oject and Quality Management PM Lecture 2 Time Planning and Network Analysis

 Learning Objectives

§    Carry out basic calculations on a project plan
§    Understand the weaknesses of the CPM approach to planning and scheduling projects and recognise the need for alternative methods

Apply basic analysis to allow generation of buffered programmes

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

§     To create a linked, hierarchical series of activities that are comprehensible and manageable
§    But not necessarily to be sequential
§     Projects can be broken down in a number of ways
§    Mostly activity oriented

Could also be functional or physical

A WBS Example: Activity Breakdown

WBS: Physical Breakdown

WBS: Functional Breakdown

Exercise (1)

§    Develop a PBS for a project in which you are going to build a bicycle. Try to identify all of the major components and provide three levels of detail.

Dealing with Increased Complexity in Scheduling

§     Gantt charts are useful at low level of complexity
§     Many projects require a graphical method to analyse complex relationships among activities
§     Network diagram is such a method
§     In a network diagram activities can be represented as either
§    A node – known as activity-on-node (A-o-N)
§    An arrow – known as activity-on-arrow (A-o-A) - Not used in

Maylor (4th ed.)

Case Study: Dissertation Planning

Activity                                                           Time

Project start date                                        15/10

1.    Carry out literature review                        15/10 – 25/11

2.    Arrange visits                                         26/11 – 9/12

3.    Design Experiments                                 10/12 – 30/12

4.    Review Experiments Design                      31/12 – 20/1

5.    Conduct Experiments                               21/1 – 17/3

6.    Analyse results                                       18/3 – 24/3

7. Write up                                                25/3 –18/4

Hand-in date                                             18/4

Plan in Graphical Form

Project start date                   |

1.     Carry out literature review    ******

2.     Arrange visits                                **

3.     Design Experiments                               ***

4.     Review Design                                              ***

5.     Conduct Experiments                                             ********

6.     Analyse results                                                                   *

7.    Write up                                                                                   ****

Hand-in date                                                                                         |

15/10      26/11 10/12 31/12 21/1        18/3                                     25/3 18/4

Logical Links in Graphical Form - Gantt Chart

A-o-N Diagram