Analysing a network Example 1

A(3)
1

D(5)

C(6) B(4) E(1)

4 G(7) 5

F(6)

This is the network found in Example 1. We want to find the minimum duration of this project.
The first step is to find the earliest event times. This is the earliest time that an event (denoted by the numbered nodes) can occur. The event cannot occur until all activities leading into the event node have finished.

Analysing a network Example 1

2

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

D(5)

C(6) E(1)

4 G(7) 5

F(6)

Event 1 occurs at time zero.

Analysing a network Example 1

3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

C(6) E(1)

4 G(7) 5

F(6)

Event 2 cannot occur until A is finished. The earliest time for this is 3.

Analysing a network Example 1

3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

C(6) E(1)

4 G(7) 5

3
4 Event 3 cannot occur until B is finished. The earliest time for this is 4.

F(6)

Analysing a network Example 1

3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

8
C(6) E(1) 5 4 G(7)

3
4

F(6)

Event 4 cannot occur until C, D and E are all finished. The earliest C can finish is 6. The earliest D can finish is 3 + 5 = 8. The earliest E can finish is 4 + 1 = 5.

So the earliest time for event 4 is 8.

Analysing a network Example 1

3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

8
C(6) E(1) 5 4 G(7)

3
4

F(6)

15

Event 5 cannot occur until F and G are both finished. The earliest F can finish is 4 + 6 = 10. The earliest G can finish is 8 + 7 = 15.

So the earliest time for event 5 is 15.

Analysing a network Example 1

3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

8
C(6) E(1) 5 4 G(7)

3
4

F(6)

15

The next step is to find the late event times, working backwards through the network. A latest event time is the latest time that an event can occur without delaying the project. It is found by finding the latest time that each activity leading out of the event can begin the latest event time is the earliest of these.

Analysing a network Example 1

3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

8
C(6) E(1) 5 4 G(7)

3
4 Event 5 must occur by time 15, or the project will not finish in the minimum possible time.

F(6)

15

15

Analysing a network Example 1

3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

8
C(6) E(1) 4

G(7) 5

3
4

F(6)

15

15

The only activity leading from event 4 is G, which must start by time 8 if the project is not to be delayed. So event 4 must occur by time 8.

Analysing a network Example 1

3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

8
C(6) E(1) 4

G(7) 5

3
4 7

F(6)

15

15

The activities leading from event 3 are E (which must start by time 7) and F (which must start by time 9). So event 3 must occur by time 7.

Analysing a network Example 1

3 3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 B(4)

8
C(6) E(1) 4

G(7) 5

3
4 7

F(6)

15

15

The only activity leading from event 2 is D, which must start by time 3. So event 2 must occur by time 3.

Analysing a network Example 1

3 3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 0 B(4)

8
C(6) E(1) 4

G(7) 5

3
4 7

F(6)

15

15

Finally, event 1 must occur by time zero.

Analysing a network Example 1

3 3 2 D(5)

A(3)
1 0 0 B(4)

8
C(6) E(1) 4

G(7) 5

3
4 7

F(6)

15

15

The completed network shows that the project can be completed in 15 hours.

The critical activities are the activities (i, j) for which the LET for j the EET for i is equal to the activity duration. The critical activities are A, D and G.

For analysis of the float in this example, see the Notes and Examples.

Analysing a network Example 2

2

A(2)
1 3 D(6) 5 G(4) 6

B(3)

C(5)

E(8) F(2) 4

This is the network found in Example 2. We want to find the minimum duration of this project. The first step is to find the earliest event times.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2)
1 0 C(5) E(8) F(2) 4 3 D(6) 5 G(4) 6

B(3)

Event 1 occurs at time zero. The earliest that event 2 can occur is after A has finished, at time 2.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2)
1 0 C(5) 3 3 E(8) F(2) 4 D(6) 5 G(4) 6

B(3)

Event 3 cannot occur until both A and B have finished, so the earliest time at which event 3 can occur is 3.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2)
1 0 C(5) 3 3 E(8) F(2) 4 D(6) 5 G(4) 6

B(3)

Event 4 cannot occur until C has finished, so the earliest time at which event 5 can occur is 5.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2) 13
1 0 C(5) B(3) 3 E(8) F(2) 4 3 D(6) 5 G(4) 6

The earliest that D can finish is at time 9, and the earliest that E can finish is at time 13, so the earliest that event 5 can occur is time 13.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2) 13
1 0 C(5) B(3) 3 E(8) F(2) 4 3 D(6) 5 G(4) 6 17

The earliest that F can finish is at time 7, and the earliest that G can finish is at time 17, so the earliest that event 5 can occur is time 17.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2) 13
1 0 C(5) B(3) 3 E(8) F(2) 4 3 D(6) 5 G(4) 6 17

The next step is to find the latest event times, starting from the sink node and working backwards.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2) 13
1 0 C(5) B(3) 3 E(8) F(2) 4 3 D(6) 5 G(4) 6 17 17

Event 6 must not occur later than time 17, or the project will be delayed .

