Lecture Network Analysis Project Management Lecture Network Analysis

Plan Introduction Project planning Introduction Project planning Gantt chart and WBS Network analysis I Introduction Project planning Gantt chart and WBS Network analysis I Network analysis II Project planning Resource analysis Risk management Quality Budgets and cost control Project teams

Iterative Process The plan will evolve as the project evolves The plan is reviewed and updated as more information becomes available and uncertainties become less uncertain

PBS Example

Use Case Describes a unit of functionality from a users perspective May be text or diagram Therefore they provide a good tool for Project Task Planning They also can determine the nature of the project process How many development iterations?

Use Case Example – Big John’s

Use Case Example – Big John’s Each Use Case Shown can be shown as activities in the PBS The prioritisation can be used to describe the activities for two development iterations This will be significantly different to the process if only one iteration was used

Gantt Chart Example

Gantt Chart Example

Gantt chart disadvantages Not ideal for showing inter-relationships Locating an activity requires three simultaneous decisions: Method Time Resources

Complexity Number of tasks? Number of people? Size of Budget? Number/Nature of constraints Dependencies between tasks

Why Network Diagrams? Splits up the decision making process into Method/logic - the order in which tasks have to be completed Time – estimates for the time to completion can be added to each task Resources – these can be added and then analysis carried out

Two Methods Activity on Arrow Activity on Node Traditionally the preferred method Activity on Node More popular these days Supported by most Project Management software tools (i.e. MS Project)

Activity on Arrow Arrows are used to represent an activity Circles are used to represent the points where activities meet i.e. the dependency between activities

Activity on Node Activities are represented by boxes Dependencies are represented by arrows joining the boxes

Comparison

Dependency Example Task B cannot start until Task A is complete Activity on Node Task B cannot start until Task A is complete Activity on Node Activity on Arrow

More complex example Four activities/tasks: A, B, K, L Activity K is dependent on activity A Activity L is dependent on activities A and B

The problem with AoA The same example in AoA The same example in AoA Wrong… Activity K is dependent on activity A Activity L is dependent on activities A and B Right

Exercise 1 Draw the following: Activity K is dependant on Activity A Activity L is dependent on Activity B Activity M is dependent on Activity A and B

Exercise 2 Draw the following: Activity K is dependent on activities A and B Activity L is dependent on activities B and C Activity is dependent on activity B

Drawing the network Direction Identifying Tasks The flow of work is from left to right Identifying Tasks Each task is given a unique ID number ID number is often given in WBS

Scale Diagram is not drawn to scale Length and size do not matter They have no meaning

Activity Number Activity Description What’s in the box? Earliest Start Estimated Duration Earliest Finish Activity Number Activity Description Latest Start Float Latest Finish

Project Exercise 1

Errors in Logic Looping Due to a mistake in drawing or to errors in identifying dependent activities

Errors in Logic Dangling Usually occur when activities are added as an afterthought Can be avoided by using a single finish node

Project Exercise 2

Final thought for the day: Erm… Plan Project planning Network analysis I Network analysis II Introduction Project planning Gantt chart and WBS Network analysis I Network analysis II Project planning Resource analysis Risk management Quality Budgets and cost control Project teams Final thought for the day: Erm…