ARROW DIAGRAM METHOD:

Arrow Diagram method, also called the Arrow Diagramming is one of the two versions of the Critical Path Method. Arrow Diagramming was originally called activity on the arrow. Arrow Diagramming provides model of project that combines the representation of sequence and duration. The Arrow Diagramming is useful because there is a clear link between the work to be accomplished and the diagram that represents that work. In addition, arrows are a common metaphor for time lines. Thus, Arrow Diagramming is, initially, very intuitive. The Arrow Diagram was the project planning method developed after the Bar Chart. Arrow Diagramming was first used in the 1950's on mainframe computing systems. One of the terms introduced as part of the Arrow Diagram was the term "activity." The two elements of Arrow Diagramming are arrows and nodes. One arrow is created for each activity to be accomplished. The tail of the arrow is the start of the activity. The head of the arrow is the end of the activity. While there is no requirement to do so, the length of the arrow is often scaled to be proportional to the duration of the activity. At the tail, or start, and head, or end, of the activity arrows are nodes. Nodes are used to graphically show where activities end and begin in sequence. The starting node for a given activity is referred to as the activitys i-node. The ending node for a given activity is called the activitys j-node. This nomenclature was used since the mathematics behind the development of the Arrow Diagrams requires the use of the summation. Typically the terms of a summation include counting all the Is and js. Nodes are used to illustrate when activities precede or follow other activities. Nodes are placed at the start and end of each activity arrow. Since projects are defined by a specific start and end, there should be a single starting i-node and a single ending j-node for each project. The set of all activities, starting from the first activities i-node and ending with the last activities j-node is called a network. An Arrow Diagram for an entire project may also be called a Network Diagram. Despite advances in network theory and practice there are examples of large owners who continue to require Network Analysis Systems for their project schedules. When to Use an Arrow Diagram:

When scheduling and monitoring tasks within a complex project or process with interrelated tasks and resources. When you know the steps of the project or process, their sequence and how long each step takes, and. When project schedule is critical, with serious consequences for completing the project late or significant advantage to completing the project early.

Arrow Diagram Procedure : Drawing the Network :

1.List all the necessary tasks in the project or process. 2. Determine the correct sequence of the tasks. We can do this by asking three questions for each task:

Which tasks must happen before this one can begin? Which tasks can be done at the same time as this one? Which tasks should happen immediately after this one?

It can be useful to create a table with four columns prior tasks, this task, simultaneous tasks, following tasks. For example :

3. Diagram the network of tasks. Time should flow from left to right and concurrent tasks should be vertically aligned. 4.Between each two tasks, draw circles for events. An event marks the beginning or end of a task. Thus, events are nodes that separate tasks.

5.Look for three common problem situations and redraw them using dummies or extra events. A dummy is an arrow drawn with dotted lines used to separate tasks that would otherwise start and stop with the same events or to show logical sequence. Dummies are not real tasks.

Problem situations:

Two simultaneous tasks start and end at the same events. Solution: Use a dummy and an extra event to separate them. In Figure 1, event 2 and the dummy between 2 and 3 have been added to separate tasks A and B. Task C cannot start until both tasks A and B are complete; a fourth task, D, cannot start until A is complete, but need not wait for B. (See Figure 2.) Solution: Use a dummy between the end of task A and the beginning of task C. A second task can be started before part of a first task is done. Solution: Add an extra event where the second task can begin and use multiple arrows to break the first task into two subtasks. In Figure 3, event 2 was added, splitting task A.

Figure 1: Dummy separating simultaneous tasks

Figure 2: Dummy keeping sequence correct

Figure 3: Using an extra event

6.When the network is correct, label all events in sequence with event numbers in the circles. It can be useful to label all tasks in sequence, using letters.

