PRECEDENCE DIAGRAMMING METHOD

Professor John W. Fondahl of Stanford University presented the fundamental concepts for
the precedence diagramming technique in 1961. Fondahl placed the activity on the node rather than
on the arrow, as in the i-j method. The arrows connecting the nodes of the network define the
relationships between the activities. Fondahl called the new technique “circle and connecting line”
later the term “activity on node” (AoN) was applied.

The term “precedence diagramming” first appeared around 1964 in the User’s Manual for
an IBM 1440 computer program. One of the principal authors of the manual was J. David Craig of
the IBM Corporation. Craig was also apparently responsible for naming the technique as
“precedence diagramming method” (PDM).

Precedence diagramming allows more flexibility in modelling relationships than i-j

diagramming. I-j method allows only one kind of logical relationship between activities: i.e., a
preceding activity must be complete before any succeeding activity can begin. PDM in contrast,
employs four logical relationships between activities. The PDM method can also use the concept
of lag (days between) activities to further create a flexible scheduling tool. The four logical
relationships used by PDM are:

1) Finish-to-Start (FS) (Similar to AoA)

2) Start-to-Start (SS)
3) Finish-to-Finish (FF)
4) Start-to-Finish (SF) (very rarely found in construction schedules)

Note that PDM’s finish-to-start relationship is the same as the one logical relationship that
AoA use. If only finish-to-start relationships are used in a precedence diagram PDM is similar to
AoA diagram.

The three forms that each of the four relationships may take the concern the use of “lag”.
An activity with a lag relationship must wait until the period of lag has expired before beginning.
Thus, lag is the condition of waiting for a prescribed period before action can start.

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 Comparison between A-O-A and A-O-N
In A-o-A networks, activities are shown by arrows and events are shown by nodes. However, in
precedence diagrams, also known as A-o-N networks, activities are shown on the nodes and
arrows denote the relationships.
Activity
Description Activity
Description &
Duration Duration

ADM Representation PDM Representation

1) A B A B

Implies: B depends on A, i.e., B cannot start until A has completed.

2)
A B A B

C D C D

Implies: B and D depends on A and C.

3)
A B
A B

dummy
C D
C D

Implies: D depends on C; B depends on A and C.

4) A
A
D D
B B
E
C E
C

5) B

C
A D
A B D

C
2
6)

B B

A C E G
A C E G

D F
D F

7)
B C

F
D
A B C G
A G
D F

E E

3
EXAMPLE (A-o-A & A-o-N Comparison):
Activity Predecessor a) Draw the (Activity on Arrow)
A - network.
B - b) Draw the (Activity on Node)
C - network.
D A
E A
F B, C
G B, C
H D
I E, F
J E, H

a) A-O-A
H J
D

E
A

B F I

C
G

b) A-O-N
A D H J

E
Start End

B F I

C G

4
EXAMPLE 2 (A-o-A & A-o-N Comparison):
Activity Predecessor a) Draw the (Activity on Arrow)
A - network.
B - b) Draw the (Activity on Node)
C A, B network.
D A, B
E C, D
F B
G D
H F, G

a) A-O-A

D G H
A

b) A-O-N
C E

Start D G H End

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 RELATIONSHIPS

1) Finish-to-Start Relationships:

Install Pour FS + 14d Remove IF PC W RF

forms concrete forms 14

Finish to start relationships with zero lag and with positive lag.

A lag of 14 days is shown between completion of the concrete pouring and removal of formwork.
The relationship indicates that one must wait 14 days after the concrete has been poured before the
removal of formwork can started.

E1 IT
FS – 1d Install Fuel t–1
Excavation
Tanks
E2
Finish to start relationship with negative lag. 1

Negative lag, sometimes called “lead” is used in situations, which permit succeeding activities to
begin before preceding activities have been completed.

2) Start-to-Start Relationships:

SS + 5d Pipelaying
E1
5d

Excavation Pipelaying
E2
(t-5)
Start-to-start relationship with positive lag.

