ACTIVITY PLANNING

Introduction 1
The unit will cover
Work breakdown structure (WBS)
Product breakdown Structure (PBS)
An introduction to system modelling
Precedence analysis
Gantt Charts
PERT / CPA
On Arrow Networks
Precedence Networks
Also ..
Microsoft Project will be covered in labs
This is based on Gantt Charts and Precedence Networks
Introduction 2
Activity Planning will help to:
ensure that the appropriate resources will be available
precisely when required
avoid different activities competing for the same
resource at the same time
produce a detailed schedule showing which staff carry
out each activity
Produce a detailed plan against which actual
achievement may be measured
produce a timed forecast
re-plan the project during its life to correct drift from a
target
Work Breakdown
Structure (WBS)
WBS is the decomposition of work into
progressively smaller and smaller chunks of
work.

The logical conclusion is when work cannot
be usefully broken down any further for the
tasks being undertaken
Work Breakdown
Structure
Project
Produce
Report
Conduct
Investigation
Work Breakdown
Structure
Top Level Project
Level 1 Conduct Investigation


Work Breakdown
Structure
Conduct
Investigation
Investigate
hardware
Conduct
interviews
Investigate
other systems
Analyse
requirements
Work Breakdown
Structure
Top Level Project
Level 1 Conduct Investigation
Level 2 Conduct Interviews


Work Breakdown
Structure
Conduct
interviews
Sales
manager
Managing
director
Finance
director
Stores
manager
Work Breakdown
Structure
Top Level Project
Level 1 Conduct Investigation
Level 2 Conduct Interviews
Level 3 Interview Managing Director


Work Breakdown
Structure
Interview
MD
Review data
flow diagrams
Conduct
interview
Write and
review notes
Create data
flow diagrams
Work Breakdown
Structure
Top Level Project
Level 1 Conduct Investigation
Level 2 Conduct Interviews
Level 3 Interview Managing Director
Level 4 Conduct Interview

Product Breakdown
Structure (PBS)
Similar to WBS

PBS is the break down of a product into its
discrete components.

a PBS can be included as part of a WBS
Product Breakdown
Structure (PBS)
An example pbs taken from a US MIL handbook



System Modelling
Do I feel
like getting
up?
Alarm goes off
Get up and go
to bathroom
Press snooze
button
Flowchart Of Getting Up In The Morning
fig. 1
No
Yes
System Modelling
IDEF0


IDEF0


WBS and PBS
WBS, PBS and system modelling will assist in an
understanding of the project

WBS and PBS must be done to allow Precedence
analysis to take place

WBS and PBS do not necessarily set the
precedence of a project

Precedence within a project should be based on
what is best for the timely and economic completion
of the project
PM Resources
Chambers website has several video tutorials on various
project management topics
http://www.chambers.com.au/default.php
A excellent source of information on project management
techniques is US Government website. This link takes you
to an extensive document on scheduling
http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/591240.pdf
The next link is a document that covers the application of
Earned Value Management:
http://energy.gov/management/office-
management/operational-management/project-
management/earned-value-management
Precedence analysis
Must be done before an activity plan can be
produced
Reviews the activities that are to be carried
out
Decides what activities must be carried out
before particular activity can start

Gantt Charts
Developed by Henry Gantt, around 1917
Gantt charts are easy to use and produce
They are very useful for use on less complex
projects
Commonly used due to there simplicity
Gantt charts are easily understood and easy
to read

Gantt Charts
WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Task 5
Task 6
Gantt Charts
Draw the following Gantt chart
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 5 days
b - 4 days
c a 6 days
d b 2 days
e b 5 days
f c,d 8 days

