1. WHAT IS NETWORK SCHEDULING?

Network Scheduling is a technique used in project management to plan and control a project by
representing it as a network of tasks or activities.

Purpose:

• To identify the sequence of activities

• To determine the total project duration

• To find critical activities (which directly affect project duration)

• To optimize resource allocation

Key Elements:

• Activities: Tasks that consume time and resources

• Events (Nodes): Milestones or points that signify the start or end of an activity

• Network: Graphical representation showing how activities are related

2. TYPES OF NETWORK SCHEDULING METHODS

1. PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)

2. CPM (Critical Path Method)

3. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERT AND CPM

Feature PERT CPM

Type of Project Research & Development, Uncertain jobs Construction, Production, Routine jobs

Time Estimate Probabilistic (Optimistic, Pessimistic) Deterministic (Fixed time)

Focus Time Time and Cost

Activity Time Variable (uses three time estimates) Constant (uses single time estimate)

Application Area R&D projects Industrial and construction projects

4. COMPONENTS OF NETWORK DIAGRAM

1. Activities (arrows or lines)

2. Events/Nodes (circles/rectangles)

3. Predecessor and Successor relationships

4. Dummy Activities (used in PERT to show dependency, no duration)

6. Slack/Float: The amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project end
date

5. STEPS IN NETWORK SCHEDULING

Step 1: List Activities

• Identify all activities in the project.

• Note down dependencies.

Step 2: Create Network Diagram

• Use arrows for activities and circles/nodes for events.

• Show dependencies clearly.

Step 3: Estimate Time for Each Activity

• For PERT, use:

o Optimistic Time (O)

o Most Likely Time (M)

o Pessimistic Time (P)

o Expected Time (TE) = (O + 4M + P) / 6

• For CPM, use a single time estimate.

Step 4: Find Earliest Start and Finish Times

• Forward Pass Calculation

Step 5: Find Latest Start and Finish Times

• Backward Pass Calculation

Step 6: Identify Critical Path

• Activities with zero slack are on the critical path.

Let’s consider an activity with:

• Optimistic time (O) = 4 days

• Most likely time (M) = 6 days

• Pessimistic time (P) = 8 days

Expected Time:

TE = (4 + 4×6 + 8)/6 = (4 + 24 + 8)/6 = 36/6 = 6 days

Standard Deviation:

σ = (8 - 4)/6 = 0.67

8. ADVANTAGES OF NETWORK SCHEDULING

• Helps in systematic planning

• Identifies critical activities

• Predicts project completion time

• Aids in resource allocation

• Helps in risk analysis (especially with PERT)

9. LIMITATIONS

• Can be complex for large projects

• Requires accurate estimation of time

• Needs regular updates

10. SOFTWARE TOOLS FOR NETWORK SCHEDULING

• Microsoft Project

• Primavera

• Oracle P6

• Smartsheet

• Asana (simplified network views)

11. CONCLUSION

Network Scheduling, especially using PERT and CPM, is a powerful way to manage complex projects,
control time, and improve efficiency. PERT is more useful when time estimates are uncertain, while
CPM is ideal for projects with predictable task durations.

Let's walk through a complete numerical example of Network Scheduling using both PERT and
CPM, including:

• Activity table

• Network diagram

• Time calculations (PERT and CPM)

• Critical path

• Project duration

• Slack

• Probability estimation using PERT

PROJECT SCENARIO

Let’s say you’re managing a small software development project with the following activities:

Activity Description Predecessors Optimistic (O) Most Likely (M) Pessimistic (P)

A Requirement Analysis – 2 4 6

B Design A 2 3 8

C UI Development A 3 4 5
Activity Description Predecessors Optimistic (O) Most Likely (M) Pessimistic (P)

D Backend Development B 4 5 6

E Integration C, D 1 2 3

F Testing E 2 3 8

G Deployment F 1 2 3

STEP 1: CALCULATE EXPECTED TIME (TE) FOR EACH ACTIVITY

Using:

TE = (O + 4M + P)/6

Activity O M P TE = (O + 4M + P)/6

A 2 4 6 (2 + 16 + 6)/6 = 4

B 2 3 8 (2 + 12 + 8)/6 = 3.67

C 3 4 5 (3 + 16 + 5)/6 = 4

D 4 5 6 (4 + 20 + 6)/6 = 5

E 1 2 3 (1 + 8 + 3)/6 = 2

F 2 3 8 (2 + 12 + 8)/6 = 3.67

G 1 2 3 (1 + 8 + 3)/6 = 2

STEP 2: DRAW NETWORK DIAGRAM

We'll represent it using arrows. Here's the dependency structure:

Activity Predecessor TE ES (Earliest Start) EF (ES + TE)

A – 4 0 4

B A 3.67 4 7.67

C A 4 4 8

D B 5 7.67 12.67

E C, D 2 max(8, 12.67) = 12.67 14.67

F E 3.67 14.67 18.34

G F 2 18.34 20.34

STEP 4: BACKWARD PASS (Latest Start & Finish)

Start from the end: G must finish by 20.34

Activity TE LF (Latest Finish) LS = LF - TE

G 2 20.34 18.34

F 3.67 18.34 14.67

E 2 14.67 12.67

D 5 12.67 7.67

C 4 12.67 8.67
Activity TE LF (Latest Finish) LS = LF - TE

B 3.67 7.67 4

A 4 4 0

STEP 5: CALCULATE TOTAL FLOAT (Slack)

Slack = LS - ES = LF - EF

Activity Slack

A 0

B 0

C 0.67

D 0

E 0

F 0

G 0

STEP 6: IDENTIFY CRITICAL PATH

Activities with zero slack form the Critical Path.

Critical Path: A → B → D → E → F → G

Total Project Duration = 20.34 days

STEP 7: PROBABILITY ESTIMATION (PERT)

Let’s say the project deadline is 22 days. What’s the probability of completing the project on or
before that?

Step 1: Compute Variance for Each Critical Activity

• Critical Path: A → B → D → E → F → G

• Project Duration: 20.34 days

• Slack: Present in C only

• Probability to finish in 22 days: 84.13%

TYPES OF FLOAT

There are several types of float used in project management:

1. Total Float
Definition:
The maximum time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project’s completion date.

Formula:

Total Float = Latest Start (LS) - Earliest Start (ES)

Critical activities have Total Float = 0

2. Free Float

Definition:
The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the Early Start of its immediate
successor.

Formula:

Free Float = Earliest Start of next activity - Earliest Finish of current activity

Always ≤ Total Float

Can be useful when scheduling without affecting subsequent tasks

3. Independent Float

Definition:
The amount of time an activity can be delayed assuming its predecessor finishes at the latest time
and successor starts at the earliest time.

Formula:

Independent Float = ES of next activity - LF of preceding activity - Duration

Rarely used in practice, but it shows the worst-case buffer

4. Interfering Float

Definition:
Part of Total Float that cannot be used without affecting succeeding activities, though it may not
delay the entire project.

Formula:

Interfering Float = Total Float - Free Float

SUMMARY TABLE
 Float Type Impact on Project Affects Successor? Formula

Total Float May delay project No LS - ES or LF - EF

Free Float No Yes ES (next) - EF (current)

ES (next) - LF (prev) -
Independent Float No No
Duration

Interfering Float No Yes Total Float - Free Float