...CPA (Critical Path Analysis) and its value on Strategy Implementation Critical Path Analysis (CPA) plays a very important role in the planning and implementation of an operations strategy. Its helps with planning the implementation of the operations strategy and is a mechanism to help manage and control improvements and/or the targets of performance objectives, the alignment of capabilities (changes in layout, machinery etc.) and the resources required underpinning the implementation exercise. The main outcome from CPA and its main value to implementing an operations strategy is that it identifies those tasks which cannot be delayed or take longer than their estimate without impacting the overall project, this being from a time perspective. Such tasks form the basis of the critical path and are the tasks crucial to the success of the implementation exercise. Karaca & Onargan (2007) describe that critical paths are not fixed and as changes and updates are made, a new critical path may emerge. CPA and its Application within an Operational Context Karaca & Onargan (2007) discuss as part of their article on the application of CPA in workflow schema of Marble Processing Plants, a number of benefits emerged upon completion of this exercise. Through the use of CPA network diagrams, the critical path of workflow for the new marble plant resulted in better production capacity and production timing. The study proves CPA can be used in the design of a new marble plant and...
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...Critical Path Analysis & PERT Charts Planning and scheduling more complex projects The benefit of using CPA over Gantt Charts is that Critical Path Analysis formally identifies tasks which must be completed on time for the whole project to be completed on time, and also identifies which tasks can be delayed for a while if resource needs to be reallocated to catch up on missed tasks. The disadvantage of CPA is that the relation of tasks to time is not as immediately obvious as with Gantt Charts. This can make them more difficult to understand for someone who is not familiar with the technique. A further benefit of Critical Path Analysis is that it helps you to identify the minimum length of time needed to complete a project. Where you need to run an accelerated project, it helps you to identify which project steps you should accelerate to complete the project within the available time. This helps you to minimize cost while still achieving your objective. As with Gantt Charts, the essential concept behind Critical Path Analysis is that you cannot start some activities until others are finished. These activities need to be completed in a sequence, with each stage being more-or-less completed before the next stage can begin. These are 'sequential' activities. Other activities are not dependent on completion of any other tasks. You can do these at any time before or after a particular stage is reached. These are non-dependent or 'parallel' tasks. Use the following steps to draw a...
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...The Expert Says Question: What role does the Critical Path play in EV Analysis? The Expert Says: In our example the positive schedule variance indicates the project is ahead of schedule. However, the critical path for this project is A – C – E and requires additional evaluation. Delays on the critical path will impact the end date and deserve special attention. Here task A is on the CP and is significantly (10%) behind schedule. Be careful when analyzing project totals for SV and SPI as the Critical Path is not directly taken into consideration! The Expert Says Question: Should the PM use slack at will? The Expert Says: Slack is a great tool for the Project Manager to help manage the project schedule and complete the project on time. Slack is really "flexibility" in the schedule along the non-critical paths which can be utilized when required to compensate for unforeseen circumstances. Slack should be used with discretion because using slack will decrease the "flexibility" and move non-critical paths closer to becoming critical. The Expert Says Question: If we know how far we can crash all the tasks, why don't we just crash them at them all the way and avoid working the iterative process? The Expert Says: Be careful not to shorten the tasks on the critical path too much, otherwise we may not be spending our money efficiently. In the diagram below, the "all crashed" line shows us by adding resources to all tasks, we can finish in 22 days instead of 29 days. By taking...
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...Some activities of project are critical in the sense that delay in their commencement will delay the overall project completion time. Therefore, management and scheduling of projects is inevitable. In this paper, project scheduling in agriculture, for establishing 300 hectares grape garden in Agricultural Research Center of University of Zabol, is carried out by CPM (Critical Path Method) and PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique) methods. Results show that the minimum completion time of this project, based on using Normal time and PERT method is 390 days and 364.67 days, respectively. Also the results obtained from employing CPM method indicate that the cost of reducing the project completion time to 365 days is 23643530 Rials. Key words: Project scheduling % CPM % PERT % Agriculture INTRODUCTION Project scheduling and control refers to the planning, scheduling and control of projects, which consist of numerous activities. In the other words, Scheduling issue is a frequent task in the control of various systems such as manufacturing processes [1], project management [2] and service system control (reservation systems, timetabling). Examples can be found in diverse areas such as shipbuilding, road construction, oil refinery maintenance, missile launching and auditing. The management of such projects is problematic, because certain activities must be completed in a prescribed order or sequence. This means that some of these activities are critical so that they delay in their commencement...
