Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

NETWORK PLANNING TECHNIQUES

LINKS TO PRACTICE PERT and the Polaris Missile

Program evaluation and review technique (PERT) and critical path method (CPM) date back to the 1950s. PERT was originally developed to plan and monitor the Polaris missile, an extremely large project using over 3000 contractors and involving thousands of activities. PERT is credited with reducing the project duration by two years. Because of its success, most government contracts still require the use of PERT or a similar technique. CPM was initially developed to plan and coordinate maintenance projects in chemical plants.

TABLE 16-1 Project Life-Cycle Phases

Concept:	Identify the need for the project.
Feasibility analysis or study:	Evaluate costs, benefits, and risks.
Planning:	Decide who does what, how long it should take, and what you need to do it.
Execution:	Do the project.
Termination:	End the project.

The benefits of network planning techniques include the following:

Program evaluation and review technique (PERT)

Network planning technique used to determine a project's planned completion date and identify the project's critical path.

Critical path method (CPM)

Network planning technique, ...