Process: sequencing and scheduling - gantt chart, critical path analysis

Question 1

What is sequencing and scheduling?

Answer 1

Sequencing and scheduling tools are used to identify all steps in the operations process and organise them into the most efficient order to complete. A key role of the operations manager when scheduling and sequencing is to perform a detailed task analysis to determine the separate parts of the entire process of making a good or providing a service.

Question 2

What is sequencing?

Answer 2

Refers to the order in which activities take within the operations process

Question 3

What is scheduling?

Answer 3

Refers to the length of time activities in the operations take

Question 4

What is the difference between sequencing and scheduling?

Answer 4

Sequencing decides what order the operations will go in while scheduling choose the overall amount of time the order will take

Question 5

What is a gantt chart?

Answer 5

The Gantt chart outlines the activities that need to be performed, the order in which they should be performed and how long each activity is expected to take. Gantt charts are used for any process that has several steps and involves a number of different activities that need to be performed.

(scheduling method)

Question 6

What are the advantages of gantt charts?

Answer 6

There are two main advantages of creating a gantt chart

Firstly, they force a manager to plan the steps needed to complete a task and to specify the time required for each task.
Secondly, they make it easy to monitor actual progress against planned activities.

Question 7

What is the critical path anaylsis?

Answer 7

Critical Path Analysis (CPA) is a sequencing method or technique that shows what tasks need to be done, how long they take and what order is necessary to complete those tasks. It is another version of a Gantt Chart, highlighting how activities are dependent on each other.

The operations manager can see: tasks to be completed, timeframes, order of activities, what tasks can be done simultaneously – giving direction and organisation to the operations process.

The critical path is the shortest length of time it takes to complete all tasks necessary to complete the project.

To calculate the CPA you must find the longest path. This is derived by calculating the time it takes to complete the beginning to the end including simultaneous steps. As all tasks need to be completed for the project to be finished, the critical path time period is the
longest path taken to complete the whole project.