Precedence Diagram
The precedence diagram method (PDM) is a tool for scheduling activities in a project plan. It is a method of constructing a project schedule network diagram that uses boxes, referred to as nodes, to represent activities and connects them with arrows that show the dependencies. It is also called the activity-on-node (AON) method. * Critical tasks, noncritical tasks, and slack time * Shows the relationship of the tasks to each other * Allows for what-if, worst-case, best-case and most likely scenario Key elements include determining predecessors and defining attributes such as * early start date * late start date * early finish date * late finish date * duration * activity name * WBS reference Slack/ Float: Determines the duration of activity delay that the project can tolerate before the project comes in late. The difference between the earliest and the latest start time. i.e. Slack = latest start date - earliest start day or Slack = latest finish time - earliest finish time. A ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Schedule (project Management)
In project management, a schedule is a listing of a project's milestones, activities, and deliverables. Usually dependencies and resources are defined for each task, then start and finish dates are estimated from the resource allocation, budget, task duration, and scheduled events. A schedule is commonly used in the project planning and project portfolio management parts of project management. Elements on a schedule may be closely related to the work breakdown structure (WBS) terminal elements, the Statement of work, or a Contract Data Requirements List. Overview In many industries, such as engineering and construction, the development and maintenance of the project schedule is the responsibility of a full-time scheduler or team of schedulers, depending on the size and the scope of the project. The techniques of scheduling are well developed but inconsistently applied throughout industry. Standardization and promotion of scheduling best practices are being pursued by th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Project Plan
A project plan, is a series of structured tasks, objectives, and schedule to a complete a desired outcome, according to a project managers designs and purpose. According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), is: "...a formal, approved document used to guide both ''project execution'' and ''project control''. The primary uses of the project plan are to document planning assumptions and decisions, facilitate communication among ''project stakeholders'', and document approved scope, cost, and schedule ''baselines''. A project plan may be sumarized or detailed." The latest edition of the PMBOK (v6) uses the term '' project charter'' to refer to the contract that the project sponsor and project manager use to agree on the initial vision of the project (scope, baseline, resources, objectives, etc.) at a high level. In the PMI methodology described in the PMBOK v5, the project charter and the project management plan are the two most important documents for describin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dependency (project Management)
In a project network, a dependency is a link among a project's Work breakdown structure#Terminal element, terminal elements. The A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) does not define the term dependency, but refers for this term to a logical relationship, which in turn is defined as ''dependency between two activities, or between an activity and a milestone''. Standard types of dependencies There are four standard types of dependencies: # Finish to start (FS) #* ''A'' FS ''B'' means "activity A must finish before activity B can begin" (or "B can't start until A has finished").image:Dependency-FS.png #* ''(Foundations dug) FS (Concrete poured)'' # Finish to finish (FF) #* ''A'' FF ''B'' means "activity A must finish before activity B can finish" (or "B can't finish before A is finished") . image:Dependency-FF.png #* ''(Last chapter written) FF (Entire book written)'' # Start to start (SS). #* ''A'' S ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Task (project Management)
In project management, a task is an activity that needs to be accomplished within a defined period of time or by a deadline to work towards work-related goals. It is a small, essential piece of a job that serves as a means to differentiate various components of a project. A task can be broken down into assignments, which should also have a defined start and end date or a deadline for completion. One or more assignments on a task puts the task under execution. Completion of all assignments on a specific task normally renders the task completed. Tasks can be linked together to create dependencies. Tasks completion generally requires the coordination of others. Coordinated human interaction takes on the role of combining the integration of time, energy, effort, ability, and resources of multiple individuals to meet a common goal. Coordination can also be thought of as the critical mechanism that links or ties together the efforts on the singular level to that of the larger task be ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Work Breakdown Structure
A work-breakdown structure (WBS) in project management and systems engineering is a breakdown of a project into smaller components. It is a key project management element that organizes the team's work into manageable sections. The Project Management Body of Knowledge defines the work-breakdown structure as a "hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables." A WBS provides the necessary framework for detailed cost estimation and control while providing guidance for schedule development and control.Booz, Allen & HamiltoEarned Value Management Tutorial Module 2: Work Breakdown Structure Office of Science, Tools & Resources for Project Management science.energy.gov. Ac ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Float (project Management)
