Webinar

on
Time Management
Numerical (Critical
Path, Lead, Lag, Float)
Namita Gupta, PMP

PMP is a registered trademark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Agenda

Foundation
What is N/W Diagram
What is Lead, Lag
What are Relationships
What is Critical Path
What is float
How to calculate float
Questions

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Foundation
Time Management
Time management is the process
where schedule is developed
In this KA schedule planning,
defining activities, sequencing
activities, estimating resources
and activities are performed to
develop the schedule & further to
control the schedule

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Foundation
Time Management
Sequence activities is the process
where network diagrams are
created and enhanced in
following processes
Develop schedule is the process
where the schedule is created on
the basis of n/w diagram from
sequence activity, estimates and
putting schedule constraints

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Agenda

Foundation
What is N/W Diagram
What is Lead, Lag
What are Relationships
What is Critical Path
What is float
How to calculate float
Questions

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What is N/W Diagram?

Taking the activities and
sequencing them in the
order they will be
performed results in N/W
diagram
PDM (Precedence
Diagramming Method is
commonly used technique
to draw N/W diagram.
Others are GERT, ADM

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What is N/W Diagram?

In PDM or AON activity is represented by Node and
linked by one or more logical relationships to show
sequence
Boxes represents nodes and arrow shows
relationships/dependency

Activity
A

Activity
B

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Agenda

Foundation
What is N/W Diagram
What is Lead, Lag
What are Relationships
What is Critical Path
What is float
How to calculate float
Questions

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What is Lead & Lag?

Lead Amount of time successor activity can be
advanced with respect to predecessor activity
Activity A
Activity B
Activity B
Lead by 5
days

Ideally with finish to start relationship, both the activities

should have taken 30 days
With lead in activity B, total duration is 25 days

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What is Lead & Lag?

Lag Amount of time successor activity can be delayed
with respect to predecessor activity
Activity A
Activity B
Activity B
Lagged by 5
days

Ideally with finish to start relationship, both the activities

should have taken 20 days
With lag in activity B, total duration is 25 days

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Agenda

Foundation
What is N/W Diagram
What is Lead, Lag
What are Relationships
What is Critical Path
What is float
How to calculate float
Questions

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What are Relationships?

Finish to start Successor activity
cant start until predecessor
activity is finished
Example: Chief Guest to cut the
ribbon before event can be started
Finish to Finish Successor
activity cant finish until
predecessor activity is finished
Example: Coding has to finish for
testing to finish

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What are Relationships?

Start to Start Successor activity cant
start until predecessor activity is started
Example: Document creation must
have started to start the editing if it
Start to Finish Successor activity cant
finish until predecessor activity has
started
Example: First security guard's shift
cant finish until second security guards
shift started

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Question
Question: Look at below N/W diagram and
find out what is the project duration if there
is a lag between activity B & C of 3 days
Start

Activity A
(5days)

Activity B
(5days)
FS+3
Activity C
(5days)

End

15
12
18
Non of above
2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Answer
ES 6
Start

Activity A
(5days)
ES 1

EF 10

Activity B
(5days)
FS+3

EF 5

Activity C
(5days)
ES 14

End

EF 18

All relationships are Finish to start

15
12
18
Non of above

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Question
Question: Look at below N/W diagram and
find out what is the project duration if there
is a lead between activity B & C of 3 days
and relationship finish to finish
Start

Activity A
(5days)

Activity B
(5days)
FF-3
Activity C
(5days)

Activity D
(3days)

18
15
10
Non of above
2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

End

Question
ES 6
Start

Activity A
(5days)
ES 1

EF 10

Activity B
(5days)

EF 5

FF-3
Activity C
(5days)
ES xx

EF 7

Activity D
(3days)
ES 8

EF 10

18
15
10
Non of above

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

End

Question
Question: Look at below N/W diagram
and find out what is the project duration if
there is a lag between activity B & C of 2
days and relationship start to start
Start
Start

Activity A
(5days)
(5days)

Activity B
(5days)
(5days)
SS+2
Activity C
(5days)

Activity D
(3days)

18
15
10
Non of above
2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

End

Answer
ES 6
Start

Activity A
(5days)
ES 1

EF 5

EF10

Activity B
(5days)
SS+2
Activity C
(5days)
ES 8

EF 12

Activity D
(3days)
ES 13

EF 15

18
15
10
Non of above

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

End

Any Questions?

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Agenda

Foundation
What is N/W Diagram
What is Lead, Lag
What are Relationships
What is Critical Path
What is float
How to calculate float
Questions

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What is Critical path?

Critical Path is the
sequence of activities
that represents longest
path through a project,
which determines
shortest time it will take
to complete the project

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What is Critical path?

