Project Management
Lecture
Network Analysis
Plan
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Introduction
Project planning
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Project planning
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Gantt chart and WBS
Network analysis I
Project planning
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Network analysis II
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Project planning
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Resource analysis
Risk management
Quality
Budgets and cost
control
Project teams
Iterative Process
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The plan will evolve as the project evolves
The plan is reviewed and updated as more
information becomes available and uncertainties
become less uncertain
Plan
Plan
Plan
Monitor &
Review
Monitor &
Review
Monitor &
Review
PBS Example
Project
Project
Management
Deliverables
Design
Deliverables
Database
Deliverables
Produce Use
Cases
Produce Activity
Diagrams
Produce Class
Diagrams
GUI
Deliverables
Functional
Deliverables
Use Case
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Describes a unit of functionality from a
users perspective

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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
Priority 1
Place Order
Retailer
Send Payment
Dispatch Order
Send Invioce
Staff
Priority 2
Raise Purchase Order
Make Payment
Use Case Example – Big John’s
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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
Represent the following on a Gantt chart
Task
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
Start (wk no) Duration (wks) %Complete
1
5
100
2
3
100
1
8
75
3
4
100
5
5
60
2
4
25
10
6
0
6
6
100
7
2
50
8
6
50
Assume this information was taken at the end of week 8
Gantt Chart Example
Task
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
Week
1 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Scheduled Completion
Actual Completion
Under-fulfilled tasks:
Over-fulfilled tasks
C, E, F, I
H, J
Gantt chart disadvantages
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Not ideal for showing inter-relationships
Locating an activity requires three
simultaneous decisions:
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Method
Time
Resources
Complexity
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Number of tasks?
Number of people?
Size of Budget?
Number/Nature of constraints
Dependencies between tasks
Why Network Diagrams?
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Splits up the decision making process into
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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
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Activity on Arrow
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Traditionally the preferred method
Activity on Node
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More popular these days
Supported by most Project Management
software tools (i.e. MS Project)
Activity on Arrow
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Arrows are used to represent an activity
Circles are used to represent the points where
activities meet
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i.e. the dependency between activities
A
B
C
D
Activity on Node
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Activities are
represented by boxes
Dependencies are
represented by arrows
joining the boxes
Task A
Task B
Task C
Task D
Comparison
Task A
A
Task B
B
C
Task C
D
Task D
Dependency Example
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Task B cannot start until Task A is complete
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Activity on Node
Task A
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Task B
Activity on Arrow
Task A
Task B
More complex example
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Four activities/tasks:
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A, B, K, L
Activity K is dependent on activity A
Activity L is dependent on activities A and B
Task A
Task K
Task B
Task L
The problem with AoA

The same example in
AoA
Activity K is dependent on
activity A
Activity L is dependent on
activities A and B
A
K
B
L
Wrong…
A
K
dummy activity
Right
B
L
Exercise 1
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Draw the following:
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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
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Draw the following:
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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
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Direction
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The flow of work is from left to right
Identifying Tasks
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Each task is given a unique ID number
ID number is often given in WBS
Scale
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Diagram is not drawn to scale
Length and size do not matter
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They have no meaning
What’s in the box?
Earliest
Start
Estimated
Duration
Earliest
Finish
Activity Number
Activity Description
Latest
Start
Float
Latest
Finish
Project Exercise 1
Project 1: Verification of a computer system
The followng table shows the activities required for this project.
Activity
ID
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Activity
Test Module A
Test Module B
Test Module C
Test Combined Modules
Check User Documents
Print User Documents
Final Systems Check
Prepare Invoice
Ship to Customer
Immediate Predecessor
none
Test Module A
none
Test Module B, Test Module C
Test Combined Modules
Check User Documents
Test Combined Modules
Final Systems Check
Print User Documents, Final
Systems Check
Duration
(Days)
4
6
7
4
5
2
9
1
2
Errors in Logic
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Looping

Due to a mistake in drawing or to errors in identifying
dependent activities
P
Q
R
Errors in Logic
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Dangling
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Usually occur when activities are added as an
afterthought
Can be avoided by using a single finish node
K
K
LL
Finish
M
M
Project Exercise 2
Project 2: A presentation
The followng table shows the activities required for this project.
Activity
ID
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Activity
Book Search
Journal Search
Internet Search
Produce Outline
Prepare Handouts
Print Handouts
Produce Visual Aids
Write Speech Notes
Rehearse Speech
Give Presentation
Duration
Immediate Predecessor
(Days)
none
12
Book Search
6
none
15
Journal Search, Internet Search
10
Produce Outline
7
Prepare Handouts
2
Produce Outline
12
Produce Outline
4
Write Speech Notes
10
Print Handouts, Produce Visual Aids,
1
Rehearse Speech
Plan
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Introduction
Project planning
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Project planning
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Gantt chart and WBS
Network analysis I
Project planning
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Network analysis II
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Project planning
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Resource analysis
Risk management
Quality
Budgets and cost
control
Project teams
Final thought for the day:
Erm…