{{Short description|Diagram showing the order of activities}} {{redirect|Network chart|the 1980s and early 1990s British radio show|The Network Chart Show}} {{Refimprove|date=September 2014}}
A '''project network diagram''', also known an '''activity network diagram''' ('''AND''') 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.<ref>{{cite web | title=Project Network Diagram | url=http://www.projectauditors.com/Dictionary2/1.8/index.php/term/,62555d9cae535f6f685560ac5b5d.xhtml | publisher=projectauditors.com | accessdate= April 23, 2014}}</ref>
thumb|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.<ref>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.</ref> Nodes are labelled using information pertaining to the activity. According to Project Management, nodes should at least display the following information:<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pinto|first=Jeffrey K.|title=Project management : achieving competitive advantage|date=2019|isbn=978-0-13-473033-2|edition=Fifth|location=New York, NY|pages=316–319|oclc=1007502136}}</ref>
* Identifier * Descriptive label * Activity duration * Early start time * Early finish time * Late start time * Late finish time * Activity float (slack)
thumb|240x240px|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 == {{div col}} * Bar chart * Float (project management) * Gantt chart * Project management * Project planning * Program evaluation and review technique {{div col end}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.pmhut.com/critical-path-mapping-with-activity-network-diagrams Critical Path Mapping with Activity Network Diagrams] * [http://www.planningengineer.net/understand-scheduling-tools-worksdraw-network-diagram/ Understand how scheduling tools works-Draw network diagram yourself]
Category:Charts Category:Project management techniques Category:Schedule (project management)
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