Evaluating project completion time in project networks with discrete random activity durations

• Published in: Computers & operations research Vol. 36; no. 10; pp. 2716 - 2722
• Main Authors: Bruni, Maria Elena, Guerriero, Francesca, Pinto, Erika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2009; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Flows in networks. Combinatorial problems; Inventory control, production control. Distribution; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Project management; Project risk analysis; Risk theory. Actuarial science; Scenarios; Scheduling algorithms; Scheduling, sequencing; Studies; Uncertainty; Scenarios; Uncertainty; Project risk analysis; Project management; Script; Processing time; Scheduling; Makespan; Dynamical system; Risk analysis; Time dependence; Uncertain system; Resource constraint; Deterministic model; Scientific research; Network; Planning; Risk management; Completion time; Execution time
• ISSN: 0305-0548; 1873-765X; 0305-0548
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cor.2008.11.021

Deterministic models for project scheduling suffer from the fact that they assume complete information and neglect random influences, that occur during project execution. A typical consequence is the underestimation of the project duration as frequently observed in practice. This phenomenon occurs even in the absence of resource constraints and has been the subject of extensive research in the scientific community. This paper presents a method for obtaining relevant information about the project makespan for scheduling models, with dependent random processing time available in the form of scenarios.