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Introduction
PERT stands for Program Evaluation Review Technique and is a visual tool for project planning. The method aids project managers in determining start and completion dates, as well as interim tasks and timetables. The data is represented as a network in a graph.
The Project Evaluation Review Technique is used to determine the amount of time required to complete a task or activity. It’s a project management system that aids in the correct scheduling and coordination of all jobs. It also aids in keeping track of the overall project’s progress, or lack thereof. The US Navy created the Project Evaluation Review Technique in the 1950s to oversee their Special Projects Office’s Polaris submarine missile programme.
Knowing how long a project should take to complete is critical because it helps project managers make decisions about budget and work delegation. Estimates can be too optimistic or pessimistic, regardless of how big or small a project is, but using a PERT chart can help determine reasonable estimates.
PERT stands for Program Evaluation Review Technique and is a visual tool for project planning. The method aids project managers in determining start and completion dates, as well as interim tasks and timetables. The data is represented as a network in a graph.
Process of PERT
When planning a complex project, PERT has a set of steps that include:
Make a list of all the tasks and milestones (also known as events) that must be completed for the project to be completed.
Determine the task sequence that is required.
Create a chart to clearly represent all of the steps.
Calculate how much time each task will take.
Determine the critical route — the project’s longest sequence of tasks.
Once the project begins, adjust the chart to reflect the progress made.
A PERT chart shows milestones as numbered circles or rectangles, and tasks as straight lines with arrows at the conclusion. The needed sequence is shown by the direction of the arrows and the numbers. At each milestone, the numbers typically increase by ten, allowing additional tasks to be added without requiring the entire chart to be redesigned and numbered.
History of PERT
The US Navy created PERT in the 1950s to assist manage the thousands of contractors working on a variety of projects. While PERT was once a manual procedure, electronic PERT systems now make it possible to build project charts fast.
The PERT process’s main serious flaw is that the time necessary to complete each activity is very subjective and sometimes no better than a wild guess. Once the project is up and running, frequent progress updates help to improve the timeline.
How PERT is used & implemented
The Project Evaluation Review Technique is depicted using a flowchart. The events are represented by nodes, which indicate the beginning and finish of activities or tasks. The arrows represent the sequence of the activities, while the directorial lines highlight the tasks that must be done.
There are four different ways to define time:
Optimistic time — The shortest time it is possible to perform a task
Pessimistic time — The amount of time it should take to perform a task in the worst-case scenario
The best or most reasonable estimate of how long it should take to finish a task, assuming there are no issues
Expected time – The best estimate of how long it will take to perform a task, assuming there are no issues
To use a PERT chart, follow these steps:
Determine the various tasks required to execute a project. Make sure they’re in the appropriate order, and that you specify how long each task will take.
Make a schematic of the network. Use nodes to represent milestones and arrows to represent actions.
Determine the critical path and any slack that may exist.
Characteristics of PERT
The following are the primary properties of PERT:
It serves as a starting point for gathering critical information for decision-making
It serves as the foundation for all planning activities
PERT assists management in determining the most efficient resource allocation approach
PERT takes advantage of the technique of time network analysis
PERT shows how to report data in a structured way
It aids management in identifying the necessary pieces for the project’s timely completion
Advantages of PERT
The PERT provides an estimate of the project’s completion time
It aids in the identification of things that can be done during downtime
The start and end dates of a project’s activities are determined
It aids the project manager in determining which activities are vital to the project’s success
PERT creates a well-organized diagram for displaying massive amounts of data
Disadvantages of PERT
The greater the intricacy of PERT, the more difficult it is to implement
The estimation of activity time in PERT is subjective, which is a significant disadvantage
PERT is extremely costly and difficult to maintain
The actual distribution of could differ from the PERT beta distribution, resulting in incorrect assumptions
It underestimates the project’s projected completion time since other pathways may become critical if their linked tasks are postponed
Conclusion
A PERT chart is a visual representation of a sequence of events that must occur during the life of a project. The flow and sequence of events required for project completion are indicated by the direction of the arrows. Dummy activities—items that are located on a different PERT path—are represented by dotted activity lines. Within each vector, numbers and time allotments are assigned and shown.
These graphs have their own set of definitions and terminologies, the most essential of which predicts how long a project will take to complete. The smallest period is referred to as “optimistic time.” The logically longest time frame is “pessimistic time.” The “most likely time” is a conservative assessment of the best-case scenario, but the “anticipated time” takes into consideration challenges and roadblocks.
