Project

Project Management
Management
Faculty of Applied Engineering and Urban Planning

Second Semester
2016/2017

Engineering Project Management

Developing a Project Plan

Week 10
 The
The Critical
Critical Path
Path Method
Method (CPM)
(CPM)

• The longest path from the project start node to the end
node is called the critical path.

• (CPM) is the most widely technique used for

scheduling, it calculates the minimum completion time
for a project along with the possible start and finish
times for the project activities.

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 The
The Critical
Critical Path
Path Method
Method (CPM)
(CPM)

• The CPM is a systematic scheduling method for

a project network and involves four main steps:
1.A forward path to determine activities early-start times;
2.A backward path to determine activities late-finish times;
3.Float calculations ( Free & Total ) float; and
4.Identifying critical activities.

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 Network
Network Computation
Computation Process
Process
• Forward Pass—Earliest Times
– How soon can the activity start? (early start—ES)
– How soon can the activity finish? (early finish—EF)
– How soon can the project finish? (expected time—ET)
• Backward Pass—Latest Times
– How late can the activity start? (late start—LS)
– How late can the activity finish? (late finish—LF)
– Which activities represent the critical path?
– How long can activity be delayed? (slack or float—SL)

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 Forward
Forward Pass
Pass Computation
Computation
• Add activity times along each path in the
network (ES + Duration = EF).
• Carry the early finish (EF) to the next activity
where it becomes its early start (ES) unless…
• The next succeeding activity is a merge activity,
in which case the largest EF of all preceding
activities is selected.

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 Backward
Backward Pass
Pass Computation
Computation
• Subtract activity times along each path in the
network (LF - Duration = LS).
• Carry the late start (LS) to the next activity
where it becomes its late finish (LF) unless
• The next succeeding activity is a burst activity, in
which case the smallest LF of all preceding
activities is selected.

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Network
Network Computation
Computation Process
Process

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Network
Network Computation
Computation Process
Process

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Network
Network Computation
Computation Process
Process

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 Determining
Determining Free
Free Slack
Slack (or
(or Float)
Float)

• Free Slack (or Float)

– Is the amount of time an activity can be delayed after
the start of a longer parallel activity or activities.
– Is how long an activity can exceed its early finish date
without affecting early start dates of any successor(s).
– Allows flexibility in scheduling scarce resources.

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 Determining
Determining Free
Free Slack
Slack (or
(or Float)
Float)
• Free Slack (or Float)
Total slack tells us the amount of time an activity can be
delayed and not delay the project. Stated differently, total
slack is the amount of time an activity can exceed its early
finish date without affecting the project end date or an
imposed completion date.
• Free slack is unique. It is the amount of time an activity can
be delayed without delaying any immediately following
(successor) activity. Or, free slack is the amount of time an
activity can exceed its early finish date without affecting the
early start date of any successor(s). 11
 Float
Float Calculations
Calculations

• First, let's tabulate the information we have as shown in

next Table. One important aspect is Total-Float (TF)
calculations, which determine the flexibility of an activity
to be delayed.
Total Float (TF) = LF – EF
= LS – ES
.‫ دوما يستخدم للنشاط الواحد‬TF : ‫مالحظة‬

Free Float (FF) = ETj – ETi – d

or FF = smallest ES (of succeeding activities) – EF (of current activity)
.‫ دوما يستخدم للنشاطين السابق والالحق‬FF : ‫مالحظة‬

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Example
Example 0/ 0 2/ 0 4/4
3 6 6 10 10 16
B E H
3 4 6
3 6 8 12 14 20

0/0 0/ 0 0/0
0/ 0
0 3 3 8 6 12 12 20
A C F J Fn
3 5 6 8
0 3 3 8 6 12 12 20
0/0
TF/FF
1/ 0 8 12
ES EF
3 10 G
D 4 Act
7 8 12 Dur
4 11 1/1
10 19 LS LF
I
9 TF/FF
11 20 TFi = LFi - EFi

Free Float (FF) = ETj – ETi – d

or FF = smallest ES (of succeeding activities) – EF (of current activity) 13
 Practical
Practical Considerations
Considerations
• Network Logic Errors
• Activity Numbering
• Use of Computers to Develop
Networks ( Gantt chart)
• Calendar Dates

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GANTT
GANTT CHARTS
CHARTSAND
AND CALENDAR
CALENDAR SCHEDULES
SCHEDULES

