A duplicate relationship is a pair of activities which have both a FS/FF or FS/SS relationship. Using duplicate relationships in CPM scheduling undermines clear communication, logical sequencing, accountability, and accurate tracking of project tasks. It can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and inefficiencies in project management. To maintain a well-organized and effective project schedule, it is essential to ensure that all relationships between activities are unique, accurately reflect the true dependencies, and are free from inconsistencies and duplications.
- Ambiguity: Duplicate relationships create ambiguity and confusion within the schedule. It becomes unclear which instance of the relationship is valid or how different dependencies between activities should be interpreted.
- Inefficient Resource Allocation: Duplicate relationships can result in inefficiencies in resource allocation. Team members may receive mixed signals about task priorities, which can lead to underallocation or overallocation of resources, causing disruptions in work assignments.
- Reduced Accountability: When multiple relationships are associated with the same activities, it becomes difficult to hold team members accountable for their work. This lack of clarity regarding dependencies can result in a lack of accountability, making it challenging to ensure that tasks are completed on time.
- Inaccurate Scheduling: Duplicate relationships can lead to inaccuracies in the project schedule. The schedule may not reflect the true critical path or logical sequence of activities, making it difficult to analyze the impact of schedule changes or delays accurately.
- Error-Prone Updates: Duplicate relationships can make schedule updates error-prone. Project managers and schedulers may inadvertently introduce inconsistencies when making changes to the schedule, which can lead to inaccuracies and potential disruptions in project execution.
- Difficulty in Schedule Analysis: Duplicate relationships can complicate the analysis of the project schedule. Project managers may have difficulty in determining the true critical path, identifying constraints, and managing schedule constraints accurately.
- Loss of Traceability: CPM schedules are used to establish logical relationships between activities. Duplicate relationships can make it challenging to trace these relationships accurately, hindering the ability to identify critical paths and dependencies.