Start to start relationships with zero lag are used to show the relationship between two activities
which should be started simultaneously. Above figure, on the other hand, indicates that pipelaying
can start 5 days after excavating has started.

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 3) Finish-to-Finish Relationships:

FF + 2d Pipelaying Backfilling 2
2d

Pipelaying Backfilling
Backfilling
t
(t-2)

Finish-to-finish relationship with positive lag.

Finish to finish relationships with zero lag are used to show the relationship between two activities
which should be finished simultaneously. Above figure, on the other hand, indicates that backfilling
can finish 2 days after pipelaying has finished.

4) Start-to-Finish Relationships:

Install wood
paneling and
base

SF

Install
Carpeting

This start to finish relationship indicates install carpeting should already be finished when install
wood paneling and base starts.

The BS 4335-1987 recommended symbol for an activity on node is shown below:

Earliest Start Duration Earliest Finish

Label, Description, Resources, etc.
Latest Start Total Float Latest Finish

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EXAMPLE (Forward and Backward Passes):

A 2 J
16 15
E
10

B D G K
1 3 4 5 6
20 15 3 12

H
16
C
30

A-O-A Diagram

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 Legend

ES DUR EF
Activity Name
LS TF LF

16 15
A J

10
E

9
0 20 15 3 12 0
Start B D G K Finish

16
H

30
C

A-o-N Diagram
 FORWARD PASS: In order to find ES, take the maximum of the values then; EF = ES + DURATION

0 16 16 16 15 31
A J

20 10 30
E

10
0 0 0 0 20 20 20 15 35 35 3 38 38 12 50 51 0 51
Start B D G K Finish

35 16 51
H

0 30 30
C
 BACKWARD PASS: LF is found by taking the minimum of the values; then LS = LF – DURATION

0 16 16 16 15 31
A J
8 24 24 39
39-15=24 51-12=39

20 10 30
E
29 39
51-12=39

11
0 0 0 0 20 20 20 15 35 35 3 38 38 12 50 51 0 51
Start B D G K Finish
0 0 20 20 20 35 36 39 39 51 51 51
24-16=8 0 35-15=020 39-3=36 X 51-12=39
20-20=0 39-10=29 51-16=35 LS LF LS LF
51-30=21
35 16 51
H
35 51
51-0=51

0 30 30
C
21 51
51-0=51
 CALCULATION OF TOTAL FLOAT TF = LF – EF = LS – ES

0 16 16 16 15 31
A J
8 8 24 24 8 39

20 10 30
E
29 9 39

12
0 0 0 0 20 20 20 15 35 35 3 38 38 12 50 51 0 51
Start B D G K Finish
0 0 0 0 0 20 20 0 35 36 1 39 39 1 51 51 0 51

35 16 51
H
35 0 51

0 30 30
C
21 21 51

CRITICAL PATH B–D–H

 FORWARD PASS:

Earliest start times and earliest finish times are calculated.

(Take the maximum value) = EST

EFT = EST + Duration

BACKWARD PASS:

Latest start time (LST) and latest finish times are determined.

(TAKE THE MINIMUM VALUE) = LFT (Latest Finish Time)

LST = LFT – Duration

After forward & backward pass completed

Description Duration EST LST EFT LFT TF

(weeks) +16 (Dur) -16 (Dur)
A 16 0 8 16 24 8
B 20 0 0 20 20 0
C 30 0 21 30 51 21
D 15 20 20 35 35 0
E 10 20 29 30 39 9
G 3 35 36 38 39 1
H 16 35 35 51 51 0
J 15 16 24 31 39 8
K 12 38 39 50 51 1

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 TOTAL FLOAT:

The total amount by which an activity can be extended or delayed without affecting total
project time (TPT).

TOTAL FLOAT = LST – EST, or TOTAL FLOAT = LFT – EFT

Note: The backward pass in precedence diagraming method differs from the backward pass
calculation in activity-on-arrow where the latest finish time (LFT) for each activity is calculated.
The difference arises from the fact that in AoN the dependency arrow sets the difference between
the start of an activity and the start of immediately dependent activities.

