A network of activities

C
A C
A
S D F
S D F
B
B E
E
Notes about all network diagrams
• There must be a single start node (the only one
that has arrows coming out, but none going in).
• So a particular path can’t start in the middle of
the chart – it must start at the start node.
• There must be a single end node (the only one
that has arrows going in, but none coming out).
• So a particular path can’t end in the middle of
the chart – it must end at the end node.
• All the arrows need to go roughly from left to
right, because that’s the direction that time flows
in this diagram.
• The meaning of a node is “this is a task”.
• The meaning of an arrow is “this is where one
task finishes and the next one starts”.
 C

Start F G End

B
H J
Activity Duration (days) Predecessor
A 6 none
B 6 none
C 12 A
D 3 A
E 5 B
F 17 D&E
G 7 F
H 9 B
J 10 H
Activity
Predecessor
A none
B none
C A
D A
E B
F D&E
G F
H B
J H
Activity To begin with, you need
Predecessor a “start” node, that is to
A none happen before any of
B none the activities that are in
C A the activity/predecessor
D A
table.

E B
F D&E
G F
H B
Activity C Find every node in the
Predecessor table that has “none” as
A none a predecessor. Add
B noneA them to the chart. Join
C A Start to each of them by
D A
D an arrow.

Start F G End

E B B
F D&E
H J
G F
H B
Activity For each of the latest
Predecessor batch of nodes you
A none have added to the chart,
B noneA find all the nodes in the
C A table that have it as
D A
their predecessor. Add
each of them to the End
Start F G
chart, and join their
predecessor to them by
E
an arrow.

E B B
F D&E
H J
G F
H B
Activity C For each of the latest
Predecessor batch of nodes you
A none have added to the chart,
B noneA find all the nodes in the
C A table that have it as
D A
D their predecessor. Add
each of them to the End
Start F G
chart, and join their
predecessor to them by
E
an arrow.

E B B
F D&E
H J
G F
H B
Activity C For each of the latest
Predecessor batch of nodes you
A none have added to the chart,
B noneA find all the nodes in the
C A table that have it as
D A
D their predecessor. Add
each of them to the End
Start F G
chart, and join their
predecessor to them by
E
an arrow.

E B B
F D&E
H J
G F
H B
Activity C Then do the
Predecessor same again:
A none find nodes in
B noneA the table that
C A have the latest
D A
D nodes on the
chart as their End
Start F G
predecessors,
and add them,
E
with arrows that
show what the
predecessor
E B B
F D&E was.
H J
G F
H B
Activity C Then do the
Predecessor same again:
A none find nodes in
B noneA the table that
C A have the latest
D A
D nodes on the
chart as their End
Start F G
predecessors,
and add them,
E
with arrows that
show what the
predecessor
E B B
F D&E was.
H J
G F
H B
Activity C Then do the
Predecessor same again:
A none find nodes in
B noneA the table that
C A have the latest
D A
D nodes on the
chart as their End
Start F G
predecessors,
and add them,
E
with arrows that
show what the
predecessor
E B B
F D&E was.
H J
G F
H B
Activity C Carry on like that until
Predecessor you’ve put all the nodes
A none in the table onto the
B noneA chart
C A
D A
D

Start F End

E B B
F D&E
H J
G F
H B
Activity C Carry on like that until
Predecessor you’ve put all the nodes
A none in the table onto the
B noneA chart.
C A
D A
D

Start F G End

E B B
F D&E
H J
G F
H B
 When all the nodes are in
Activity C the network, add an “end”
Predecessor node at the right hand
A none side, and connect all the
B noneA
nodes that don’t have
C A
D A
arrows emerging from
D them to it:
Start F G End

E B B
F D&E
H J
G F
H B
 When all the nodes are in
Activity C the network, add an “end”
Predecessor node at the right hand
A none side, and connect all the
B noneA
nodes that don’t have
C A
D A
arrows emerging from
D them to it:
Start F G End

E B B
F D&E
H J
G F
H B
Replace each C
circle with a
matrix of
6 cells: A

start
F G end

B
H J
Earliest Earliest
Identity of possible
possible
the activity finish time
start time

ES ID EF
LS DUR LF

Latest
Latest
possible Duration of possible
start time the activity finish time
Earliest Earliest
Identity of possible
possible
the activity finish time
start time
Note:
ES ID EF Variation
from
previous

LS DUR LF
slides
which
showed
‘Slack’

Latest
Latest
possible Duration of possible
start time the activity finish time
Activity Duration
A 6
B 6
C 12
D 3
E 5
F 17
G 7
H 9
J 10
Activity Duration
A 6
B 6
C 12
D 3

E 5
F 17
G 7
H 9
J 10
 C
Activity Duration
A 6
B 6 A
C 12
D 3
D

start
F G end

E 5
F 17
B
G 7 H J
H 9
J 10
 C
Activity Duration 12
A 6
B 6 A
C 12 6
D 3
D
3
start
F G end

17 7 0
0
E
5
E 5
F 17
B
G 7 6 H J
H 9 9 10
J 10
 C Note that the duration
Activity Duration 12 of the “start” and “end”
A 6 nodes is zero,
B 6 A because they are
C 12 6 really just
D 3
D milestones.
3
start
F G end

17 7 0
0
E
5
E 5
F 17
B
G 7 6 H J
H 9 9 10
J 10
 C
12

A
6
D
3
F G end
St. 7 0
17
0
E
5

B
6 H J
9 10
 C The earliest possible
12 start time for the
“start” node must be
A zero.
6
D
3
F G end
St. 7 0
17
0
E
5

