Based on helpful comments provided by a reviewer of this site, and review of another on-line text book, I will be offering a printed version of these class notes. This small book will include answers to all the problems and additional details on some of the analysis presented here. I would expect the cost of this book to be $25.00 (US). I plan to use a print on demand service such as lulu.com for distribution of this book. Please let me know if you would like a copy by emailing cpmtutor"at"gmail"dot"com.
As part of an independent study for my masters at degree program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering I created a set of computer-based training tools to assist undergraduates learning scheduling for the first time. The tutorial was primarily focused on the mechanics of the precedence or activity-on-node diagrams contained with the Critical Path Method (CPM). Guidelines for effective scheduling were also included based on a number of sources including (1) my introduction to real-life scheduling as a Corps of Engineers project engineer, (2) scheduling consulting work I performed for U.S. Army Reserve, (3) academic study and research, and (4) interaction with professional and academic colleagues.
After completing my Masters, I began to teach a portion of an undergraduate Construction Management survey course related to scheduling. I prepared my own set of class notes that provided a practical mix of scheduling theory and practice. Sample problems and questions were also included in the packet. The packet has been in limited but continuous use since its creation.
Since 1990 I have been pleasantly surprised that the web-based tutor was well received. When the tutorial was created, the acceptance of web-based training was not a forgone conclusion. Back in those days when people spoke about the "Amazon," they were talking about a river and not where they just bought their favorite color of Roomba. Today, a large proportion of corporate and professional training occurs through the web. The majority of this training is provided through sites that require registration or up-front fees.
My tutorial and class note package was used at several Universities to supplement classroom study. The web-based tutorial was directly in vocational education, and used by practitioners to find out why to use the features described in complex software manuals. The unfortunate side of the success of the original CPM Tutor was that people began to request fixes, changes, and additions. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to respond to these requests, until the fall of 2007.
My goals for this second edition of the CPM Tutor are to: (1) provide training in basic precedence method calculations, (2) extend the course using course materials on advanced topics, (3) re-organize the course in the order in which an experienced construction manager might go about creating and using a schedule, (4) provide training that is independant of vendor-specific implementations, and (5) provide a mechanism for users who find value in the material provided to support continued hosting of this material.
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