Gantt Charts
WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4
Task a
Task b
Task c
Task d
Task e
Task f
Network planning
models
PERT
The Program Evaluation and Review Technique
Developed by:
US Navy with
BOOZ-Allen Hamilton and
Lockheed Corporation for the
Polaris missile/submarine project in 1958
Network planning
models
CPM
Critical Path Method
Also know as CPA
Critical Path Analysis
Developed by
DuPont Inc in the
Late fifties early sixties to facilitate
building of complex process plant
Network planning
models
PERT
developed for use on R&D projects
CPM
developed for use in construction projects
When developed the two techniques were
very similar
Now there is virtually no difference between
the two
Network planning
models
A simple on arrow network model
1
2
3
4
5
5
5
Start
End
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Terminology
Activity
A specific task, uses resources takes time to
complete
Event
The result of completing an activity
Events use no resources
They are instances in time, points on the
network, conditions of a system that can be
recognised
Terminology
Network
The combination or all activities (often drawn as
lines) and events (often drawn as nodes at the
beginning and end of each line) defines the
project and the activity precedence relationship.
Arrow heads placed on the lines indicate the
direction of flow. Before and an event can be
realised all the activities that immediately
precede it must be completed
Terminology
Path
The series of connected activities (or
intermediate events) between any two events in
a network
Critical
Activities, events, or paths, which, if delayed, will
delay the completion of the project
A projects critical path is understood to mean
that sequence of critical activities (and critical
events) that connect the projects start event to
its finish event
Terminology
On Arrow Network diagram showing critical
path in red
1
2
3
4
5
6
A=6
B=4
D=4
C=3
E=3
F=10
H=2
G=3
Network syntax
Time moves from left to right
Nodes are numbered sequentially
A network may not contain loops
A network may not contain dangles
Precedents are the immediate preceding
activities
Dummy activities can be used to indicate a
particular precedence

Network syntax
Time moves from left to right
Nodes are numbered sequentially

1 2 3
a b
Network syntax
A network may not contain loops
1 2 3
4
This is not allowed
a
b
c
d
Network syntax
A network may not contain dangles

1 2 3
4
This is not allowed
a
b
c
Network syntax
Precedents are the immediate preceding
activities

1 2 3
Design Build
4
Commission
Network syntax
Dummy activities can be used to indicate a
particular precedence

1 2 3
Wrong
1
2
4 3
Right
a
b
c
a
b
c
On Arrow Networks
Draw the following as an on arrow network
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 5 days
b - 4 days
c a 6 days
d b 2 days
e b 5 days
f c,d 8 days
On Arrow Networks
How to start ..
1
2
3
start
a
b
On Arrow Networks
What not to do
1
2
3
start
a
b
4
5
6
c
d
e
On Arrow Networks
A better way
1
2
3
start
a
b
c
d
e
On Arrow Networks
It is then less confusing that c & d go to the
same event but what about e & f ?
1
2
3
start
a
b
4
5
6
c
d
e
f
On Arrow Networks
The completed on arrow network .
1
2
3
start
a
b
4
5
c
d
e
f
end
On Arrow Networks
Another on arrow network to draw
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 6 weeks
b - 4 weeks
c a 3 weeks
d b 4 weeks
e b 3 weeks
f - 10 weeks
g e,f 3 weeks
h c,d 2 weeks
On Arrow Networks
The network with activity times added
1 3 4 6
2
5
A=6
C=3
B=4 D=4
F=10
E=3
G=3
H=2
On Arrow Networks
Each event circle can contain the information
below

Event
number
Earliest
date
Latest
date
Slack
Event
Event numbers
1
2
3
4
5
6
Timed activities

1
2
3
4
5
6
A=6
B=4
D=4
C=3
E=3
F=10
H=2
G=3
Forward pass

1
2
3
4
5
6
A=6
B=4
D=4
C=3
E=3
F=10
H=2
G=3
0
6
4
9
10
13
Backward pass

1
2
3
4
5
6
A=6
B=4
D=4
C=3
E=3
F=10
H=2
G=3
0
6
4
9
10
13 13
11
10
8
7
0
Event, Slack and
Activity Float

1
2
3
4
5
6
A=6
B=4
D=4
C=3
E=3
F=10
H=2
G=3
0
6
4
9
10
13 13
11
10
8
7
0
0
2
3 2
0
0
The Complete On Arrow
Network

1
2
3
4
5
6
A=6
B=4
D=4
C=3
E=3
F=10
H=2
G=3
0
6
4
9
10
13 13
11
10
8
7
0
0
2
3 2
0
0
Precedence Networks
Precedence network also known as Activity
on Node
Becoming more common as it is used by
many project planning software packages
Often preferred by project managers

