Page 221 - DMGT521_PROJECT_MANAGEMENT

Project Management

Notes PERT is used in Research type of projects whereas CPM is used in all of non-research type
projects.

Task Discuss the Network Techniques of Project Management.

13.3.1 Evolution of Network Techniques

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By the end of 18 century, the decision-making process was mainly depended on the managerial
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capabilities, experiences and academic background of managers. In the early stage of 19 century,
the pioneers of scientific management started developing the scientific management techniques.
During World War I, Henry L. Gantt developed Gantt chart for production scheduling which
was later on modified to bar chart for the purpose of project and production scheduling.
The network techniques of PERT and CPM were concurrently developed in 1957. In the beginning,
CPM was used for planning and scheduling of constructional projects. It was also used for
scheduling the maintenance shutdown. The construction industry in general and the petro-
chemical industry in particular were the major areas of CPM applications. PERT was developed
by US Navy for scheduling the research and development work for the Polaris Fleet Ballistic
Missiles Programmed whose activities were subject to a considerable degree of uncertainty.
Initially, this technique was named as “Programmed Evaluation and Review Technique” after
1958, this technique was used by Russian Scientists for the utilization and management of their
huge ammunition. But after 1960, this technique came up as a revolutionary technique for the
purpose of decision-making. With the passage of time, PERT and CPM applications started
overlapping and now they are used almost as single technique and the difference between the
two is only of the historical and academic interest.

Notes The network techniques of PERT and CPM were concurrently developed in 1957. In
the beginning, CPM was used for planning and scheduling of constructional projects.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. The ……………… was designed for the UNIVAC-I computer.

2. ……………… was devised in 1958 for the POLARIS missile program by the Program
Evaluation Branch of the Special Projects office of the U.S. Navy.
3. Traditional PERT is used less often than ………………

State True or False:
4. Critical Path is the shortest pathway taken from the initial event to the terminal event.
5. Lag time is the earliest time by which a successor event can follow a specific PERT event.
6. In project management, a critical path is the sequence of project network activities with
the longest overall duration, determining the shortest time possible to complete the
project.

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