The precedence diagram method (PDM) is a tool for scheduling activities in a project plan. It is a method of constructing a project schedule network diagram that uses boxes, referred to as nodes, to represent activities and connects them with arrows that show the dependencies. It is also called the activity-on-node (AON) method.
- Critical tasks, noncritical tasks, and slack time
- Shows the relationship of the tasks to each other
- Allows for what-if, worst-case, best-case and most likely scenario
Key elements include determining predecessors and defining attributes such as
- early start date
- late start date
- early finish date
- late finish date
- duration
- activity name
- WBS reference
Slack/Float: Determines the duration of activity delay that the project can tolerate before the project comes in late. The difference between the earliest and the latest start time.[1]: 502 [2]: 183 i.e. Slack = latest start date - earliest start day or Slack = latest finish time - earliest finish time.
Any activities which have a slack of 0, they are on the critical path.
Different Precedence diagram Methods
- Arrow diagramming method
- Project network
- Critical-path method
- Gantt chart
- Program evaluation and review technique
References
Further reading
- Kerzner, Harold (2009). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (10th ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-27870-3.
- Sanghera, Paul (2019). PMP in Depth (Third ed.). Apress. doi:10.1007/978-1-4842-3910-0. ISBN 978-1-4842-3910-0.
External links
- Precedence Diagram Method at Better Projects
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