Precedence Networks
Syntax the same as for On Arrow networks
Except there are no dummy activities

Precedence networks must start with a start
node and end with a end node
Precedence Networks
A simple precedence network
Start
End
a
b
d
c
e
f
g
h

This is the same network drawn as an On
Arrow network
1
2
3
4
5
5
5
Start
End
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Precedence Networks
A simple precedence network
Start
End
a
b
d
c
e
f
g
h
Precedence Networks
Draw the following as an Precedence
network
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 5 days
b - 4 days
c a 6 days
d b 2 days
e b 5 days
f c,d 8 days

Precedence Networks
The completed Precedence Network
Start
End
a
b
d
c
e
f

The same network drawn as an On Arrow
Network
1
2
3
start
a
b
4
5
c
d
e
f
end
Precedence Networks
The completed Precedence Network
Start
End
a
b
d
c
e
f
Precedence Networks
Another on precedence network to draw
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 6 weeks
b - 4 weeks
c a 3 weeks
d b 4 weeks
e b 3 weeks
f - 10 weeks
g e,f 3 weeks
h c,d 2 weeks
Precedence Networks
The completed Precedence Network
Start
End
a
b
d
c
e
f
h
g

This is the same network drawn as an On
Arrow network
1 3 4 6
2
5
A=6
C=3
B=4 D=4
F=10
E=3
G=3
H=2
Precedence Networks
The completed Precedence Network
Start
End
a
b
d
c
e
f
h
g
Precedence Networks
Adding more information to the node
ES D EF
LS F
LF
Earliest
start
Duration
Earliest
Finish
Latest
Start
Latest
Finish
Float
Description
Precedence Networks
ES = latest (largest) EF of preceding activity
e.g. event may start at day zero - this actually
means the end of day zero or the beginning of
day one !!!
EF = activity ES + activity duration
LS = activity LF activity duration
LF = earliest (smallest) LS of subsequent
activities.
Float = LS ES or LF EF

2 6 8
4 2
10
Description
3 2 5
8 5
10
Description
8 4 12
10 2
14
Description
8 4 12
10 2
14
Description
12 4 16
16 4
20
Description
12 6 18
14 2
20
Description
Precedence Networks
Redraw the following with complete
information in each node box
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 5 days
b - 4 days
c a 6 days
d b 2 days
e b 5 days
f c,d 8 days

Precedence Networks
Redraw the following with complete information in
each node box
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 6 weeks
b - 4 weeks
c a 3 weeks
d b 4 weeks
e b 3 weeks
f - 10 weeks
g e,f 3 weeks
h c,d 2 weeks
Conclusion
Activity Planning

Precedence analysis

On Arrow networks

Precedence networks
Exercise 1
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 6 weeks
b - 4 weeks
c - 3 weeks
d a 4 weeks
e b 3 weeks
f b 2 weeks
g c 3 weeks
h d,e 2 weeks
i f 1 week
j g,i 2 weeks

Exercise 2
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 3 weeks
b - 5 weeks
c a 7 weeks
d b 5 weeks
e c, d 6 weeks
f b 4 weeks
g b 8 weeks
h c, d 4 weeks
i e, f 3 weeks
Exercise 3
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 2 weeks
b - 4 weeks
c - 3 weeks
d a 3 weeks
e a 5 weeks
f c 6 weeks
g c 4 weeks
h d 4 weeks
i d 8 week
j b, e, f, i 2 weeks
k - 4 weeks
l g, k 3 weeks
Exercise 4
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 3 weeks
b a 5 weeks
c a 3 weeks
d c 1 weeks
e b 3 weeks
f b, d 4 weeks
g c 2 weeks
h g, f 3 weeks
i e, h 1 weeks
Exercise 5
Tasks Precedence Time
a - 3 weeks
b - 5 weeks
c a 14 weeks
d a 5 weeks
e b 4 weeks
f b 7 weeks
g d, e 8 weeks
h g, f 5 weeks