Network plan technique
A scheduling method
The network plan technique is a method used to analyze, control and monitor business processes and workflows. Contrary to the work breakdown structure, a network diagram also considers the chronological order of activities, milestones and tasks, their durations and dependencies and visualizes them graphically or as a table, e.g. in a Gantt chart.
The network analysis enables project managers to take various factors into account when creating a project plan:
- Dependencies between activities
- Buffer times between activities
- Earliest and latest start and end dates
- Duration of activities
- Critical Path
The network analysis method is often used in procurement and production in order to control project processes more efficiently and to complete projects on schedule and on budget.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to conduct an example network analysis: Back to Basics (Part 10): How to Create a Project Network Diagram