Project network

"Network chart" redirects here. For the 1980s and early 1990s British radio show, see The Network Chart Show.

A project network diagram is a graph that displays the order in which a project’s activities are to be completed. Derived from the work breakdown structure, the terminal elements of a project are organized sequentially based on the relationship among them. It is typically drawn from left to right to reflect project chronology.[1]

Activity-on-Node Diagram

Techniques

Activity-on-Node

The Activity-on-Node (AON) technique uses nodes to represent individual project activities and path arrows to designate the sequence of activity completion.[2] Nodes are labelled using information pertaining to the activity. According to Project Management, nodes should at least display the following information:[3]

• Identifier
• Descriptive label
• Activity duration
• Early start time
• Early finish time
• Late start time
• Late finish time
• Activity float (slack)

Activity Node Labels

Start and finish times are used to determine the critical path of a project. Activity float, or slack, time is used in project crashing.

Other techniques

The condition for a valid project network is that it doesn't contain any circular references.

Project dependencies can also be depicted by a predecessor table. Although such a form is very inconvenient for human analysis, project management software often offers such a view for data entry.

An alternative way of showing and analyzing the sequence of project work is the design structure matrix or dependency structure matrix.

See also

• Bar chart
• Float (project management)
• Gantt chart
• Project management
• Project planning
• Program evaluation and review technique

References

1. "Project Network Diagram". projectauditors.com. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
2. Kramer, S. W. & Jenkins, J. L. (2006). Understanding the basics of CPM calculations: what is scheduling software really telling you? Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2006—North America, Seattle, WA. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
3. Pinto, Jeffrey K. (2019). Project management : achieving competitive advantage (Fifth ed.). New York, NY. pp. 316–319. ISBN 978-0-13-473033-2. OCLC 1007502136.

External links

• Critical Path Mapping with Activity Network Diagrams
• Understand how scheduling tools works-Draw network diagram yourself