What is a PERT Chart? Project Management in Under 5

When it comes to project planning and estimation, there are a few 'go-to' tools that every project manager should know, and one of them is the PERT Method. So, what is a PERT Chart?
Here, Dr Mike Clayton, founder of OnlinePMCourses.com answers this question, in under 5 minutes.
You may also like our feature article:
Make Your Project Estimation More Reliable, Using the PERT Method | onlinepmcourses.com/project-e...
And these KZbin Videos approach their topics in the same way as this PERT Chart video:
- What is the Critical Path Method (CPM)? | • What is the Critical P...
- What is a Critical Chain? | • What is a Critical Cha...
- What is a Gantt Chart? | • Project Management in ...
My basic introductory book to Project Management is How to Manage a Great Project (published by Pearson): geni.us/4Iz6M (affiliated link).
Please:
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...or subscribe to our KZbin Channel by clicking here: / @onlinepmcourses

[@camilotristancho6393]

I love videos like this, no lengthy intros, no fluff. Just accurate, concise information, clearly transmitted. Great work!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

I appreciate that! All the videos on this channel are for working (or aspiring) PMs. Some are thoughtful: most are informative. All are designed to be fluff-free!

[@Blissful8640]

You are right. Straight to the point

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Jeremiah Kent pointed out that @3:43 I said 'we subtract the optimistic estimate from the pessimistic estimate' but the formula on screen is incorrect. It should be should be (P-O)/6. As a side note (and this does not excuse what is certainly my error), Standard Deviations are modulus number - meaning we disregard the sign. That means technically, both are correct. But that would just me worming my way out of taking responsibility for an error. And I shan't do that. My error. My bad. My apologies to all of you!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

.

[@michigandave9680]

Thank you for sharing these videos. They are succinct, clearly communicated, informative and I really wish they had been available to me six decades ago.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

MichiganDave, *I* wasn't available 6 decades ago! But it would be great to think people may be watching my PM videos in 6 decades' time!

[@CrossFitterinRealtime2359]

Such a great video, thank you very much for your time and explanation!!!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

You're welcome, Maria. Glad you like it.

[@beatriceogolla8908]

Thank you so much for this. Very easy to comprehend and comes in handy.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

You're very welcome!

[@MohammadDawdieh]

Thank you , Also it holds one of the greatest tools by means of performing qualitative risk analysis.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Yes, indeed.

[@sophiaowusu3769]

Excellent,brief and straight to the point 👏👏 Subscribed

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you.

[@constantinwossala9926]

Cheers! Very informative video!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you!

[@dorcasjones5317]

Great teaching sir, thanks

[@Onlinepmcourses]

You are welcome.

[@Wallucks.]

My favourite way is actually a 3 point estimate CPM... It's all the same but I find it the easiest to visualize

[@Onlinepmcourses]

The 3-point estimate originated in the PERT method - but there is no reason not to use it with the CPM. Our video on the CPM: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKmqlIlmqdqriLc

[@teddyw.charawa8989]

You are a great informer. M blessed.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

I appreciate it. Thank you.

[@kejotravel8395]

Good explanation

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you, Kevin. There's a companion video coming up in Season 4: What is the Critical Path Method.

[@magedrefat1658]

Amazing! the video is very clear.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you.

[@MyAviram]

Good Explanation Sir, a very good introduction to the topic

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Glad you liked it, Aviram.

[@Connor-kv5cm]

great vid mate

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thanks, Connor.

[@AxGryndr]

@3:43 You said we subtract the optimistic estimate from the pessimistic estimate, wouldn't that be P - O and not O - P as shown?

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Jeremiah - thank you. You spotted an error. You are quite correct, the Pessimistic estimate is larger and the formula on screen should be (P-O)/6 [I could be cheeky and note that Standard Deviations are modulus number - meaning we disregard the sign. That means technically, both are correct. But that would just me worming my way out of taking responsibility for an error] Than you for pointing this out. I'll pin a note.

[@Coconut_candle]

Well explained 😍

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you.

[@elizabethbeatty6964]

At 3:40 - 3:46 min. Why do you divide the answer by six? Does this 6 come from totaling your multipliers in the other method?

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Elizabeth, that's a very good question and I am not enough of a statistician to derive the formula. And I can't be sure that the answer to your question is yes. So, I don't know if you took a higher central weighing (of 6, for example), you'd get a bigger (here, 8) denominator for the standard deviation. I do know the denominator should get bigger, but not if, in this case, it becomes precisely 8. I suspect, for a narrow range of examples, the approximation that the standard PERT formula represents will behave that way, but don't know for sure. The best way to think of the 6 in the denominator of the standard formula (P-O)/6 is to divide a normal (bell-curve) distribution into 6 equal parts. One either side of the centre represents 1 sd, which accounts for around 67% of cases. But note: (1) a normal curve runs out to infinity, so the six blocks need to cover around 95% of the area (2) the use of a three-point estimate usually gives an asymmetric triangular distribution not the ideal of a normal curve (which requires a near infinite data set). So all the statistics used in the PERT calculations are approximations to real-world data sets. They are simple enough to use but good enough to be of use. Therefore, they meet the criteria for being a good model - but they are a model of reality nonetheless - not a precise representation of it.

[@Hangang2005]

It's the sum of all the coefficients (weights) of the three numbers - 1+4+1

[@Onlinepmcourses]

@@Hangang2005 That's absolutely correct. I was instinctively asking the harder question of why 1+4+1, rather than 1+6+1 or 1+5+2. Thank you for spotting the obvious when I so quickly missed it!

[@trueboss9265]

I love you

[@suhailmamaluba9118]

Very precise discussion. If there's something to improve, it is only putting subtitles for non-native speakers to catch up who are not exposed in listening to native speakers. Most of the Asians are exposed in neutral accent. Thank you.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you. KZbin will add subtitles if you turn them on.

[@Ced3kGama]

Do you know any good free software for pert? I'm searching for one.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Unfortunately not. If you do find something, I'd welcome you letting us know here.

[@elnabz4731]

hello , please can you recommend a software that draws AOA and AON networks diagrams automatically, I have been given a very difficult assignment

[@Onlinepmcourses]

First... For readers wondering 'what do AOA and AON stand for?' AOA - Activity on Arrow AON - Activity on Node Unfortunately, I am unable to keep up with the rapidly changing PM software market, so cannot make a recommendation. However, a quick search using Google or similar, will show you several capable tools. Good luck with your assignment.

[@freewarelee8176]

@@Onlinepmcourses Alright thank you

[@captain_bucko]

Holy chocolate ice cream the music

[@Onlinepmcourses]

LoL!

[@yes3821]

i subbed

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you.

[@cnmg7121]

too slow, I can't keep up

[@Onlinepmcourses]

From your icon, I surmise that English is your first language. That isn't the case for all my viewers. So, try the 1.5x setting on future videos of mine.

[@aqsa619]

I think he is speaking slow for non- English speakers to understand well.by speaking slowly.

[@NotAFirefighter1]

Is he falling a sleep ?

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Deliberately slow, steady pace for people who don't have English as a first language.

[@MyAviram]

@@Onlinepmcourses Thanks for that