ENG2413 PROJECT MANAGEMENT & PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

TUTORIAL SHEET 1

(Derived from IBM’s ‘System/360 Project Control System: Application Description’ H20-0222-0-
modified version of example of precedence diagramming and used with their permission.)

It is decided to develop a new CPU. In discussion at a preliminary planning meeting, it is agreed

that the following activities are included in preparing a firm plan for approval by the CPU
manager.

Activities involved Duration (days)

Develop initial plan 8

Prepare initial data 3

Key punch initial data 1.5

Initial computer run 4

Refine plan as a result of initial computer run 4

Prepare revised data derived from refined plan 1

Key punch revised data 0.5

Revised computer run 2

Derive firm plan as a result of revised computer run 2

CPU manager agrees firm plan 2

If these activities were carried out strictly ‘end-to-end’ the time required would be 30 days, and
it was felt that this was excessive, and a second preliminary planning meeting was convened. At
this it was agreed that the total time of the project could be reduced by starting some activities
before their predecessors were complete:

1. Initial data preparation could start 3 days after the start of the initial plan development,
these two activities finishing substantially at the same time.
2. Key punching initial data could start after 1 day of initial data preparation, but it would
require at least half a day after the finish of data preparation for its completion.

3. Revised data preparation could start when half the refined plan is complete and the two
activities could finish substantially together.

4. Key-punching revised data could start as soon as the preparation of the revised data
started, the two activities finishing simultaneously.

Sketch the network for this situation and analyze it.

(Helpful hint: draw the ‘end-to-end’ situation first and from this, draw a modified network)

(Example obtained from Imperial College London, Project Management Undergraduate course for Engineers 2003/4 Tutorial Sheet: Questions