Critical Path helps in
How long project will take
Where PM need to focus
Planning schedule and
making changes to
accommodate schedule
compressions etc
Identifying which activities
are flexible (have float)
and can be delayed
without delaying project

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Example critical path

Start

Activity A
(5days)

Activity C
(8days)

Activity E
(5days)

Activity D
(3days)

Activity B
(4days)

Identify all the paths in the network diagram

Start-A-C-E-end
Start-B-C-E-end
Start-B-D-E-end

Calculate duration of each path

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

End

Example critical path

Start

Activity A
(5days)

Activity C
(8days)

Activity E
(5days)

End

Activity D
(3days)

Activity B
(4days)

Identify all the paths in the network diagram

Start-A-C-E-end
Start-B-C-E-end
Start-B-D-E-end

18
17
12

Calculate duration of each path

Identify the path with maximum duration as critical path
Start-A-C-E-end

18

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What is Critical path method?

In the schedule network
diagram or N/W
diagram determining
Critical path
Early start and early
finish of an activity
Late start and Late
finish of an activity

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

How to identify Early start, early finish, late start & late finish?

Activity Name

ES

EF
Forward Pass

Backward Pass

Duration

LS

LF

ES = EF+1
EF = ES+Duration-1
LS = LF-Duration+1
LF = LS-1

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Agenda

Foundation
What is N/W Diagram
What is Lead, Lag
What are dependencies
What is Critical Path
What is float
How to calculate float
Questions

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

What is Float?
Free Float
Amount of time an
activity can be delayed
without delaying ES of
successor activity and
adhering to schedule
constraints

Total Float
Amount of time an
activity can be delayed
without delaying project
end date and adhering
to schedule constraints
2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Agenda

Foundation
What is N/W Diagram
What is Lead, Lag
What are dependencies
What is Critical Path
What is float
How to calculate float
Questions

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

How to calculate Float?

ES

Activity Name

EF
Forward Pass

Backward Pass

LS

Duration

LF

Float = LS-ES
OR
Float = LF-EF
We shall discuss this in following Question

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Agenda

Foundation
What is N/W Diagram
What is Lead, Lag
What are dependencies
What is Critical Path
What is float
How to calculate float
Questions

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Question
Start

Activity A
(5days)

Activity C
(8days)

Activity D
(4days)

Activity B
(3days)

Question: Calculate the following for this

N/W Diagram :
Float of each activity
Critical Path

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Activity E
(7days)
End
Activity F
(10days)

Answer - Float calculation forward pass

17
6
1

Activity A

Activity C

Activity E

23

13
14

Activity D

17

7 days

Start

8 days
5 days

Activity B

End
8

4 days
17

Activity F

3 days
10 days

ES = EF+1
EF = ES+Duration-1

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

26

Answer - Float calculation Backward pass

18
6
1

Activity A

Activity C

14

Activity D

5 days

8 days

Activity B

11

3 days

7 days

27

17
21

24

13

Start

Activity E

13

End
8

14

4 days

17
18

Activity F

27

18

10 days

27

13

LS = LF-Duration+1
LF = LS-1

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Answer - Float
18
6
1

Activity A

5 days

13
14

Start

Activity C

8 days

Activity B

Activity D

13
8

14

4 days

21

3 days

7 days

27

End
17
18

5
11

24

17

Activity E

18

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

27

13

Float = LS-ES
OR
Float = LF-EF

Activity F

10 days

27

Answer - Critical Path

18
6
1

Activity A

5 days

13
14

Start

Activity C

8 days

Activity B

Activity D

13
8

14

4 days

21

3 days

27

17
18

ACDE 24
ACDF 27
ABDE 19
ABDF 22

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Activity F

27

13
18

7 days

End

5
11

24

17

Activity E

10 days

27

Answer - Float calculation trick

Start

Activity A
(5days)

Activity C
(8days)

Activity D
(4days)

Activity B
(3days)

Without forward & backward pass

All activities on critical path (27) have zero float,
so activity A,C,D,F will have 0 float
Activity B is in 2 path ABDE (19) & ABDF (22).
Taking the highest value (22), float for activity B =
critical path duration max length path = 27-22 =
5
Similarly activity E is in 2 paths ACDE (24) &
ABDE(19), float for activity E = critical path
duration max length path = 27-24 = 3

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Activity E
(7days)
End
Activity F
(10days)

Agenda

Foundation
What is N/W Diagram
What is Lead, Lag
What are dependencies
What is Critical Path
What is float
How to calculate float
Questions

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Finally Any Questions?

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL

Namita Gupta

2013 iZenBridge | CONFIDENTIAL