Chapter 6 Flashcards
Developing a Project Network
What is a project network?
What is a critical path?
What is sequencing?
The Project Network
A flow chart that graphically depicts the sequence, interdependencies, start and finish times of the activities within the project job plan that is the critical path through the network.
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 can not be delayed.
Helps project managers get and stay on plan.
Constructing a Project Network
Activity
Merge Activity
Parallel (Concurrent) Activities
Activity
an element of the project that requires time.
Merge Activity
an activity that has two or more preceding activities on which it depends.
Parallel (Concurrent) Activities
Activities that can occur independently and, if desired, 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. Delays on the critical path will delay completion of the entire project.
Event
represents a point in time where an activity starts or ends.
Burst activity
has more than one activity immediately following it.
Activity-on-node (AON)
uses a node to depict an activity.
Activity-on-arrow (AOA)
uses an arrow to depict an activity.
Basic Rules in Developing Project Networks
Networks typically flow from left to right.
An activity cannot begin until all preceding connected activities are complete.
Arrows indicate precedence and flow and can cross over each other.
Each activity must have a unique identifying number that is greater than any of its predecessor activities.
Looping is not allowed.
Conditional statements are not allowed.
Use common start and stop nodes.
Network Computation Process
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—ET
Forward Pass Computation
Add activity times along each path in the network (ES + Duration = EF).
Carry the early finish (EF) to the next activity where it becomes its early start (ES) unless…
The next succeeding activity is a merge activity, in which case the largest EF of all preceding activities is selected.