Question

Question 01.

Construct an activity on arrow network based on the activity descriptions below. Show all your work. Label activities in the network by their activity letters and node numbers. Remove any redundant dependencies and label dummy activities DUMMY1, DUMMY2, etc.

• Activities H, R2, T1 start the project.

• Activity T2 can start when Activities H, E1 and S are completed.

• Activity E1 also depends on Activity R2.

• Activity X follows Activity H and precedes Activity L.

• Activity E is preceded by Activities T2 and P1.

• The predecessors to Activity G are Activities L, T2 and P1.

• The successors to Activity T1 are Activities E1, S, W and D2.

• Activity P1 cannot begin until Activity W is finished.

• Activity P2 and F follow Activities W and D2, and precede Activities E and R1.

• Activity O2 depends on T2 and P1 , and precedes Activity L.

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Question 02:.

Compare and contrast the project evaluation and review technique (PERT) with the critical path method (CPM).

Answer 1

Answer 2

Both CPM and PERT are techniques that are used in project management to plan and coordinate activities that help in the completion of the project. The primary difference between the two techniques is:

CPM is used for projects that assume deterministic activity times. This means that the times at which each activity will be carried out are certain and known. PERT is used for projects that assume stochastic activity times; the times at which each activity will be carried out are uncertain or varied.

Further differences include

PERT is used most often to control and plan time aspects of a project, whereas CPM is used to control cost implications of a project.

PERT is event oriented and CPM is activity oriented

In PERT, there is no differentiation between critical and non-critical activities whereas CPM does differentiate between the two

Further, CPM has the concept of crashing whereas PERT does not