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...Brandon C. Foltz, M.Ed. 6/26/2012 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT NETWORK DIAGRAMS: CRITICAL PATH ANALYSIS USING FORWARD AND BACKWARD PASSES B r a n d o n C . Fo l t z , M . E d . B r a n d o n C . Fo l t z , M . E d . education / training & development / business / tech / math / opinion http://bcfoltz.com/blog Twitter: @BCFoltz YouTube: BCFoltz education / training & development / business / tech / math / opinion http://bcfoltz.com/blog Twitter: @BCFoltz YouTube: BCFoltz MILWAUKEE PAPER EXAMPLE MILWAUKEE PAPER NETWORK WITH TIME Installing a complex air filtration system in a paper manufacturing plant Activity Description Immediate Predecessor(s) Time to Complete (weeks) A Build internal components ─ 2 B Modify roof and floor ─ 3 C Construct collection stack A 2 D Pour concrete and install frame A,B 4 E Build high-temperature burner C 4 F Install pollution control system C 3 G Install air pollution device D,E 5 H Inspect and test F,G 2 TOTAL TIME 25 http://bcfoltz.com/blog 1 Brandon C. Foltz, M.Ed. 6/26/2012 CRITICAL PATH ANALYSIS CRITICAL PATH NODES When can we expect our project to be done? Which (if any) activities can be delayed without delaying the overall project? To conduct CPA, we need to find two starting times and two ending times for each activity Earliest Start (ES) - earliest start time given predecessor activities Earliest Finish (EF) - earliest possible completion time Latest Start (LS) – latest start time...
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...the following questions. 1. Describe the nature of the project, and its key objectives. 2. Define “Dummy Activities” and describe their role in this project. 3. Describe the key problem(s) in this project and the strategies used to address these problems. Introduction This case example, although for a very small project, illustrates some interesting features of planning using critical path analysis. although there are only 17 activities, the precedence logic is a little complex to draw clearly owing to the number of crossed links, and we show how this difficulty is easily overcome by inserting dummy activities at three of the crossover points. Our case example demonstrates the application of pert (program evaluation and review technique), in which the estimated duration for each activity can be subjected to a probabilistic study in an attempt to forecast the most likely completion time for the entire project. Finally, this case will demonstrate how a project manager need not accept the results of time analysis without question, but can plan to apply extra effort to expedite critical activities (usually for additional cost) to bring the planned project completion date forward. Project Background CEN-CONSTRUCT is a medium-sized business located in Sydney, Australia that is owned and operated by a family. It is principally a consulting company that specializes in aviation civil engineering, having worked on runway construction and paving projects as well as several...
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...simultaneously running critical project or situation where seasonal weather effect come to the play in time. Mostly this kind of expedition occurs from the non critical activities where the slack is available. Having done the crash, it would result better utilization of recourses but the rule of thumb is there should not be any major impact on the project scope. In simple terms, this refers to the compression of the original project schedule in order to minimize the total time of the project. This has to be done after very careful study since it might crack the whole project till up to the abandons. Moreover detail analysis and total acceptability of the stakeholders has to be met and this has to be done at the least additional cost. The regain value should be derived from the benefit gain over the additional cost; which has to be realized in positive node with respect to the aggregate impact on the organization. Q2 What are the steps involving in Project Crashing? First, the marginal cost has to be calculated in relation with the project crash for each activity. Crash Cost Per Time Period or Margin Cost= Marginal Cost = (change in cost)/(change in time) = (Crash cost - Normal cost)/(Normal time - Crash time) This has to be calculated in line with the project activity list. Secondly finding the current critical path and way to crash the project at the lowest possible cost is the prominent task. To do so, Identify the critical path in the project net...