In project management, float or slack is the amount of time that a task in a project network can be delayed without causing a delay to: * subsequent tasks ("''free float''") * project completion date ("''total float''"). ''Total float'' is associated with the path. If a project network chart/diagram has 4 non-critical paths, then that project would have 4 ''total float'' values. The ''total float'' of a path is the combined ''free float'' values of all activities in a path. The ''total float'' represents the schedule flexibility and can also be measured by subtracting early start dates from late start dates of path completion. Float is core to critical path method, with the total floats of noncritical activities key to computing the critical path drag of an activity, i.e., the amount of time it is adding to the project's duration.* Example Consider the process of replacing a broken pane of glass in the window of your home. There are various component activities involved in the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Critical Path Method
The critical path method (CPM), or critical path analysis (CPA), is an algorithm for schedule (project management), scheduling a set of project activities. A critical path is determined by identifying the longest stretch of dependent activities and measuring the time required to complete them from start to finish. It is commonly used in conjunction with the program evaluation and review technique (PERT). History The CPM is a project-modeling technique developed in the late 1950s by Morgan R. Walker of DuPont and James E. Kelley Jr. of Remington Rand. Kelley and Walker related their memories of the development of CPM in 1989. Kelley attributed the term "critical path" to the developers of the PERT, which was developed at about the same time by Booz Allen Hamilton and the U.S. Navy. The precursors of what came to be known as critical path were developed and put into practice by DuPont between 1940 and 1943 and contributed to the success of the Manhattan Project. Critical path ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Arrow Diagramming Method
Arrow diagramming method (ADM) is a network diagramming technique in which activities are represented by arrows. ADM is also known as the activity-on-arrow (AOA) method. Usage ADM is used for scheduling activities in a project plan. Precedence relationships between activities are represented by circles connected by one or more arrows. The length of the arrow represents the duration of the relevant activity. ADM only shows finish-to-start relationships, meaning that each activity is completed before the successor activity starts. Sometimes a "dummy task" is added, to represent a dependency between tasks, which does not represent any actual activity. The dummy task is added to indicate precedence that can't be expressed using only the actual activities. Such a dummy task often has a completion time of 0. Use of ADM as a common project management practice has declined with the adoption of computer-based scheduling tools. In addition, the precedence diagram method (PDM), or a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Project Network
A project network diagram, also known an activity network diagram (AND) is a information graphics, graph that displays the order in which a project’s activities are to be completed. Derived from the work breakdown structure, the Work breakdown structure#Terminal element, terminal elements of a project are organized sequentially based on the relationship among them. It is typically drawn from left to right to reflect project chronology. Techniques Activity-on-Node The Activity-on-Node (AON) technique uses nodes to represent individual project activities and path arrows to designate the sequence of activity completion. Nodes are labelled using information pertaining to the activity. According to Project Management, nodes should at least display the following information: * Identifier * Descriptive label * Activity duration * Early start time * Early finish time * Late start time * Late finish time * Activity float (slack) Start and finish times are used to determine th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Critical-path Method
The critical path method (CPM), or critical path analysis (CPA), is an algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities. A critical path is determined by identifying the longest stretch of dependent activities and measuring the time required to complete them from start to finish. It is commonly used in conjunction with the program evaluation and review technique (PERT). History The CPM is a project-modeling technique developed in the late 1950s by Morgan R. Walker of DuPont and James E. Kelley Jr. of Remington Rand. Kelley and Walker related their memories of the development of CPM in 1989. Kelley attributed the term "critical path" to the developers of the PERT, which was developed at about the same time by Booz Allen Hamilton and the U.S. Navy. The precursors of what came to be known as critical path were developed and put into practice by DuPont between 1940 and 1943 and contributed to the success of the Manhattan Project. Critical path analysis is commonly used with ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gantt Chart
A Gantt chart is a bar chart that illustrates a schedule (project management), project schedule. It was designed and popularized by Henry Gantt around the years 1910–1915. Modern Gantt charts also show the Dependency (project management), dependency relationships between activities and the current schedule status. Definition A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. This chart lists the tasks to be performed on the vertical axis, and time intervals on the horizontal axis. The width of the horizontal bars in the graph shows the duration of each activity. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. Terminal elements and summary elements constitute the work breakdown structure of the project. Modern Gantt charts also show the Dependency (project management), dependency (i.e., precedence network) relationships between activities. Gantt charts can be used to show current schedule sta ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |