Project managers today rely on scheduling tools based on the Critical Path Method (CPM) to determine the overall project duration and the activities’ float times. Such data provide important information about the degree of flexibility with respect to the project schedule as well as the critical and noncritical activities, which leads to greater efficiency in planning and control of projects. While CPM has been useful for scheduling construction projects, years of practice and research have highlighted a number of serious drawbacks that limit its use as a decision support tool. The traditional representation of CPM lacks the ability to clearly record and represent detailed as-built information such as slow/fast progress and complete representation of work interruptions caused by the various parties involved. In addition, CPM is based on two unrealistic assumptions: that the project deadline is not restricted and that resources are unlimited. With CPM, therefore, the most cost-effective corrective actions needed in order to recover delays and overruns cannot be determined. This research is based on the view that many of the drawbacks of CPM stem from the rough level of detail at which progress data is represented and analyzed, where activities’ durations are considered as continuous blocks of time. To overcome CPM drawbacks, this research presents a new Critical Path Segments (CPS) mechanism, with its mathematical formulation, that offers a finer level of granularity by decomposing the duration of each activity into separate time segments. The CPS mechanism addresses the problems with CPM in three innovative ways: (1) the duration of an activity is represented as a series of separate time segments; (2) the representation of the progress of an activity is enhanced; and (3) an optimization mechanism to incorporate project constraints into the CPS analysis. To demonstrate the ability of the CPS to provide better analysis than the traditional CPM, a number of case studies are used to show its ability to (1) simplify network relationships and accurately calculate floats and critical path(s); (2) achieve better resource allocation and facilitate accurate delay analysis; and (3) overcome problems associated with the use of multiple resource calendars. This research represents a change from well-known CPM techniques and has the potential to revolutionize and simplify the analysis of ongoing and as-built schedules. The developed CPS technique is expected to help project managers achieve a better level of control over projects and their corrective actions because it offers better visualization, optimization, and decision support for meeting project goals within the specified constraints.

Project managers today rely on scheduling tools based on the Critical Path Method (CPM) to determine the overall project duration and the activities’ float times. Such data provide important information about the degree of flexibility with respect to the project schedule as well as the critical and noncritical activities, which leads to greater efficiency in planning and control of projects. While CPM has been useful for scheduling construction projects, years of practice and research have highlighted a number of serious drawbacks that limit its use as a decision support tool. The traditional representation of CPM lacks the ability to clearly record and represent detailed as-built information such as slow/fast progress and complete representation of work interruptions caused by the various parties involved. In addition, CPM is based on two unrealistic assumptions: that the project deadline is not restricted and that resources are unlimited. With CPM, therefore, the most cost-effective corrective actions needed in order to recover delays and overruns cannot be determined. This research is based on the view that many of the drawbacks of CPM stem from the rough level of detail at which progress data is represented and analyzed, where activities’ durations are considered as continuous blocks of time. To overcome CPM drawbacks, this research presents a new Critical Path Segments (CPS) mechanism, with its mathematical formulation, that offers a finer level of granularity by decomposing the duration of each activity into separate time segments. The CPS mechanism addresses the problems with CPM in three innovative ways: (1) the duration of an activity is represented as a series of separate time segments; (2) the representation of the progress of an activity is enhanced; and (3) an optimization mechanism to incorporate project constraints into the CPS analysis. To demonstrate the ability of the CPS to provide better analysis than the traditional CPM, a number of case studies are used to show its ability to (1) simplify network relationships and accurately calculate floats and critical path(s); (2) achieve better resource allocation and facilitate accurate delay analysis; and (3) overcome problems associated with the use of multiple resource calendars. This research represents a change from well-known CPM techniques and has the potential to revolutionize and simplify the analysis of ongoing and as-built schedules. The developed CPS technique is expected to help project managers achieve a better level of control over projects and their corrective actions because it offers better visualization, optimization, and decision support for meeting project goals within the specified constraints.

OLIVEIRA, Erneson Alves de. Geração de fraturas autossimilares em meios desordenados: técnicas do caminho crítico e do caminho mínimo. 2008. 54 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Física) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, Departamento de Física, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2008. / Submitted by Edvander Pires (edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2014-11-03T20:05:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2008_dis_eaoliveira.pdf: 13308297 bytes, checksum: 51bfea9dc79470d1077454f8be1b593a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Edvander Pires(edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2014-11-03T20:12:15Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2008_dis_eaoliveira.pdf: 13308297 bytes, checksum: 51bfea9dc79470d1077454f8be1b593a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-11-03T20:12:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2008_dis_eaoliveira.pdf: 13308297 bytes, checksum: 51bfea9dc79470d1077454f8be1b593a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / In this work we propose two models for fracture generation in regular substrates. In the first model, we iteratively apply the concept of critical path to systematically determine the lower “conductivity” element in the connected spanning network. At each iteration, once these elements are identified as local “cracks ́ ́, they are permanently removed from the structure up to the point in which a macroscopic fracture can destroy the global network connectivity. This fracture is then topologically characterized as self-similar with fractal dimension Dp ≈ 1.21. In the second model, we employ the algorithm of Dijkstra to determine the minimal path in a random energy landscape and remove its highest energy element. As in the previous model, these elements are considered to be local “cracks ́ ́ till a subset of them can be identified as a macroscopic fracture. The average over many samples of fractures calculated for different system sizes reveals the presence of a self-similar structure with fractal dimension Df ≈ 1.21. The resemblance between the two exponents Dp e Df suggests that the two models belong to the same universality class. / Neste trabalho propomos dois modelos para a geração de fraturas em substratos regulares. No primeiro modelo, empregamos iterativamente o conceito de caminho crítico para determinar sistematicamente o elemento de menor “condutividade” da rede. Estes elementos são então identificados como “falhas” e removidos permanentemente da estrutura até que uma fratura macroscópica destrua a conectividade global da rede. Uma vez detectada, esta fratura é caracterizada topologicamente como uma estrutura auto-similar de dimensão fractal Dp ≈ 1.21. No segundo modelo, empregamos iterativamente o algoritmo de Dijkstra para determinar o caminho mínimo em uma paisagem aleatória, retirando sistematicamente desta estrutura o elemento de maior energia. Como no modelo anterior, estes elementos são identificados como “falhas” até que um conjunto conecto deles resulte em uma fratura macroscópica. A média realizada sobre várias amostras de fraturas em diferentes tamanhos de substratos revela a presença de uma estrutura auto-similar de dimensão fractal Df ≈ 1.21. A semelhança numérica entre os expoentes Dp e Df sugere que os dois modelos pertencem à mesma classe de universalidade.

The master's thesis considers a project proposal for improvement of hardware equipment in the company VURAL, a.s.. Project management methods and procedures defined by IPMA (International Project Management Association) are used in this thesis.

Delay and disruption (DD) to contractors’ progress, often resulting in time and cost overruns, are a major source of claims and disputes in the construction industry. At the heart of the matter in dispute is often the question of the extent of each contracting party’s responsibility for the delayed project completion and extra cost incurred. Various methodologies have been developed over the years as aids to answering this question. Whilst much has been written about DD, there is limited information on the extent of use of these methodologies in practice. The research reported in this thesis was initiated to investigate these issues in the UK, towards developing a framework for improving DD analysis. The methodology adopted in undertaking this research was the mixed method approach involving first, a detailed review of the relevant literature, followed by an industry-wide survey on the use of these methodologies and associated problems. Following this, interviews were conducted to investigate the identified problems in more depth. The data collected were analysed, with the aid of SPSS and Excel, using a variety of statistical methods including descriptive statistics analysis, relative index analysis, Kendall’s concordance and factor analysis. The key finding was that DD analysis methodologies reported in the literature as having major weaknesses are the most widely used in practice mainly due to deficiencies in programming and record keeping practice. To facilitate the use of more reliable methodologies, which ensure more successful claims resolution with fewer chances of disputes, a framework has been developed comprising of: (i) best practice recommendations for promoting better record-keeping and programming practice and; (ii) a model for assisting analysts in their selection of appropriate delay analysis methodology for any claims situation. This model was validated by means of experts’ review via a survey and the findings obtained suggest that the model is valuable and suitable for use in practice. Finally, areas for further research were identified.