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...9/28/2015 Flow-Time Analysis Competitive Advantages of a shorter flow time – Shorter response time (both in production and product design) • Easier to respond to market changes • Fast feedback on quality problems • Delayed differentiation (Postponement) – Lower inventory costs (due to Little’s Law) Processing System Inputs Outputs Flow Time Analysis T Flow time = processing time + wait time (total time in the box) Presentation by Adam Fleischhacker Assistant Professor of Operations Management JP Morgan Chase Scholar University of Delaware Theoretical Flow Time is the time to process a typical flow unit assuming NO waiting. Wondershed Inc. : Schematic Representation Flowcharting Activity - Buffer Decision Physical flow Event Punch base Form base Punch roof Form roof Information flow See the total process; a systems view Define flow units and process boundaries Include only the key steps Clarify the level of detail needed. Processes can be broken down into sub-activities. On the other hand, cascading allows several activities to be combined in a single sub-process - Depicts resources required to carry out activities - Identify the processes that need attention (weak points) Start Start Sub assemble base Separate Sheet Activity A Activity B Activity C Assemble Inspect End End 1 9/28/2015 Wondershed Inc. Theoretical Flow Time Finding Theoretical Flow...
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...project Any project with interdependent activities can apply this method of mathematical analysis. CPM calculates the longest path of planned activities to the end of the project, and the earliest and latest that each activity can start and finish without making the project longer. This process determines which activities are "critical" (i.e., on the longest path) and which have "total float" (i.e., can be delayed without making the project longer). A project can have several, parallel, near critical paths. An additional parallel path through the network with the total durations shorter than the critical path is called a sub-critical or non-critical path. - One of the most important things to formulate a CPM is to identify the activities crucial to your project. - We used the SDLC model to identify the list of activities for drawing out the CPM This table shows the list of activities crucial to our project NETWORK DIAG -1 * Networks typically flow from left to right * Arrows indicate precedence and flow NETWORK DIAG -2 This is the 2nd non critical path for our project NETWORK DIAG -3 * This network shows the critical path for our project * Sum total of time required for each activity along this path was the highest. * This essentially gives us an idea about the time frame of our project After identifying the critical path you can decide to - - either fastrack your project by running the float activities...
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...Production management Critical Path Method (CPM): 1) Critical Event: An event in the project which cannot be delayed by any amount of time beyond its earliest occurrence time without affecting total project completion time. 2) Critical Activity: An activity whose start or completion cannot be delayed by any amount of time without affecting total project completion time. Float of critical activity is zero. Necessary and sufficient conditions for identifying critical activities: a) Necessary condition: If the earliest occurrence time (E) and latest occurrence time (L) at the head and tail events of an activity is same (i.e. Ei = Li and Ej = Lj) then that activity may be a critical activity. b) Sufficient condition: If the necessary condition is satisfied and if difference between earliest occurrence time of the head event and the earliest occurrence of the tail event is equal to the activity time, then that activity is definitely a critical activity. i.e. an activity is definitely critical when: 1) Ei = Li and Ej = Lj and 2) Ej – Lj =tij 3) Critical Path: The sequence of critical activities in a network diagram is called as critical path. The critical path is the longest path in the network diagram. The critical path defines the minimum project completion time. It means if the duration of critical path is say 20 days, then the project can be completed at the earliest in 20 days. ...
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...Chapter 2 | Project Management | | Discussion Questions 1. Software is an essential element for successful management of complex projects. It can provide information on completion performance of critical activities, highlight activities that need additional resources, and suggest the project duration that will minimize costs. However, whether projects are large or small, the people who manage them or perform the activities will ultimately determine the outcome of the project. The project manager must have the ability to coalesce a diverse group of people into an effective team. The organization of the firm must also be conducive to cross-functional inputs. 2. This question is best used when it is given as an assignment prior to class. Responses will vary, but rely on the students with some business experience. The projects do not have to be large ones. Stories in the headlines include natural disasters (earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes), cleanup of oil spills, and delays in the introduction of new products. 3. This question is best used when it is given as an assignment before class so that the students will have a chance to think about it before discussion. Most everyone should be able to describe some project they have been a part of. Common ones include preparing a high-school yearbook, planning a major party, building a new home, and organizing a banquet for a club or student group. Take time to elicit examples of activities and their interrelatedness...