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2) 13
1 0 C(5) B(3) 3 E(8) F(2) 4 3 D(6)

13
5 G(4) 6 17 17

The latest G can start is at time 13, so the latest time for event 5 is 13.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2) 13
1 0 C(5) B(3) 3 E(8) F(2) 4 3 D(6)

13
5 G(4) 6 17 17

The latest that E can start is at time 5, and the latest that F can start is at time 15, so the latest possible time for event 4 is 5.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2

A(2) 13
1 0 C(5) B(3) 3 3 7 E(8) F(2) 4 D(6)

13
5 G(4) 6 17 17

The latest that D can start is at time 7, so the latest possible time for event 3 is 7.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2 7

A(2) 13
1 0 C(5) B(3) 3 3 7 E(8) F(2) 4 D(6)

13
5 G(4) 6 17 17

The latest that the dummy activity (with zero duration) can start is at time 7, so the latest possible time for event 2 is 7.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2 7

A(2) 13
1 0 0 C(5) B(3) 3 3 7 E(8) F(2) 4 D(6)

13
5 G(4) 6 17 17

The latest that event 1 can start is at time 0.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2 7

A(2) 13
1 0 0 C(5) B(3) 3 3 7 E(8) F(2) 4 D(6)

13
5 G(4) 6 17 17

The critical activities are 5 activities for which the float is zero: i.e. the latest event time for activity j the earliest event time for activity i is equal to the activity duration.

Analysing a network Example 2

2 2 7

A(2) 13
1 0 0 C(5) B(3) 3 3 7 E(8) F(2) 4 D(6)

13
5 G(4) 6 17 17

The critical activities are C, E and G.

The project can be completed in 17 days.

For analysis of the float in this example, see Example 2 in the Notes and Examples.

Analysing a network Example 3

C(5)
3 4

A(2)
1

E(6)
F(3) H(2)

6
B(4) G(8) 2 5

D(3) This is the network found in Example 3. We want to find the minimum duration of this project.
The first step is to find the early event times.

Analysing a network Example 3

C(5)
3 4

A(2)
1

E(6)
F(3) H(2)

6
0 B(4) G(8) 2 5

D(3) Event 1 occurs at time zero.

Analysing a network Example 3

C(5)
3 4

A(2)
1

E(6)
F(3) H(2)

6
0 B(4) G(8) 2 5

D(3)
4

Event 2 cannot occur until B has finished, so the earliest time for event 2 is 4.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4

A(2)
1

E(6)
F(3) H(2)

6
0 B(4) G(8) 2 5

D(3)
4

Event 3 cannot occur until both A and B have finished, so the earliest time for event 3 is 4.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1

E(6)

H(2)

6
0 B(4) G(8) 2 5

D(3)
4

Event 4 cannot occur until C has finished, so the earliest time for event 4 is 4 + 5 = 9.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1

E(6)

H(2)

6
0 B(4) G(8) 2 5

D(3)
4 7

Event 5 cannot occur until D has finished, so the earliest time for event 5 is 4 + 3 = 7.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12

G(8) 2 5

D(3)
4 7

Event 6 cannot occur until both D and F have finished. The earliest time that D can finish is 7, and the earliest time that F can finish is 9 + 3 = 12, so the earliest time for event 6 is 12.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12

7
15 G(8)

D(3)
4 7

Event 7 cannot occur until E, G and H have all finished. The earliest time that E can finish is 9 + 6 = 15, the earliest time that G can finish is 7 + 8 = 15, and the earliest time that H can finish is 12 + 2 = 14, so the earliest time for event 7 is 15.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12

7
15 G(8)

D(3)
4 7

The next step is to find the late event times, working backwards through the network.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12

7
15 15 G(8)

D(3)
4 7

The latest time that event 7 can occur without delaying the project is 15.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12 13

7
15 15 G(8)

D(3)
4 7

The latest time that activity H can start is 13, so the latest time for event 6 is 13.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12 13

7
15 15 G(8)

D(3)
4 7 7

Activity G and a dummy activity both lead out of event 5. The latest time that activity G can start is 7, and the latest time that the dummy activity can start is 13, so the latest time for event 5 is 7.

Analysing a network Example 3

4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12 13

7
15 15 G(8)

D(3)
4 7 7

Activities E and F both lead out of event 4. The latest time that activity E can start is 9, and the latest time that activity F can start is 9, so the latest time for event 4 is 9.

Analysing a network Example 3

4 4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12 13

7
15 15 G(8)

D(3)
4 7 7

The latest time that activity C can start is 4, so the latest time for event 3 is 4.

Analysing a network Example 3

4 4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12 13

7
15 15 G(8)

D(3)
4 4 7 7

Activity D and a dummy activity both lead out of event 2. The latest time that activity D can start is 6, and the latest time that the dummy activity can start is 4, so the latest time for event 2 is 4.

Analysing a network Example 3

4 4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12 13

7
15 15 G(8)

D(3)
4 4 7 7

Finally, the latest time for event 1 is zero.

Analysing a network Example 3

4 4

C(5)
3 4 F(3)

A(2)
1 0 0 B(4)

E(6)

H(2) 12 13

7
15 15 G(8)

D(3)
4 4 7 7 The float in this example is analysed in the Notes and Examples.

The minimum duration of the project is 15 days. The critical activities are B, C, D, E and G.
Notice that there are two critical paths: BCE and BDG.