The thesis discusses the possibilities of project management and analysis and it is focused on solving project analysis using the network analysis. The text describes chosen used methods of analysis. This text together with other findings in the theoretical part is used in the solution of practice part. The aim of this thesis was to create a functional Microsoft Project-based add-in of Microsoft Excel to ensure planning and management of simple projects. This created add-in can manage the project, manage project resources, allocate these resources to individual project activities and carry out simple analysis of the project, including a Gantt chart.

This thesis is concerned with the use of some optimization methods in harness racing. In the first part of the thesis, both critical path method and critical chain method of the project management are applied to horse racing projects. Then a comparison is made in order to choose a suitable method under various conditions. As a result, we can suggest improvements in horse racing organization. In order to determine optimal number of racing days, races and other aspects within a season, an optimization model is created in the second part of the thesis. Minimization of cost or maximization of number of starts can be chosen as an objective function. Various constraints are considered.

O segmento de Consultoria em Engenharia, ao lado das Universidades e Centros de Pesquisas, é um dos pilares do desenvolvimento científico-tecnológico do país e é considerado um dos responsáveis pela otimização de investimentos, redução dos prazos e dos custos de implantação de empreendimentos públicos e privados, industrial ou de infra-estrutura. Atualmente, esses empreendimentos vêm passando por modificações significativas, exigindo cada vez um melhor desempenho de seus contratados, tanto nos aspectos de qualidade, desempenho, prazo e custos, quanto nos aspectos associados aos riscos contratuais, pois tornaram -se freqüentes contratações nas modalidades EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) e \"turn-key\". Neste novo cenário, as organizações precisam ser mais competitivas para sobreviverem às condições impostas pelo mercado, e, neste novo contexto, o gerenciamento de prazos tem-se tornado um fator crítico de sucesso. Esta dissertação desenvolve uma extensa revisão das técnicas de gerenciamento de prazos, com ênfase na etapa de programação, e uma análise comparativa das principais técnicas utilizadas no gerenciamento de projetos. Para isto, tomou-se como referência o caso de um projeto real, contratado mediante a modalidade EPC, em desenvolvimento por uma Empresa de Consultoria em Engenharia. Foi realizada a comparação entre os Métodos do Caminho Crítico, Corrente Crítica, Análises Probabilísticas e de Monte Carlo, abordando a aplicabilidade dessas técnicas neste caso. Ao final é feita uma síntese dos principais resultados alcançados, bem como dos requisitos demandados na aplicação de cada uma destas técnicas. / The segment of Consultancy in Engineering, as well as the Universities and the Research Centers are some of the pillars of the scientific -technological development in the country and they have been responsible for optimizing the investments, reducing the deadlines and the costs of project implementation in the public and private sectors, along with the industrial and infra-structure sectors. Nowadays, these projects have been going through major changes, which have demanded better performances from those who are contracted, in areas such as the quality control, performa nces, time and costs, as well as the contract risks, which more often than ever, have fallen into the EPC category (engineering, procurement, and construction) and the \'turn-key\' category. In this new scenario, companies need to be more competitive to live through the conditions imposed by the market, and, in this new context, time management has turned into a critical success factor. This dissertation develops an extensive review of the time management techniques focusing on scheduling and also a comparative analysis of the most important techniques used in Project Management. To do that, a real project was created as reference case in which the EPC category was defined and was developed by an Engineering Consultancy. A comparison among The Critical Path Method and The Critical Chain, Probability Analysis Method and The Monte Carlo Method was made, and it approached the applicability of these techniques in this case. At the end, there is a summary of the most important outcomes, as well as the necessary conditions to apply each of these techniques.

