Project Network
A project network illustrates the relationships between activities (or tasks) in the project. Showing the activities as nodes or on arrows between event nodes are two main ways to draw those relationships.
With activities on arrow (AOA) diagrams, you are limited to showing only the finish-to-start relationships - that is, the arrow can represent only that the activity spans the time from the event at the start of the arrow to the event at the end. As well, "dummy" activities have to be added to show some of the more complex relationships and dependencies between activities. These diagrams came into use in the 1950's, but are now falling into disuse.
Activity on node (AON) diagrams place the activity on the node, and the interconnection arrows illustrate the dependencies between the activities. There are more flexible and can show all of the major types of relationships. Since the activity is on a node, the emphasis (and more data) usually can be placed on the activity.
AOA diagrams emphasize the milestones (events); AON networks emphasize the tasks.
Introduction to The Nine Project Management Knowledge Areas
Also read about our new agile delivery model called Scrumthat is significantly different than the model below.
As a PMP I often get questions about what goes into running a project. I will try to explain in a couple of articles the various components that make up a project. There are several ways to look at a project as a whole.
You can view it as a series of processes. Some processes are executed in order and some are recurring processes that are executed at various stages throughout the entire project.
You can also view the project from the different knowledge areas that are needed to execute the project. I will cover the knowledge areas in this article and go on to the processes in my next article.
There are nine knowledge areas and each one covers its own important part of the project. A knowledge area can cover several phases or process
With activities on arrow (AOA) diagrams, you are limited to showing only the finish-to-start relationships - that is, the arrow can represent only that the activity spans the time from the event at the start of the arrow to the event at the end. As well, "dummy" activities have to be added to show some of the more complex relationships and dependencies between activities. These diagrams came into use in the 1950's, but are now falling into disuse.
Activity on node (AON) diagrams place the activity on the node, and the interconnection arrows illustrate the dependencies between the activities. There are more flexible and can show all of the major types of relationships. Since the activity is on a node, the emphasis (and more data) usually can be placed on the activity.
AOA diagrams emphasize the milestones (events); AON networks emphasize the tasks.
Introduction to The Nine Project Management Knowledge Areas
Also read about our new agile delivery model called Scrumthat is significantly different than the model below.
As a PMP I often get questions about what goes into running a project. I will try to explain in a couple of articles the various components that make up a project. There are several ways to look at a project as a whole.
You can view it as a series of processes. Some processes are executed in order and some are recurring processes that are executed at various stages throughout the entire project.
You can also view the project from the different knowledge areas that are needed to execute the project. I will cover the knowledge areas in this article and go on to the processes in my next article.
There are nine knowledge areas and each one covers its own important part of the project. A knowledge area can cover several phases or process