A Network Diagram is a visual picture of a project’s tasks and how they relate to each other. It can also be called an action network diagram or a critical path network diagram.
Network maps are made to help project managers see the timeline and find the critical path, which is the order of tasks that must be done on time for the project to be finished on time. Find the longest chain of related tasks that must be done on time for the project to end on time. This is the critical path.
The Precedence model Method (PDM) and the Arrow Diagram Method are the two most popular ways to make a network model. (ADM).
In PDM, tasks are shown as squares, and lines show how they are related to each other. Dependencies can be finish-to-start (FS), start-to-start (SS), finish-to-finish (FF), or start-to-finish (SF), which describe the connection between the start and end of one action and the start and end of another activity.
In ADM, activities are shown by lines, and the beginning and end of the activities are shown by squares. The arrows show how the activities depend on each other and are labelled with the activity’s name and/or length.
Both PDM and ADM network maps can show things like the length of an action, its goals, its key paths, and who is responsible for what resources. Most of the time, they are made with software like Microsoft Project or Primavera P6, but they can also be made by hand with pen and paper.
Project managers can use network maps to find the key path and figure out how changes to the project plan will affect the schedule. They also make it easier to see how everything fits together and to spot scheduling problems or delays.