FundaÃÃo de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Cearà / CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de NÃvel Superior / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / Neste trabalho propomos dois modelos para a geraÃÃo de fraturas em substratos regulares. No primeiro modelo, empregamos iterativamente o conceito de caminho crÃtico para determinar sistematicamente o elemento de menor âcondutividadeâ da rede. Estes elementos sÃo entÃo identificados como âfalhasâ e removidos permanentemente da estrutura atà que uma fratura macroscÃpica destrua a conectividade global da rede. Uma vez detectada, esta fratura à caracterizada topologicamente como uma estrutura auto-similar de dimensÃo fractal Dp ≈ 1.21. No segundo modelo, empregamos iterativamente o algoritmo de Dijkstra para determinar o caminho mÃnimo em uma paisagem aleatÃria, retirando sistematicamente desta estrutura o elemento de maior energia. Como no modelo anterior, estes elementos sÃo identificados como âfalhasâ atà que um conjunto conecto deles resulte em uma fratura macroscÃpica. A mÃdia realizada sobre vÃrias amostras de fraturas em diferentes tamanhos de substratos revela a presenÃa de uma estrutura auto-similar de dimensÃo fractal Df ≈ 1.21. A semelhanÃa numÃrica entre os expoentes Dp e Df sugere que os dois modelos pertencem à mesma classe de universalidade. / In this work we propose two models for fracture generation in regular substrates. In the first model, we iteratively apply the concept of critical path to systematically determine the lower âconductivityâ element in the connected spanning network. At each iteration, once these elements are identified as local âcracks ́ ́, they are permanently removed from the structure up to the point in which a macroscopic fracture can destroy the global network connectivity. This fracture is then topologically characterized as self-similar with fractal dimension Dp ≈ 1.21. In the second model, we employ the algorithm of Dijkstra to determine the minimal path in a random energy landscape and remove its highest energy element. As in the previous model, these elements are considered to be local âcracks ́ ́ till a subset of them can be identified as a macroscopic fracture. The average over many samples of fractures calculated for different system sizes reveals the presence of a self-similar structure with fractal dimension Df ≈ 1.21. The resemblance between the two exponents Dp e Df suggests that the two models belong to the same universality class.

This research endeavor investigated the possibility to combine the visual advantages of both graphical schedule visualization methods, the Linked Gantt Charts (LGC) and Flowline graphs (FLG), derived from the activity-based and location-based scheduling systems, to help resolve some of their shortcomings by capitalizing on their combined strengths. In order to accomplish the goal of the research, a graphical representation system that combines these two scheduling visualization methods, LGC and FLG, is developed. Afterwards, the research attempted to empirically validate the ability of the proposed tool to visually communicate and combine logical and spatial relationships between scheduled activities. This is compared to comprehending the same information by looking at a stand-alone LGC or FLG. The accuracy and time, of deciphering various details of a sample project schedule, are used as parameters to evaluate the proposed scheduling visualization tool, and compare it to the existing LGC and FLG systems. The Hybrid Graphical Representation (HGR) is the tool developed by this research to combine Linked Gantt Chart bars from the activity-based scheduling approach, and flow-lines from the location-based scheduling approach. The HGR concept is founded on the basic idea that both LGC and FLG share a common X-axis, Time. The only difference is in a LGC the Activities are listed on the Y-axis, while the FLG shows Locations on the Y-axis. This research proposed adding a third dimension to the FLG, listing the project Activities on a Z-axis. Viewing the HGR 3D graph from the top, the user will observe the Gantt bars with Time on the X-axis and the Activities listed on the Z-axis. Observing the schedule from the front view, the user will see the flow-lines developed from the location-based scheduling approach with Locations on the Y-axis and Time on the X-axis. After conducting a series of online surveys measuring the time and accuracy of using a prototype HGR schedule, it was found that the users were able to reap the benefits of both scheduling approaches (LGC and FLG), and visually link and communicate information concerning the activities' logical relationships and spatial relationships. However, it took the participants a relatively longer time to achieve that higher accuracy utilizing the HGR tool.