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The major output of Project Time Management’s Sequence Activities process is a Network Diagram. So what is a Network Diagram? The function is described in your PMP Exam prep as “visualizing project tasks in boxes with activity IDs and demonstrating the interrelationship between arrow activities.” Network diagrams say how an activity starts with another activity before, after, or at the same time. What are the benefits of Network Diagrams?
Want to know more about the same? Get the best training for PMI and IIBA Certifications right here at Education Edge. One of the biggest project management challenges is to meet deadlines and completing projects on time. Creating a project network diagram can help you plan projects more accurately. What is a project network diagram?The InLoox project management glossary defines a project network diagram as follows:
In a network, nodes (rectangles) represent activities and events. Arrows connect nodes with each other. Arrows represent the dependency between the activities or events. People often use the terms Work Breakdown Structure and a project network diagram synonymously. But there is an important difference between the two: A work break down structure enables you to view the project independently from its schedule and you visualize logical relationships in a hierarchical tree diagram. A network diagram also takes into account the chronological order of activities and uses dependencies to display them. Bar charts such as Gantt charts are a special type of network. The network analysis enables the project manager to take into account various aspects when creating a project plan:
How to conduct a network analysisWe’ve talked a lot about the theory but how does a network analysis actually work and what do you have to do? We’ll show you step by step how it works using a sample project – a teambuilding event. Step 1: Define activities, durations and dependenciesCreate a list of all your project activities and estimate their duration. Then define the chronological order of the activities, i.e. the dependencies between them. Enter everything into a table: Step 2: Display all activities in nodes (rectangles) and enter the duration (d) into the node.Each node is displayed as follows:
Step 3: Link activitiesDefine the dependencies between activities. Predecessor and successor activities are linked by an arrow – this enables you to see which activity or activities you have to complete before you can start the next activity. Step 4: Forward planningForward planning means that you start at the first activity and go through the activities #1-#8 chronologically. Add the EST (earliest start time) and EFT (earliest finish time). Here’s how you calculate the times:
Step 5: Backward planningThis step enables you to calculate the latest start time (LST) and the latest end time (LFT). Start from activity #8 and continue until you reach activity #1. Here’s how you calculate the times:
Step 6: Calculate the buffer timesThe next step is to identify the cumulative buffer time (CBT) and the free buffer time (BT) for all activities. Cummulative buffer time
The cumulative buffer time indicates how much delay there can be in completing an activity before it jeopardizes the project’s completion. Free buffer time
The free buffer time indicates how much delay there can be in completing an activity before it has an impact on the completion time of the next activity. Step 7: Determine the critical pathThe critical path is the longest path (i.e. the path with the longest duration) from project start to finish. The activities and milestones on this path have no buffer time. Which means that even the slightest delay of one activity, the project’s completion will be delayed accordingly.
So the critical path determines the minimum project duration and enables the project manager to identify activities that are particularly risky should delays arise there. This helps them to devise countermeasures from the start. It’s important the they keep a close eye on the activities on the critical path. On the other hand, if you manage to complete a critical activity earlier than planned, you can decrease the duration of the project accordingly. ConclusionThe network analysis is a very precise method but that means that it is also pretty complex. For smaller projects with a smaller number of activities such as our teambuilding event, it’s feasible. But if you have a complex project plan with a lot of activities, it’s not only complex to create a network diagram but it’s also complex and time-consuming to keep it up to date. Which is why most use a project management software to create a network diagram. Though it’s still helpful to know how to conduct a network analysis manually as it helps you to understand your project plan better. The biggest advantage of a project management tool is that it calculates end and start times automatically according to the dependencies and constraints you’ve defined, calculates the critical path automatically and – most importantly – it takes much less time and effort to create a project plan. What are the benefits of developing the project network?Benefits of a Network Diagram. Aid for tracking projects.. Sequential arrangement of project activities helps to better plan and schedule.. Helps to visually monitor project status.. Detailed representation helps identify critical activities.. Helps identify risks in terms of time delay.. What is a project in a network?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.
Why network is necessary in project management?Since project managers must have exceptional communication skills, networking is closely related to their craft. During projects, we have to constantly interact with different people; the list can go from the project team to the stakeholders, executives and so on.
What is the purpose of activity network in project planning?The Activity Network Diagram is a tool used by Project Managers to indicate the project activities and sequential relationships. The purpose is to identify the boundaries for the best case, worst case, and most likely project finish time (critical path).
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