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 EXAMPLE (Network Calculations):

Activity Predecessor Relationship Duration

A - - 5
B A FS + 1d 5
C A SS + 2d 6
B FS
D 2
C FS + 1d
E D FF + 2d 3
F D FS 1
E SS + 3d
G 4
F FS + 2d

Start date of the project is 1st of June, 2017. Assume there are no holidays and all days are working
days. Each activity starts in the morning and ends at the end of the day. Calculate the finish date of
the project.

5
FS+1d FF+2d
B
FS

5 2 3 4

A D E G

6
FS+1d
SS+3d
C FS FS+2d
SS+2d 1

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 FORWARD PASS:

7 5 11
FS+1d FF+2d
B
12 17
FS
10 16
1 5 5 12 2 13 13 3 15 17 4 20

A D E G

3 6 8
FS+1d
SS+3d
C FS FS+2d
SS+2d 14 1 14

BACKWARD PASS:

7 5 11
FS+1d FF+2d
B

7 0 11 FS

1 5 5 12 2 13 13 3 15 17 4 20

A D E G

1 0 5 12 0 13 14 1 16 17 0 20
1 5 3 6 8 13
FS+1d 14
3 7 SS+3d
C FS FS+2d
SS+2d 14 1 14
5 2 10
F

14 0 14

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EXAMPLE (Network Calculations with Calendar-Hypothetical):

NOTE: In this example, early start and late finish values are based on assumed dates.

May 2011
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31

1) Finish to Start

nd th th th
2 4 5 FS 6 5 11
A B
th th th th
10 13 14 20

nd th th th
2 4 5 FS+2 9 5 13
A B
th th th th
7 11 14 20

nd th th th
2 4 5 FS-3 3 5 7
A B
th th th th
12 16 13 18

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 2) Start to Start

nd th nd th
2 4 5 SS 2 5 6
A B
th th th th
3 6 3 7

nd th th th
2 4 5 SS+2 4 5 9
A B
th th th th
9 12 11 16

rd th th th
3 4 6 SS-1 2 5 6
A B
th th th th
11 14 10 14

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 3) Finish to Finish

th th th th
16 4 20 14 5 20
A B
th th th th
20 24 18 24

FF

th th th th
10 4 13 12 5 17
A B
th th th th
12 16 14 20

FF+3

th th th th
11 4 14 7 5 12
A B
th th th st
20 24 16 21

FF-2

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 4) Start to Finish

th th th th
10 4 13 4 5 9
A B
th rd th th
18 23 12 17
SF

th th th th
12 4 16 9 5 13
A B
th rd th th
18 23 14 20
SF+2

th th th th
14 4 18 6 5 11
A B
th th th st
25 28 16 21
SF-2

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 EXAMPLE (Network Calculations with Calendar):

Below given is a network of a construction project, which shows the precedence relationships and
the duration of each activity.

10
SS+4d FF+3d
D

B
FS

5 6 5
FS-1d
A E G
FS+2d

C
FS-1d FF-1d

SS-1d

The project will start on 02 May 2017 by referring 6 days working-day calendar (Sundays are non-
working days). May 19, 23, and 24 are also declared as holidays. Assuming that all lag times and
durations are working days, determine the completion date, duration, and critical path (s) of the
project.

MAY 2017
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31

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 FORWARD PASS:

12 10 26
SS+4d FF+3d
D

8 4 11
6 11
B
22 29
FS
25 30

2 5 6 15 6 22 25 5 30
FS-1d
A E G
FS+2

6 5 11

C
FS-1d FF-1d

8 3 10

SS-1d

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 BACKWARD PASS:

12 10 26
SS+4d FF+3d
D

12 0 26

8 4 11

B
FS
8 0 11

2 5 6 8 11 15 6 22 25 5 30
9 12 FS-1d
A E G
FS+2d
2 0 6 16 1 25 25 0 30

6 6 5 11
25
C
FS-1d FF-1d
25 13 30

8 3 10

26 13 29

SS-1d

Completion date: 30th May, 2017

Duration: 22 working days
Critical path: A-B-D-G

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