so on
Floats (LS-ES or LF-EF) : C=5, D=10, E=165
Critical activity : A,B,F,G,H FIGURE 6.12

6–21