Notes on Project Management

& Critical Path Method

EM416/EA302
PROJECT

• A SERIES OF RELATED JOBS USUALLY DIRECTED TOWARDS SOME

MAJOR OUTPUT AND REQUIRING A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME TO
PERFORM
PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• PLANNING, DIRECTING AND CONTROLLING RESOURCES (PEOPLE,

EQUIPMENT, MATERIAL) TO MEET THE TECHNICAL COST AND TIME
CONSTRAINTS OF THE PROJECT
STRUCTURING PROJECTS

• PURE PROJECT

• FUNCTIONAL PROJECT

• MATRIX PROJECT
PURE PROJECT

• A SELF-CONTAINED TEAM WORKS FULL TIME ON THE PROJECT

• ADVANTAGES, project manager has full authority, team members report to

one boss, lines of communication shortened, decisions quick, high team
pride, motivation and commitment
• DISADVANTAGES, duplication of resources, goal and policies of
organisations often ignored, weakened functional divisions

• Case, motorola
FUNCTIONAL PROJECT

• PROJECT IS HOUSED WITHIN A FUNCTIONAL DIVISION

• ADVANTAGES, a team member can work on several projects, technical

expertise is maintained within the functional area even if individuals leave,
functional area is a home after the project is completed, synergistic
solutions to project’s technical problems

• DISADVANTAGES, aspects not related to functional area get shortchanged,

motivation of team members often weak,needs of the client are secondary
and responded to slowly
MATRIX PROJECT
• EACH PROJECT UTILIZES PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL
AREAS. THE PROJECT MANAGER DECIDES WHAT TASKS AND WHEN
THEY WILL BE PERFORMED BUT THE FUNCTIONAL MANAGERS
CONTROL WHICH PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGIES ARE USED.
 What is network planning?
• Network planning is a technique that is helpful in planning, scheduling and
controlling projects that consist of many interrelated activities.

• There are a few approaches in Network planning;

1. program evaluation and review technique (PERT),
2. critical path method (CPM),
3. precedence programming method (PDM) and
4. the graphical evaluation and review technique (GERT).

All make use of network diagram.

Explain why techniques such as Critical Path
Method (CPM) is important in project planning
and management.

• CPM is important in project planning and management because the

technique helps management decide on the most critical path to
ensure the efficient execution of the projects with least delay and the
most optimum deployment of resources and costs.
The two formats of a network diagram

• Activity in the box: where each activity is represented by a box in the

network diagram. The description of the activity is given in the box
including the activity time to execute.

• Activity on the arrow: The activity is represented by an arrow where

the activity description is written above the arrow. The tail of the
arrow indicates the start while the head denotes the completion.
Activities are linked by circles called events.
(i) dummy activities, (ii) Loops and (iii) Laddering
• Dummy activities. In the AOA format these are activities which consume
zero time. Represented by a dashed arrow. They are needed for two
reasons; to help in the unique identification of activities and to show
precedential relationships which otherwise cannot be shown.

• Loops. Illogical relationship among activities known as a loop. This is not

allowed in a network diagram.

• Laddering. Some projects have a set of activities that are repeated several
times. Laddering is used to diagram this type of project so that the project
can be completed in the shortest possible time while making the best use
of resources.
 The steps in preparing a network diagram

• Select the format to be used, AIB or AOA.

• Start drawing the activities in their logical sequence.
• Ask the following three questions for each activity:
1. Which activities must be finished immediately before can start this
activity?
2. Which activities can be done concurrently with this?
3. Which activities cannot be started until this activity is finished?