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...| 1 | 2 | 200 | H | F | 3 | 2 | 1 | 350 | I | G | 2 | 2 | 0 | | AON Network Diagrams: C F H A D Start Finish I G B E From Start to Finish there are 4 paths Path Length of Path Start-A-C-F-H-Finish 0+7+8+1+3+0 19 Start-A-D-F-H-Finish 0+7+6+1+3+0 17 Start-A-D-G-I-Finish 0+7+6+3+2+0 18 Start-B-E-G-I-Finish 0+12+1+3+2+0 18 To find out the Total cost after crashing we have to follow some steps. They are: 1. Finding the critical path: After observing the length of path we can say that ‘A-C-F-H’ is the critical path because it will take the greatest time to complete. A-C-F-H 7+8+1+3 19 weeks 2. From the critical path, finding the lowest crash cost/week: We have the information that – Activity | Cost Increase/ Period ($) | A | 200 | C | 250 | F | - | H | 350 | So we can say that, A has the lowest crash cost/Week. 3. Reducing the time for ‘A’ until- a. It cannot be further reduced: We can crash ‘A’ up to 1 week not more than 1 week because A’s maximum time red is given 1 week. b. Another path become critical: From the chart we can see that activity ‘A’ is present in 3 paths. If we crash one week then all of the three paths will be reduced by one...
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...Presented by DATE- 08 Aug. 2014 Shravan Kumar Project “A project is a series of activities directed to accomplishment of a desired objective.” Plan your work first…..then work your plan Network analysis Introduction Network analysis is the general name given to certain specific techniques which can be used for the planning, management and control of projects. One definition of a project: “A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a "unique" product or service” History Developed in 1950’s CPM by DuPont for chemical plants PERT by U.S. Navy for Polaris missile CPM was developed by Du Pont and the emphasis was on the trade-off between the cost of the project and its overall completion time (e.g. for certain activities it may be possible to decrease their completion times by spending more money how does this affect the overall completion time of the project?) PERT was developed by the US Navy for the planning and control of the Polaris missile program and the emphasis was on completing the program in the shortest possible time. In addition PERT had the ability to cope with uncertain activity completion times (e.g. for a particular activity the most likely completion time is 4 weeks but it could be anywhere between 3 weeks and 8 weeks). CPM - Critical Path Method Definition: In CPM activities are shown as a network of precedence relationships using activity-on-node network construction – Single estimate of activity time – Deterministic activity times...
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...Questions # 72 and 73 72. Computer aided systems engineering (CASE) tools are software programs that automate or support the drawing and analysis of system models and provide for the translation of system models into application programs. True 73. Forward engineering allows a CASE tool to read existing program code and transform that code into a representative system model that can be edited and refined by the systems analyst. False. Forward engineering requires the systems analyst to draw system models, either from scratch or from templates. The resulting models are subsequently transformed into program code. Reverse engineering allow a CASE tool to read existing program code and transform that code into a representative system model that can be edited and refined by the systems analyst. 2) Study Questions Chapter # 4 Questions # 40, 41, 67, 78, and 81. 40. The critical path for a project is that sequence of dependent tasks that have the shortest sum of pessimistic durations. The critical path determines the latest possible completion date of a project. False. The critical path for a project is that sequence of dependent tasks that have the largest sum of most likely durations. The critical path determines the earliest possible completion date of a project. 41. The slack time available for any non-critical task is the amount of delay that can be tolerated between the starting time and completion time of a task without causing a delay in the completion...
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...question. What is a critical path? According to Gido (2015), “In large network diagrams, there may be many paths of activities from the project start to the project completion. The Critical Path is the longest containing the most time consuming activities” (p. 157). Now that we have an understanding of what the Critical Path is, let’s move on to the next question. That question is what is the Huntsville Plant’s critical path? The Huntsville Plant’s critical path is as follows. Step one is to prepare the site. This first step would include any ground preparation that may be required to accommodate a building such as the Huntsville Plant. Step two is to construct the building. This would include pouring concrete, putting up drywall, etc. The third step in the Critical Path is to install the equipment. This would include installing all technologies required for the safe operation of the facility. The fourth step in the Plant’s path is to perform a pre-production run. Now every company has their own definition of a pre-production run, so I’ll let you form your own conclusions regarding this aspect of the critical path. The next step is to perform production start up. Production start up usually means setting things in motion to begin distributing your product or service. In the case of the Huntsville Plant the production of plastic containers for the food and dairy industries. And last but not least, the sixth and final step of the critical path – beginning distribution...
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