PROJECT PLANNING AND CONTROL

Project Planning and Control

Project Planning and Control

TASK 1

1. Draw the network diagram (use activity on the node).

Graph 1: Network Diagram (Activity-on-Node)

Refer to “Activity-on-node networks with minimal and maximal time lags and their application to make-to-order production”. (Neumann & Schwindt, 1997)



2. Explain how you determined the timing of activities and the total float

According to the duration of any activity and the relationships between one activity and others, we can calculate the timing of activities (includes earliest start, earliest finish, latest start, latest finish and total float) (Field & Keller, 2007).

Chart 2: The Timing of Activities

Task Number

Predecessor

Lead/ Lag

Duration Optimistic

Duration Expected

Duration Pessimistic

Sim Value

 

EST

EFT

LST

LFT

Slack

Crit Path

Prob. on CP

Start

 

 

 

 

 

0

 

0

0

-238

-238

-238

Task 1

Start FS

4

15

20

15

0

15

-235

-220

-235

1

0

Task 2

1 FS

-5

5

20

22

20

10

30

-225

-205

-235

1

0

Task 3

2 FS

9

26

30

26

30

56

-205

-179

-235

1

0

Task 4

2 SS

10

4

18

23

18

20

38

-212

-194

-232

1

0

Task 5

4 FS

7

15

17

15

38

53

-194

-179

-232

1

0

Task 6

3,5 FS

5

38

45

38

56

94

-179

-141

-235

1

0

Task 7

6 FS

-5

11

25

30

25

89

114

-146

-121

-235

1

0

Task 8

6 FS

5

5

15

20

15

99

114

-136

-121

-235

1

0

Task 9

6 SS

20

5

18

22

18

76

94

-139

-121

-215

1

0

Task 10

7,8,9 FS

4

30

45

30

114

144

-121

-91

-235

1

0

Task 11

10 FS

5

5

28

39

28

149

177

-86

-58

-235

1

0

Task 12

Start FS

5

140

180

140

0

140

-238

-98

-238

1

1

Task 13

12 FS

-5

7

18

22

18

135

153

-103

-85

-238

1

1

Task 14

13 SS

10

5

20

25

20

145

165

-93

-73

-238

1

1

Task 15

14 FS

5

15

20

15

165

180

-73

-58

-238

1

1

Task 16

11, 15 FS

7

33

60

33

180

213

-58

-25

-238

1

1

Task 17

16 FS

4

8

11

8

213

221

-25

-17

-238

1

1

Task 18

17 FS

4

15

25

15

221

236

-15

0

-236

1

1

Task 19

17 FS

5

17

19

17

221

238

-17

0

-238

1

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The predecessor and successor relationship and the duration of each activity are known in this case. Earliest start time equals to the earliest finish time of predecessor activity. Earliest finish time equals to the earliest start time plus to the activity duration. Latest finish time equals to the latest start time of successor activity and Latest start time equals to the latest finish time minors the duration. The total float means the difference between earliest start time and the latest start time.

3. Explain how you determined the project duration and the critical path

After all the activities are done, the life circle of project is finished. And that time is the total duration of the project itself. Critical Path Method (CPM) is a kind of model to calculate the critical path in the whole project, which will have the biggest influence to the project total duration. In this case, the Total project duration is 83 days, as the activity Q is finished in that day. The critical path is the process of A-E-F-G-H-I-K-L-M-N-P-Q. If any change occurs in those activities, then the total duration will be change definitely.

4. 4)If the project starts on the Monday 6 August 2012, what is the earliest date it can be completed using a 5 day working week? Assume no other holidays

If the project starts on the Monday 6 August 2012 and the working time is 5 day a week, the whole period of project will be calculate by the equation: TRUNC(83/5)*7+MOD(83/5). The result is 115 day. Then we can know the finish time is Thursday 15 October, 2012.

5. If the following happened what would be the effect on the duration of the whole project? Explain the reasons.

Activity D is delayed 1 day. As activity D is a critical path, so the total duration of project will be delayed for 1 day.

A 1 day delay during activity M. No effect. Activity M has a 67 days' flexibility time.\

A 1 day early finish in activity Q. No effect. Activity Q has an 8 days' flexibility time. So early finish does not have any ...