B
6 H J
9 10
 C
12

A
6
D
3
F G end
0 St.
17 7 0
0
E
5

B
6 H J
9 10
 C Add in the
12 duration, to get
the earliest
A possible finish
6 time…

D
3
F G end
0 St.
17 7 0
0
E
5

B
6 H J
9 10
 C
12

A
6
D
3
F G end
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
E
5

B
6 H J
9 10
 C … and copy it to any
12 node to the right that is
connected to this one by
A an arrow, as the
6 earliest possible
start time
D
3
F G end
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
E
5

B
6 H J
9 10
 C
12

0 A
6
D
3
F G end
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
E
5

0 B
6 H J
9 10
 C Then do that sequence of
12 steps again and again,
until you reach the right-
0 A hand end of the
6 network

D
3
F G end
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
E
5

0 B
6 H J
9 10
 C
12

0 A 6
6
D
3
F G end
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
E
5

0 B 6
6 H J
9 10
 6 C 18
12

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
F G end
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 J
9 10
 6 C 18 Here, we have to use a
12 special rule: if there is a
choice of two figures to
0 A 6 be fed into a node,
6 take the
larger one.
6 D 9
3
0 St. 0 11 F G end

17 7 0
0
6 E 11
5
(or, if it’s a
choice of more
0 B 6
than 2 figures, take
6 6 H 15 J the largest).
9 10
 6 C 18
12

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
0 St. 0 11 F 28 G end

17 7 0
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 J
9 10
 6 C 18
12

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 end
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10
 6 C 18 Once again there is a
12 choice of figures to be fed
into the last node: 18, 35
0 A 6 or 25. Take the
6 largest one.

6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 end
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10
 6 C 18
12

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10
 6 C 18
12

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end 35
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10
 6 C 18 At this point, we have
12 discovered that the entire
project will take 35 time
0 A 6 units (35 days) …
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end 35
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10
 6 C 18
12

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end 35
0 St. 0
17 7 0
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10
 6 C 18 Copy the “earliest possible
12 finish” for the End node to
the “latest possible finish”
0 A 6 box …
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
17 7 035
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10
 6 C 18 Copy the “earliest possible
12 finish” for the End node to
the “latest possible finish”
0 A 6 box …
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
17 7 35 035
0
6 E 11
5 … now
we start
filling in the
0 B 6 missing figures in
6 6 H 15 15 J 25 the bottom rows,
9 10 working in the
opposite direction.
 6 C 18
12 35

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
17 7 35 35 035
0
6 E 11
5 Instead
of adding
in the duration,
0 B 6 we are now
6 6 H 15 15 J 25 subtracting it.
9 10 35
 6 C 18
23 12 35

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
17 7 35 35 035
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10 35
 6 C 18
23 12 35

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
17 28 7 35 35 035
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10 35
 6 C 18
23 12 35

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
11 17 28 28 7 35 35 035
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
9 10 35
 6 C 18
23 12 35

0 A 6
6
6 D 9
3
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
11 17 28 28 7 35 35 035
0
6 E 11
5

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
16 9 25 25 10 35
 6 C 18 Once again there is a
choice of figures to be fed
23 12 35 into the next node: 8 or 23
for node A. The rule when
0 A 6 working rightleft
6 is take the
smallest
6 D 9 one.
8 3 11
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
11 17 28 28 7 35 35 035
0
6 E 11
6 5 11

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
16 9 25 25 10 35
 6 C 18
23 12 35

0 A 6
2 6 8
6 D 9
8 3 11
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
11 17 28 28 7 35 35 035
0
6 E 11
6 5 11

0 B 6
6 6 H 15 15 J 25
16 9 25 25 10 35
 6 C 18
23 12 35

0 A 6
2 6 8
6 D 9
8 3 11
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
11 17 28 28 7 35 35 035
0
6 E 11
6 5 11

0 B 6
0 6 6 6 H 15 15 J 25
16 9 25 25 10 35
 6 C 18
23 12 35

0 A 6
2 6 8
6 D 9
8 3 11
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
11 17 28 28 7 35 35 035
0 0 0
6 E 11
6 5 11

0 B 6
0 6 6 6 H 15 15 J 25
16 9 25 25 10 35
 6 C 18 We’ve now put all the start and
23 12 35 finish times into the network,
and all we have to do is
0 A 6 find the critical
2 6 8 path.

6 D 9
8 3 11
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
11 17 28 28 7 35 35 035
0 0 0
6 E 11
6 5 11

0 B 6
0 6 6 6 H 15 15 J 25
16 9 25 25 10 35
 6 C 18 We look for nodes where the
23 12 35 figures in the top corners are
the same as the figures
0 A 6 in the bottom corners .
2 6 8
6 D 9
8 3 11
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
11 17 28 28 7 35 35 035
0 0 0
6 E 11
6 5 11

0 B 6
0 6 6 6 H 15 15 J 25
16 9 25 25 10 35
 6 C 18 That’s the critical path.
23 12 35 For nodes on this path, there
is no slack at all…
0 A 6
2 6 8
6 D 9
8 3 11
11 F 28 28 G 35 35 end35
0 St. 0
11 17 28 28 7 35 35 035
0 0 0
6 E 11
6 5 11 … the tasks
must start
and finish at the
0 B 6
times shown, or
0 6 6 6 H 15 15 J 25 the whole project
16 9 25 25 10 35 will be delayed.
CPM schedule generated by Microsoft Project