Project Planning

Project:
A project is an unique and complex process consisting of interrelated task performed by various
contributors to create a specific result (performance) within a well defined schedule (time) and
limited budget (cost)

It is one time endeavor to create a unique product (works, goods, services). It has also a defined
beginning and end in time with defined scope and resources.

Characteristics of a project:
- Define starting & finishing time.
- Define scope.
- Restricted resources.
- Budgetary constraints.
- Legal & contract obligations.

Distinct stags of project:

- Planning
- Implementation
- Co-ordinate
- Monitoring
- Completion
The Planning Function
Planning is the managerial function whereby the organization determines how it will achieve its
objectives? During the planning process the what, when, where, who, how, and why certain
things need to be done to achieve the organization’s objectives, are determined.
Different Phases of a Project
Concept:
The demand, cost-effectiveness and viability of a project under consideration is judged in this stage.

Planning:

Feasibility study: Early stage of planning process. More detailed information like location, nature,
dimension, raw materials needed, the process designs, requirement of plant, machinery, equipment
etc are located in this stage.

Approval: At this stage project plan & estimate are sent to Govt. authorities concerned for approval
& issue of license.

Detailed Engineering & Contract Management: The technical experts prepare the tender
documents, detailed specifications, detailed designs, working drawing and contract documents.
The Planning Process
Scheduling:
To complete the project within the limited resource the modern techniques of project management are
adopted and all the activities are scheduled. The scheduling work may be done by Gantt Charts,
Milestone chart or by Network analysis as per CPM/ PERT model depending on the size and nature of
the project.

Implementation & Control:

Firstly with the setting up of the facilities like; water, approach road, boundary walls, communication
systems, power, security etc. Then the organization for implementing the project is also set up by
recruiting members of men and staff and the institutional framework is made ready and geared up. The
project is then started.

Contractors arrange the supply of raw materials & starts building up the project. Consultant and the
supervisory staff step in to supervise the construction/ installation work.

Proper coordination is maintained among all participating agencies through regular reporting, meeting,
exchanges of views.

All progress made are noted and compared with the schedules made earlier to ensure that the project is
not having an over run in the cost or time.

If this happens so, the problem areas are identified & kept close surveillance and bring back the project
within the schedule.

Project Scheduling

Project scheduling: To accomplish the project within the limited resources, different activities are listed
in a sequential manner and then the resources are allocated in full details among the activities, this is
called scheduling.

Scheduling is done by:

● Networks scheduling by Critical Path Method (CPM)

● Gantt. Charts
● Time-Grid diagram
● Network Evaluation Techniques by PERT-PROJECT EVALUATION AND REVIEW TECHNIQUE

NETWORKS

The network serves as a basis for calculation of work schedules, and provides a mechanism for
controlling project time as the work progress.
The network presents in diagrammatic form:

Advantages of Network Planning and Scheduling Technique

(i) Detailed integrated planning
(ii) Developing realistic schedules
(iii) Effective control over time & cost by periodic checking
(iv) Pin pointing the responsibilities for carrying out particular activity
(v) Future planning and estimating is made easier by comparing the actual estimated time
(vi) Better allocation of resource to time
(vii) Measure the effect of delays on the project

Definitions- terms used with PERT/ CPM Networks

1. Activity (task or job):

When involve manpower, material, money and machine as well as has well defined start and
finish. Represent by an arrow and two circles at head and tail.

2. Event or Node:
An identifiable state is representing staring or completion of one or more activities.

3. Milestones:
Noteworthy events marking significant progress
4. Network:
A diagram of nodes is connected by directional arrows that define the project and illustrate the
technological relationships of all activities.
5. Path:
Sequence of certain activities
6. Critical Activity:
 Activities in which delay ion start or finish will lengthen the total project time, i.e., activities on
the critical path.
7. Non-critical activity:
Activities that could be start or completed a little earlier or a little later, depending on the time
available and will not affect the project duration, that is for these activities there are some spare
time. This spare time technically described as ‘FLOAT’.
8. Critical path:
The set of activities on a path from the project’s start event to the finish event that, if delayed
will delay the completion date of the project.
9. Critical time:
Time required to complete all of the activities on the critical path
10. Constraints:
Physical or Managerial constraints determine sequence of activities in a network.
11. Duration:
The estimated time to perform a definite task or activity
12. Dummy activity:
This is a hypothetical activity shown in dotted arrow in the network diagram, indicating merely
the logical sequence of activities.