Scheduling: Critical Path Method (CPM)

7. Determine task timesthe best estimate of the time that each task should require. Use one measuring unit (hours, days or weeks) throughout, for consistency. Write the time on each tasks arrow. 8. Determine the critical path, the longest path from the beginning to the end of the project. Mark the critical path with a heavy line or color. Calculate the length of the critical path: the sum of all the task times on the path. 9. Calculate the earliest times each task can start and finish, based on how long preceding tasks take. These are called earliest start (ES) and earliest finish (EF). Start with the first task, where ES = 0, and work forward. Draw a square divided into four quadrants, as in Figure 4. Write the ES in the top left box and the EF in the top right. For each task:

Earliest start (ES) = the largest EF of the tasks leading into this one Earliest finish (EF) = ES + task time for this task

Figure 4: Arrow diagram time box

10. Calculate the latest times each task can start and finish without upsetting the project schedule, based on how long later tasks will take. These are called latest start (LS) and latest finish (LF). Start from the last task, where the latest finish is the project deadline, and work backwards. Write the LS in the lower left box and the LF in the lower right box.

Latest finish (LF) = the smallest LS of all tasks immediately following this one Latest start (LS) = LF task time for this task

11. Calculate slack times for each task and for the entire project.

Total slack is the time a job could be postponed without delaying the project schedule. Total slack = LS ES = LF EF Free slack is the time a task could be postponed without affecting the early start of any job following it. Free slack = the earliest ES of all tasks immediately following this one EF E

Example of an Arrow diagram :

GANTT CHARTS:
A Gantt chart shows the relationships among the project tasks, along with the time estimates. The horizontal axis of a Gantt chart shows units of time (days, weeks, months etc ). The vertical axis shows the activity to be completed. Bars shows the estimated start time and duration of the various activities. The figure below illustrates a simple Gantt chart that can be created by hand. There are many types of Gantt charts, limited only by the needs of the project. The Gantt chart should show activity dependencies.

Fig. Gantt Chart of Schedule

MILESTONE CHARTS:
Gantt charts are often modified in various ways to provide additional information. One common variation is shown below. The milestone symbol ( ) represents an event (a point in time) rather than an activity (an interval of time). Unlike activities, milestone do not consume time or resources. When Gantt charts are modified in this way, they are sometimes called Milestone charts. In the milestone chart below, uncompleted activity durations are shown as unfilled boxes. As activities are completed, the boxes are filled in.

Fig. Gantt/Milestone Chart of Actual vs. Scheduled Performance

Gantt charts and milestone charts can be modified to show additional information, such as who is responsible for a task, why a task is behind schedule, remedial action planned or already taken, etc. They are excellent tool for presenting a great deal of information in an easy-to-understand format. Gantt charts are also called Bar charts. The use of Gantt charts started during the industrial revolution of the late 1800's. An early industrial engineer named Henry Gantt developed these charts to improve factory efficiency.

Gantt chart is now commonly used for scheduling the tasks and tracking the progress of energy management projects. Gantt charts are developed using bars to represent each task. The length of the bar shows how long the task is expected to take to complete. Duration is easily shown on Gantt charts. Sequence is not well shown on Gantt Charts.

If, for example, the start of Task C depends on both Activity B and Activity E, then any delay to Task E will also delay Task C. We just don't have enough information on the Gantt chart to know this information.

ADVANTAGES: Gantt charts have the following Advantages:

1.Gantt chart provides an excellent presentation tool for illustrating groups of milestones and demonstrating individual resources scheduled to time. 2. They can be used in status reporting to show how much of the plan has been completed by displaying the progress of an activity in the same or a parallel bar, or using colour. Many executives prefer this presentation format.

DISADVANTAGES: Gantt charts have the following disadvantages:

1. Estimates must be completed before the chart can be drawn. .

2. A Gantt chart does not effectively address the dependencies between jobs (although constraints can be added as vertical lines). 3. Dendencies are hard to verify. 4. It is difficult to show two sets of dates when using techniques such as earliest start date and latest start.

5. It is difficult to show slack and critical path without additional notation. 6. Changes to the schedule require a redrawing of the chart. 7. Several scheduling possibilities cannot be shown in the same chart. 8. Resource assignments are not easy to illustrate. 9. The Gantt chart does not highlight WBS elements with the highest risk of failure or delay.