Operations management

Table of Contents

1. Topic pack - Operations management - introduction
2. Operations Management (OM) - Introduction
3. 5.1 Production methods notes
4. 5.1 Production methods - questions
5. 5.2 Costs and revenues - notes
6. 5.2 Costs and revenues - questions
7. 5.3 Break-even analysis - notes
8. 5.3 Break-even analysis - questions
9. 5.3 Break-even analysis - simulations and activities
10. 5.4 Quality assurance - notes
11. 5.4 Quality assurance - questions and activities
12. 5.5 Location - notes
13. Innovation - notes (HL only)
14. 5.6 Innovation - questions
15. 5.7 Production planning - notes
16. 5.7 Production planning - questions
17. 5.8 Project management - notes (HL only)
    1. Project management - introduction
    2. Critical path analysis
    3. Critical path analysis - The rules and methodology
    4. CPA Stage 1 The data collection
    5. CPA Stage 2 The draft network diagram
    6. CPA Stage 3 - tidying and simplifying
    7. CPA Stage 4 - Earliest starting time (EST)
    8. CPA Stage 5 - Add the Latest finishing time (LFT)
    9. CPA Stage 6 - Identify the CRITICAL PATH
    10. Use of networks
    11. Float analysis
    12. Evaluation of networks
    13. Example - A simple project network
    14. Use of CPA diagrams
18. 5.8 Project management - questions (HL only)
19. Print View

Use of networks

Network planning is an efficient and effective way of

• Planning
• Scheduling and
• Controlling

Complex projects, in fact especially complex projects, may require the use of CPA. A rule of thumb is that if you can control the project by hand you probably do not need CPA. If you have to use a computer, then CPA is just the thing!

It provides a useful way of breaking down complex projects into easily understandable stages. It helps identify the fastest time in which a project can be completed. It can be used to establish priorities and to allocate resources.

It is especially useful as a means of controlling a project during its execution, and devising plans to overcome difficulties and allocate resources.

It can be used to put all activities into priority order, not just the critical ones. This is important when it comes to progress review meetings. This priority setting is done through a process known as float analysis.