UNIT III

SCHEDULING & RESOURCE ALLOCATION

TOPICS TO BE COVERED:

PERT & CPM Networks - Crashing – Project Uncertainty and Risk

Management – Simulation – Gantt Charts – Expediting a project –

Resource loading and leveling. Allocating scarce resources – Goldratt‟s

Critical Chain.
Simulation
• Imitation of the operation of a real-world process.

• Simulation requires a model

• The model represents a physical behavior process.

• Simulation is used in many contexts such as safety engineering,

testing, and training.

• Simulation is to show the eventual effect of alternative condition

Types
• Physical simulation:
Small object are choosen because of it is cheaper than actual
objects

• Interactive simulation:
human operator
Simulation studies:
• Formulating the problem

• Developing the model

• Running the model

• Analyzing the output

• Estimation and hypothesis testing make it possible to discuss the

output of simulation, compare system metrics.
Common measure of system
performance
• Throughput(average and peak load)

• System cycle time

• Utilization of resource, labor, machines

• Bottlenecks

• Queuing at work locations

• Delays caused by material handling devices

• WIP storage needs

• Staffing requirements

• Effectiveness of scheduling and control system

Example
• Computer and video games

• Film

• Theme park ride

• Automobiles

• Biomechanics

• City and urban

• Classroom

• Digital lifecycle

• Disaster preparedness

• Equipment
Contd..
• Finance
• Flight
• Marine
• Military
Crashing
• Project crashing is a strategy used to accelerate the schedule of a
project by adding extra resources to critical tasks.

• Allocating additional resources, such as

manpower, equipment, or funds, to complete tasks more
quickly than originally planned.
Gantt Charts
• It illustrate the start and finish date of the terminal elements

• Summary elements of a project

• Terminal and summary elements of project comprise the WBS of a

project

• It show the dependency relationship between activities

• It can also be used to show current schedule status using percent-

complete shadings
Contd..
• It convey the information visually

• It outline all of the task involved in a project, their order against

timescale.
Why use gantt chart
• Help you work out practical aspects of a project

• Minimum time it will take to deliver

• Which task need to be completed before others can start

• It can be useful to identify the critical path

• Sequence of task individually be completed on time

Ex.
• Example

• In the following example there are seven tasks, labeled A through G.

Some tasks can be done concurrently (A and B) while others cannot
be done until their predecessor task is complete (C cannot begin
until A is complete). Additionally, each task has three time estimates:
the optimistic time estimate (O), the most likely or normal time
estimate (M), and the pessimistic time estimate (P) The expected time
(TE) is computed using the beta probability distribution for the time
estimates, using the formula (O+4M+P) /6.
Contd..
Activity Predecessor Time estimate Expected time

Opt Normal pess

A - 2 4 6 4.00

B - 3 5 9 5.33

C A 4 5 7 5.17

D A 4 6 10 6.33

E B,C 4 5 7 5.17

F D 3 4 8 4.50

G E 3 5 8 5.17
Gantt chart
JUL'23,25 JUL'30,25
PREDECESSO
DAY TASK NAME R DURATION S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 START 1 0
2 a 1 4
3 b 2 533
4 c 2 517
5 d 2 633
6 e 3,4 517
7 f 5 45
8 g 6 517
9 finish 7,8 0
Contd..

• Step1: identify essential tasks

• Step2: identify task relationships(sequential, parallel)

finish to start,start to start,finish to finish,
• Step3: input activities into software or template

• Step4: chart progress

Kep points:
• Useful for planning and scheduling

• Assess how long a project should take

• Determine the resources needed

• Plan the order in which you will complete tasks.

• Managing the dependencies between tasks

• Monitoring the projects progress

Expediting a project
• For quality and timely delivery of goods and components

• the expeditor makes sure that the required goods arrive at the
appointed date in the agreed quality at the agreed location.
EX:
• Expediting is especially needed in large scale projects

• when a power plant or a refinery is erected, because a delay caused

by late delivery or inferior quality will get very expensive and could
lead to unsatisfied clients, thus the loss of a project. To save these
unnecessary costs and minimize potential risks, the supplier and
customer may agree on the use of a third party expediter.
Contd..

• These are experts from companies specializing in this field who keep
track of the deadlines, supervise progress on site and check whether
the components are properly packed.

• After inspection they notify the involved parties and banks about
their findings;

• if everything is as agreed the bank will initiate the transfer of the

price of the goods to the supplier.
Levels in expediting:
• production control

• quality control

• packing/transport survey

• project management
Contd..
• Larger companies normally have their own expeditors who can
perform all four levels.

• Third parties then are only used when in-house capacity is

overstretched

• or a neutral third party is needed.

Resource loading and levelling
allocating or assigning available resources to various activities involved in the
completion of a project.

resources are tied to specific activities are involved in completing the project.

Visually tracking these resource assignments in the form of a resource-loading

chart

makes it easier to see which of these tasks are resource-heavy and possibly over-
allocated.
Contd..
• analyzing efficiencies in the management of resources

• it will be necessary to costs and quantity of each resource required.

• In many cases, information technology projects, EVA and WBS will be

very helpful in comparing the profitability and efficiency of resource
allocation with regard to specific tasks.

• person-loading chart
Contd..
• man-hours and distributed along various tasks of the project work
schedule.

• resource loading of hours, budget, staff or other key resources is an

effective way to identify and eliminate many "surprises" during the
planning stages.

• Resource loading is expected for project schedules

• It’s a way to automatically create a staffing chart from the schedule.

Contd..

• Slippage in critical or near-critical activities can have negative

impacts on a project.
Resource management
• To shift resources from activities with more float to activities with
less float.

• this allows the project manager to reduce the overall project

schedule without increasing resources.

• Activities can be moved to bring the resource demand within

availability.

• This allows resources to be placed where the need is greatest.

Resource levelling
• Balancing demand for resources with availability of supply

• When more resources are needed than available,

• The task will have to be rescheduled concurrently to manage the

constraints.
Allocating scarce resources
• – Goldratt‟s Critical Chain.