How do I compute the earlt start column on a gnattc hart. The first three columns are Activety, Predeccesors, and then duration - next Early start
Thanks
Isn't it just the sum of the sequential predecessors? Check here for GANTT terms. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gantt_chart
To compute the Early Start column on a Gantt chart, you need to understand the concept of the Critical Path Method (CPM). CPM is a schedule network analysis technique used in project management to determine the shortest possible duration for completing a project.
Here is how you can compute the Early Start column for each activity on a Gantt chart:
1. Start by listing all the activities in the "Activity" column of your Gantt chart.
2. In the "Predecessors" column, identify the activities that need to be completed before each activity. This information is crucial in determining the dependencies between activities.
3. Calculate the duration for each activity and record it in the "Duration" column.
4. Identify the first activity (usually the one without any predecessors) and assign an Early Start value of zero to it in the "Early Start" column.
5. For the subsequent activities, determine the earliest possible start time by considering the longest path leading to that activity. This is called the "Critical Path."
6. To calculate the Early Start for an activity, find the activity's predecessors and identify the one with the highest Early Start value. Add the duration of the predecessor to its Early Start value, and assign this sum as the Early Start value for the current activity.
7. Continue this process for all the remaining activities, ensuring you consider the longest path of dependencies leading up to each activity.
By following these steps, you can fill in the "Early Start" column of your Gantt chart, which will indicate the earliest possible start time for each activity in order to meet the project's schedule constraints.