Probabilistic system for project management

[No abstract, extract from introdcution] Project management may be interpreted quite broadly to include the many possible applications of network planning. However, network planning techniques are usually applied to one-time efforts. Consequently, in order to accomplish the project tasks efficiently, the project manager must plan and schedule largely on the basis of his experience with similar projects. During the course of the project, he must continually replan and reschedule because of unexpected progress, delays, or technical conditions. The development of CPM provided the basis for a more formal and general approach toward the discipline of project management. Critical path methods involve both a graphical portrayal of the interrelationships among the elements of a project, and an arithmetic procedure which identifies the relative importance of each element in the over-all schedule. Developing a workable plan of the activities that make up a project, including the specification of their interrelationships is of utmost importance in project management. Scheduling these activities in an acceptable time span, and finally controlling the conduct of the scheduled work is also of major importance. One might quote the old cliche that "we should first plan the work and then work the plan”. With respect to planning and scheduling, the manpower resources and facilities required to carry out the program as it progresses in time must be considered. With respect to the control function, concern must be had with monitoring the expenditure of time and money in carrying out the scheduled program, as well as the resulting product quality or performance. A Probabilistic System For Project Management is therefore designed to assist the project manager in the successful conception, planning, execution, and summary of a construction project.