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 ESi + SFij - Dj
EFi + FSij ESi + SSij
15 + 7 -5
13 + 2 18 23 28 23 + 1
6 13 15
SF7
B
FS2 F K EFi + FFij - Dj
3 5 28 + 2 - 8
7 EFi + FFij-Dj ESi + SSij
FF2, SS1
ESi + SSij 13 + 2 -10 21 + 2
1 +5 = 6 FF2 SS2
11 21 31 38 46
SS5 21
C FS0 G ESi + SSij
N
FS0 10 16 + 10
1 11 ESi +SSij 10 EFi + FFij - Dj
28 33 ESi+SSij
EFij+FSij 8
11 + 5 28+3
31 + 2 - 5 L 37+1 38 46
A SS5 SS3
10 FS0 11 21 16 31 SS10, FF2 5 31 37
FS1
EFi + FFij - Dj
D 21 + 1 - 7 H EFi+FSij M
23 + 2
EFi + FFi - Di 10 FF1
15 FS2 EFi + FSij 6
14 + 3
11 + 0 - 4 FS3
FF0 EFi + FSij 16 23
7 11 11 +5
FS5 I
E 7 11 14
4 J FORWARD PASS
FS0 3

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 LFj - Sfij + Di
LSj - FSij 42 - 7 + 3 LSj - SSj - Di
35 - 2 15 18 23 28 38 - 1 + 5
6 13
FS2 SF7
B F K LFj - FFij
7 LFj - FFij 3 LSj - SSij + Di 5 46 - 2
LSj - SSij + Di 37 - 2 + 10 FF2, SS1
26 33 45 - 2 35 38 37 42
26 - 5 + 10 FF2
11 21 SS2
SS5 21 31 38 46
C FS0 G LSj - SSij + Di N
10 LSj - SSij + Di 10
28 - 10 + 15 28 33 LSj - SSij + Di 8
1 11
16 - 5 + 10 LFi - FFij 31 - 3 + 5
SF0 11 21 35 45 L 38
A SS5 33 - 2 SS3 46
SS10, FF2 5 FS1
10 SF0 11 21 31 37
16 31
1 11 D LFj - FFij 28 33 M LSj - FSij
10 H 6
26 - 1 FS2 38 - 1
15
15 25 FF1 LSj - FSij 31 37
FF0 16 31
28 - 2
7 11 LSj - FSij 16 23 FS3
E 19 - 5 I
4 FS5 11 14 LSj - FSij
7
31 - 3
11 14 19 26 J
SF0 3
28
BACKWARD PASS
25 17
 20/0
ESj - FSij - EFi 15 18 ESj - Sfij - ESi ESj - SSij - ESi
15 - 2-13 28 - 7 - 15 14/14
20/0 F 23 28 38 - 1 - 23
6 13 FS2 3 SF7
K EFj - FFij - EFi
ESj - SSij - ESi B 35 38 5 46 - 2 - 28
EFj - FFij - EFi
14/0 FF2, SS1
6-5-1 7 31 - 2 - 13 37 42
FF2 21 31 SS2 0/0
26 33 ESj - SSij - ESi
ESj - FSij -EFi 38 46
SS5 0/0 21 - 0 - 21 aG 23 - 2 - 21
ESj - FSij - ESj
0/0 11 - 0 - 1 11 21 FS0 10 0/0 N
EFj - FFij - EFi28 33 ESj - SSij - ESi
1 11 FS0 C ESj - SSij - ESi35 45 33 - 2 - 31 31 - 3 28
8
10 16 - 5 - 11 L 38 46
A ESj - SSij - ESi 0/0
SS3
11 21 SS5 0/0 28 - 10 - 16 5 31 37
10 16 31 FS1
ESj - FSij - Efi
28 33 M ESj - FSij - EFi
1 11 11 - 0 - 11
4/1 H SS10, FF2
FS0 11 21 ESj - FFij - EFi 6 38 - 1 - 37
15 FS2
D 23 - 1 - 21 31 37
FF1 16 31 ESj - FSij - EFi
FF0 10
3/3 28 - 2 - 23 FS3
15 25 ESj - FSij - EFi
ESj - FFij -EFi 16 - 5 - 11
16 23 14/14 ESj - FSij - EFi
3/0
11 - 0 - 11 7 11 FS5 I 11 14 31 - 3 - 14
7
E J
4 19 26 3
FS0
25 28
11 14 ESj - FSij - EFi TF/FF
11 - 0 - 11
TFi = LFi - EFi
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Questions?!

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