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Cpm and Pert Example

The document explains the components of CPM (Critical Path Method) and PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) networks, focusing on activities, events, and dummy activities. It details how to identify critical paths, calculate earliest and latest start and finish times, and the significance of float in project management. Additionally, it outlines the PERT analysis method, including time estimates and variance calculations for project completion.

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deeprchaudhari27
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2 views

Cpm and Pert Example

The document explains the components of CPM (Critical Path Method) and PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) networks, focusing on activities, events, and dummy activities. It details how to identify critical paths, calculate earliest and latest start and finish times, and the significance of float in project management. Additionally, it outlines the PERT analysis method, including time estimates and variance calculations for project completion.

Uploaded by

deeprchaudhari27
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Component of CPM and PERT Network

In CPM and PERT networks involves following two major components,


1. Activity
2. Event
Activity: An activity shows action and utilization of resources such as money, time, and material required
to complete the project.
• Activity is represented by an arrow.
• In the network two types of activities are there, Preceding and Succeeding activities.
• Preceding Activity: Activities perform before a given event are called preceding activities
• Succeeding Activity: Activities perform after a given event are called succeeding activities.

PRECEDING AND SUCCEEDING ACTIVITY


In figure activities A and B are preceding activities respectively. Where activities C and D are succeeding
activities for Event J and K respectively.
Event: An event will always occur at the beginning of the activity and end of the activity.
• In-network numbering the event applying Fulkerson’ RULE. The event has no resources.
• Event is denoted by a node. A node may be shaped in a circle, square.
• In the network, various types of events are there, namely Head event, tail event, merge and
burst event.
• In the above figure event I is Head event and J is Tail event for activity A. also l event is merged
event and i is burst event.

Dummy activity: An imaginary activity that does not consume any time and resources is known as a
Dummy activity.
• Dummy activities are denoted by the Dotted line.
• The main function of dummy activity is representing a connection between events to maintain
the sequence logically.
Critical Path Method
CPM or the Critical Path Method is an algorithm used in project management that is used to schedule
project activities. A critical path in project management is the longest sequence of activities that must be
finished on time in order for the entire project to be complete. Any delays in critical tasks will delay the
rest of the project.

CPM has become popular for planning projects and prioritizing tasks. It helps you break down complex
projects into individual tasks and gain a better understanding of the project’s flexibility.

CPM Key Elements

The elements of CPM in project management are as follows:

Earliest Start Time (ES)

The initial stage in the project is when an activity can be begun. You cannot make this decision without
initially understanding whether you have any task dependencies.

Latest Start Time (LS)

The very last second when a task can be started without affecting the timeline for your project.

Earliest Finish Time (EF)

The earliest a task can be finished is determined by its duration and earliest start time.

Latest Finish Time (LF)

The latest that a task can be finished is calculated using its duration and latest start time.

Float

The concept of "float" refers to how long an activity can be postponed without affecting its task order or
the project timeline. The critical path tasks have no float since they cannot be delayed.
Event

Events are represented by a circle and will occur at the start and end of an activity. Event 1 is the tail
event and Event 2 is the head event.

Activity

Activities represent action and consumption of resources like time, money, and energy required to
complete the project. In the case of our example, A, B, C, D, E, and F represent the activities taking place
between their respective events.
Dummy Activity

A dummy activity represents a relationship between two events. The dotted line represents a
relationship between nodes 4 and 3. The activity between these nodes will not have any value.
Some Rules to consider:

• The network should have a unique starting and ending node. In the case of our example, event 1
represents a unique starting point and 6 represents the unique completion node

• No activity can be represented by more than a single arc (the line with an arrow connecting the
events) in the network

• No two activities can have the same starting and ending node

Fig: Example of CPM


Fig: Network Diagram of the above example

Now, to find the critical path. For this, we’ll need to find two values, Earliest Start Time (Es) and Latest
Completion Time (Lc).

The process of determining the Es for all events is called a forward pass.

The process of determining the Lc for all events is called a backward pass.

Figure: Forward pass completed


Fig: Backward pass also completed

Now, for the final step of the critical path method. To determine the critical path, there are three major
criteria that need to be satisfied.

Esi = Lci

Esj = Lcj

Esj - Esi = Lcj - Lci = Dij

From the diagram, we can see that nodes that satisfy the requirements are: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9.

Hence the activities on the critical path are B - D - H - K - N.

Hence the critical path is B + D + H + K + N = 4 + 3 + 5 + 6 + 9 = 27.


Program Evaluation and Review Technique
PERT or the Program Evaluation and Review Technique is a method that analyzes the
time required to complete each task and its associated dependencies, and to determine
the minimum amount of time required to complete a certain project. The process takes
into consideration three different time estimates:

• Optimistic Time (To): The minimum amount of time required to complete the project,
assuming everything goes better than expected.

• Pessimistic Time (Tp): The maximum time required to complete the task, assuming
things go wrong.

• Most Likely Time (Tm): The most likely amount of time required to complete the tasks,
assuming everything goes alright.

PERT Analysis Method:

In the question here, we have three objectives:

1. Draw the network diagram.

2. Find the mean and variance.

3. Find the critical path and estimated time of completion.


Below is the network diagram for the above question.

Fig-1. Network Diagram

The mean, which is also the estimated time can be determined using the formula:

We can calculate the variance using this formula:

Fig-2. Mean and Variance


Fig-3. Finding Critical Path (1 - 4 - 6 - 7 - 8 or C - F - H – J)

The estimated time is: 7 + 8 + 7 + 4 = 26 days.

Note:
Slack time is the amount of time that a project can be delayed without having a negative impact on the
project's completion. Slack, also known as total float, is the amount of time that an activity can be
delayed without delaying the project end date or an imposed milestone. Float, also known as free float,
is the amount of time that an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of its successor
activity.

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