Project Network Construction

Guidelines for network construction

Key Terminologies
Node: A node represents the starting or ending of an activity
Branch/Arc: A branch represents the actual activity which consume some kind of resource.
Precedence relations of activities: For any activity, the precedence relations provide the
following information
• The activities that precede it
• The activities that follow it
• The activities that may be concurrent with it

Network construction requires a detailed list of individual activities of a project,

estimates of activity durations and specifications of precedence relationships among
various activities of the project
Rules for network construction
1. The starting event of an activity is called tail event
2. The ending event of an activity is called as head event
3. The network should have a unique starting node (tail event)
4. The network should have a unique completion node (head event)
5. No activity should be represented by more than one arc in the network
6. No two activities should have the same starting node and same ending
node.
7. Dummy activity is an imaginary activity including precedence
relationship only and its duration is zero
Example 1

Activity Immediate predecessor

A ---
B A
C A
D B
E C
F D, E
 3
B D
A F
1 2 5 6

C E
4

Fig 1: Network of sample activities

Example 2
Activity Immediate
predecessor
A ---
B A
C A
D B and C
 Wrong

B
A D
1 2 3 4
C

Fig 2: Network of sample activities

 3’

D1
B
A D
1 2 3 4
C

Fig 3: Network of sample activities

(with dummy activity D1)
Practice Exercise
Activity Activity description Time (days) Precedence
code requirements

A Cost analysis for purchase of new machines and sale of old 2 ---
machine as scrap

B Approval of budget for purchase of new machines 3 A

C Invite quotations of prices for new machine and selection of 7 B
supplier/vendor with best prices

D Invite tender for sale of old machines 7 B

E Advertisement for hiring of additional operators (staff) for 6 B
operating new machines

F Place the order for new machines 2 C

G Select and train the new operators hired 3 E
H Sell old machines to the selected buyers 1 D
I Install the new machines 4 H,F
J Start production 2 G,I