CPM (Critical path method)

A CPM (critical path method) network is a model of the project execution.
There are two types of network
(i) Activity on arrow
(ii) Activity on node
Node Node

CPM is used to determine the critical path which is the shortest duration for the
project. Other useful information can be derived from a CPM network, such as
activity time, event time and float.
For CPM
Flow time = 0
(অর্থাৎএকটিকাজশেষেএবংআরএকটিকাজশুরুরমাঝেকোনগ্যাপেথাকবেনা)
Start float = Latest start – Earliest start
= 4-3
=1
Finish float = Latest finish – Earliest finish
= 6-5
=1
Total float = Latest finish - Earliest start – Duration
CPM এর Math করারসময় Earliest finish time maximum ধরবও Latest finish time
minimu ধরব
Problem: 1
Critical Path 1-3-6-7

Problem: 2
Activity Description Duration
1-2 A 2
2-3 B 3
2-7 K 1
3-4 C 1
3-9 G 4
4-5 D 2
5-6 E 3
6-12 F 3
7-8 L 2
8-5 M 2
9-10 H 2
10-11 I 3
11-12 J 1
12-13 N 3

Solution:
Critical Path 1-2-3-9-10-11-12-13

Problem: 3

Critical Path: 1-2-3-5-6

Problem: 4
 Activity Description Duration
1-2 A 4
2-3 B 2
3-4 C 1
3-5 E 3
4-6 D 1
5-6 F 2
6-7 G 1

Solution:

Critical Path 1-2-3-5-6-7

Total float (A) = Latest finish (A) – Early start (A) – Duration
= 4-0-4
=0
Total float (E) = Latest finish (E) – Early start (E) – Duration
 = 9-6-3
=0
`Free float= Early finish – Early start – Duration
Free float= Early finish – Early start – Duration

Independent float= Early finish – Latest start – Duration

Free float (B) = 6-4-2 = 0 Independent float (E) = 9-6-3 = 0

Free float (E) = 9-6-3 = 0

Activity Description Duration Total Free Independent

float float float
1-2 A 4 0 0 0
2-3 B 2 0 0 0
3-4 C 1 3 0 0
3-5 E 3 0 0 0
4-6 D 1 3 3 0
5-6 F 2 0 0 0
6-7 G 1 0 0 0

Percent utilization of an activity

Duration
= Total available time x 100

=100 for critical

<100 for non-critical
Problem: 5
Activity Description Duration
1-2 G 4
1-3 D 5
1-4 A 10
2-5 H 12
3-5 E 9
 4-6 B 2
3-6 F 20
5-7 I 7
6-7 C 10

Critical Path 1-3-6-7

Activity Description Duration Total Free Independent
float float float
1-2 G 4 12 0 0 (4-0-4)
1-3 D 5 0 0 0 (5-0-5)
1-4 A 10 13 0 0 (10-0-10)
2-5 H 12 12 0 0
3-5 E 9 14 2 0(25-5-20)
4-6 B 2 13 13 0
3-6 F 20 0 0 0
5-7 I 7 12 12 0
6-7 C 10 0 0 0
Dummy
activity
 Bar Chart
Bar chart are most frequently used schedules (সময়সূ চী) abstruction because are
simple and easy to understand. Their simplicity makes them very usefulfor
milestone and summary schedules, which are used for global control at the project
management and executive level.
Preparing bar chart:
The anticipated start and completion dates of each major activity is depicted as
horizontal bar.
Bar chart is to develop a list of activities that will be shown on the table. This list
can be extensive (ব্যাপক) and defined as required, but usually is less than 20 activity
(items), representing a major group of activities such as super structure frame,
floor slabs, roof and so on.
Next duration of activity are estimated. On the horizontal axis select an appropriate
time scale which can be in day, weeks, month or calendar date.