Chapter 9 Ppt

Chapter 9Computer Scheduling

Projects should be scheduled one byte at a time

Chapter 9Computer Scheduling

Projects should be scheduled one byte at a time

Construction Planning and Scheduling, Fourth EditionConstruction Planning and Scheduling, Fourth EditionBy Jimmie W HinzeBy Jimmie W Hinze

© 2012, 2008, 2004, 1998 Pearson Higher Education, Inc © 2012, 2008, 2004, 1998 Pearson Higher Education, Inc Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ and Columbus, OHPearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ and Columbus, OH

Construction Planning and Scheduling, Fourth EditionConstruction Planning and Scheduling, Fourth EditionBy Jimmie W. HinzeBy Jimmie W. Hinze


Computer Scheduling

• Critical path method (CPM) requires numerous computations to determine activity start and finish dates, float values, and the overall project duration

• Computers are ideal for repeatedly performing mathematical computations on a set of data

• Computers enable and facilitate both mobility ofthe project schedule and multiple-user access









Computer Scheduling Terms

• Activity Code: A value assigned to each activityto help organize the activities into manageable groups

• Base Calendar: A calendar that applies to all of the activities in a project

• Baseline Schedule: The original schedule created at the beginning of the project against which the project’s progress is measured






• Collapsing the Schedule: Consolidating the subtasks within their respective summary tasksso that only the summary tasks are shown

• Constraint: A restriction imposed on the startdate, finish date, or other aspect of an activity

• Data Date: The date used as the starting pointfor schedule calculations

• Data Date Line: A vertical line on a Gantt chart representing the current date






• Expanding the Schedule: Showing the subtasks within their respective summary tasks

• Filtering: Searching through the project activities and showing only the activities that match specific criteria

• Global Change: A change that affects all activities, or a selected group of activities, at the same time, even those filtered from view

• Layout: The appearance of the schedule on the computer screen






• Link Line: The line that connects the bars of linked tasks on a Gantt chart to show logic relationships

• Linking: The process by which relationships between activities are created

• Milestone Activity: A zero-duration activity that signifies the start or finish of an activity or groupof activities

• Network Loop: Circular logic within a networkof activities that prevents progression across or through the network






• Progress Bar: A bar on a Gantt chart that represents the progress of a particular task

• Recurring Task: A task that occurs at regular intervals in a project, such as a weekly project meeting or a safety walkthrough of the job site

• Resource Calendar: A calendar that applies to a specific resource to define when the resource is available

• Sorting: Organizing the project activities according to a specific format






• Splitting a Task: Interrupting a task so that partof it is completed later in the project

• Subtask: A minor task typically representing detailed effort

• Summary Task: A task representing a general activity of construction

• Timescale: The timescale shown above or below the schedule on the computer and in printed hard copies of the schedule





There are many computer scheduling programs, and all perform essentially

the same principal task—to assist in the development & management of schedules

The scheduling capabilities, functionsand features differ with each program

Scheduling Programs





Scheduling Software

• Oracle’s Primavera P6 Professional Project Management– P6 can be used on virtually any project– A maximum capacity of 100,000 activities on a

single project– Ability to group an unlimited number of projects,

and add unlimited resources

• Oracle’s Primavera SureTrak– Allows a maximum of only 10,000 activities on a

single project– Allows projects to be grouped





Scheduling Software

• Microsoft Office Project– Popularity is greatly attributed to its ease of use

and similarity to other Microsoft Office programs– Provides most of the functions and features as other,

more expensive programs—maximum 10,000 activities– Allows for quickly determining factors affecting task

dates and for tracing the source of impacts





Web-based Programs

• Several software companies offer computer scheduling capabilities via Web-based programs

• Primavera P6 Professional Project Manager– Provides online integrated team communication and

collaboration– Coordinated, schedule based procurement– Project planning and control

• Oracle Primavera Contractor– A scaled-down online version of P6 with scheduling

capabilities for projects with up to 2,000 activities





Creating A Schedule

• The modeling of network schedules on almost all programs is performed by the CPM

• The process of creating a schedule begins with inputting activities

• The Gantt chart will graphically show the sequence of the activities after the schedule calculations

• Most programs provide a task information form, or dialog box, for inputting activity information





Creating A Schedule

• Basic information for each activity is the activity name, duration, predecessors, and successors– Each activity is given a unique ID number

• A base calendar must be specified for the project– Programs typically provide a default base calendar

• Resource calendars are also created at this time – These reflect the availability of project resources





Once the activity information and desired resource and cost data are input,

schedule calculations can be performed

Prior to the start of construction, theplanned construction schedule is

typically saved as a baseline schedule

Creating A Schedule





Updating a Schedule

• Tasks may not start and finish exactly as calculated in the planned schedule

• Periodic schedule updating can be performed as soon as as-built information is acquired– CPM calculations of the network are again performed

• The calculations are based on the current data date and include changes made to the schedule– Revised start dates & float values are generated

• Comparison of the as-built and baseline schedules is generally shown using the Gantt chart





Presenting a Schedule

• Presenting the schedule in a clear, concise format is facilitated by the tremendous graphic capabilities of current computer scheduling software

• Gantt charts are the most commonly printed views because they are easy to read and understand

• Most programs also allow precedence diagramsto be plotted to assist in viewing the network logic

• Most programs offer the ability to create a reporton any specific resource and for any time frame during the project





Useful Software Features

• Sorting, which groups the activities according to some common criteria, helps the user to focus on the schedule

• Color coding the grouped activities enhances the sorting feature

• Filtering provides for a greater level of focus on the schedule

• Global editing provides a quick and easy way to modify the information of many related activities






• Cash flow diagrams can typically be generated– If cost information about resources utilized is entered

• Income revenue streams can be modeled across activity networks by more sophisticated programs





Maximizing the effects of resource leveling requires performing both a backward and

a forward pass through the network

Some scheduling programs carry out onlya backward pass—more sophisticated

scheduling programs perform both







• Summary tasks are an overall schedule view – One not cluttered with many small activities

• Task tracing to identify schedule impacts allows project managers to effectively manage a project as a result of changes and unexpected events





Linking To Other Management Software

• Linking of estimating and scheduling software, allows for the efficient management of both time and money during the course of a project

• Integration of schedule information with the design documents provides additional benefits

• Owners, designers, construction managers and other parties to the project can exchange all sortsof information during the course of a project– Facilitated by Web-based project management services

CHAPTER ENDCHAPTER END

Documents

Chapter 9 Ppt