Gantt charts and network diagrams
Discussion
Hi everyone - just seeking a bit of help.
I am about to undertake a project, albeit a small one, and need to decide whether to use network diagrams and Gantt charts to implement this project. I must be able to fully justify my choice.
I am well aware of what each are but less aware of how they work and the benefits of each and any negatives of each.
The project is the erection of a new sports facility so typically will be done over a year period and I have to use these diagrams to show this.
This is the first time I have been asked to do this so a big chance so ifanyone with any specific knowledge on the subject who could offer some critical evaluation of either or both I would be highly grateful.
Many thanks in advance
Matt
I am about to undertake a project, albeit a small one, and need to decide whether to use network diagrams and Gantt charts to implement this project. I must be able to fully justify my choice.
I am well aware of what each are but less aware of how they work and the benefits of each and any negatives of each.
The project is the erection of a new sports facility so typically will be done over a year period and I have to use these diagrams to show this.
This is the first time I have been asked to do this so a big chance so ifanyone with any specific knowledge on the subject who could offer some critical evaluation of either or both I would be highly grateful.
Many thanks in advance
Matt
Will you be asked to provide a completion date? If so will you need to be able to show how the completion data is affected by changes in the project? If so you require critical path analysis (CPA). CPA is the underlying technique that a "Network Diagram" helps you perform. A Gantt chart is simply a user-friendly view on a left to right calendar of the data from your Network Diagram.
No-one, but no-one performs CPA manually anymore except once on a degree course. Everyone, but everyone uses Microsoft Project to do it. In the Project Management world Microsoft Project is THE most common software tool and therefore if you might possibly need to exchange schedule information with anyone else at all ever the tool you need will be Microsoft Project.
As to whether or not CPA and Microsoft Project are necessary for your project think about this...
How many discrete tasks do you have? 10, 20 , 100, 1000?
How many of these can be done at any time but more importantly how many have to happen in a sequence? All, Most, None?
Will you need to be able to predict with accuracy when any one of the tasks will be being done in order to order the proper materials and/or labour and have them on the site only just before they are required and leave not long after they have finished?
If the answer is five, they can be done in any order and it doesn't matter when they are done you do not need CPA/Microsoft Project.
If the answer is tens to hundreds, all of them, very important to know when stuff happens else it costs money then you need CPA/Project and if you don't do it it will be an almighty f
k up of the first order.
I have been a Project Management Consultant for some of the biggest PM software companies in the world. I even developed PM software back in the day for Artemis. Trust me - you need proper project management. If you need help setting up a project office (yours sounds too small) then you will find consultants (like myself) cost from £250 to £1000 per day depending on what league they are in.
No-one, but no-one performs CPA manually anymore except once on a degree course. Everyone, but everyone uses Microsoft Project to do it. In the Project Management world Microsoft Project is THE most common software tool and therefore if you might possibly need to exchange schedule information with anyone else at all ever the tool you need will be Microsoft Project.
As to whether or not CPA and Microsoft Project are necessary for your project think about this...
How many discrete tasks do you have? 10, 20 , 100, 1000?
How many of these can be done at any time but more importantly how many have to happen in a sequence? All, Most, None?
Will you need to be able to predict with accuracy when any one of the tasks will be being done in order to order the proper materials and/or labour and have them on the site only just before they are required and leave not long after they have finished?
If the answer is five, they can be done in any order and it doesn't matter when they are done you do not need CPA/Microsoft Project.
If the answer is tens to hundreds, all of them, very important to know when stuff happens else it costs money then you need CPA/Project and if you don't do it it will be an almighty f
k up of the first order.I have been a Project Management Consultant for some of the biggest PM software companies in the world. I even developed PM software back in the day for Artemis. Trust me - you need proper project management. If you need help setting up a project office (yours sounds too small) then you will find consultants (like myself) cost from £250 to £1000 per day depending on what league they are in.
Hi Matt21- couldn't agree with Don more - you definitely need to start off with Project Mngt software because you will end up with a dogs dinner if you dont - dont even think about doing it Excel as a "cheap" alternative
MSP is a good place to start but I know excellent easy to use software that you rent on line a month at a time (as I'm sure Don does)- because its internet based it allows others to view where the project is upto, collects all the memo's, e-mails, changes etc and presents it all with costs/invoicing but really all of this is dependent upon how big your project is and if you're co-ordinating i.e acting Proj Mngr or actually building it.
I'm currently inmplementing a big piece of software like this at a large firm of Architects so glad to help -drop me a line if you want - Good Luck
MSP is a good place to start but I know excellent easy to use software that you rent on line a month at a time (as I'm sure Don does)- because its internet based it allows others to view where the project is upto, collects all the memo's, e-mails, changes etc and presents it all with costs/invoicing but really all of this is dependent upon how big your project is and if you're co-ordinating i.e acting Proj Mngr or actually building it.
I'm currently inmplementing a big piece of software like this at a large firm of Architects so glad to help -drop me a line if you want - Good Luck
thanks for your help 
i do have microsoft project and will be using this.
at this early stage, to show my understanding I have to work through a number of "dummy" projects to show I know what I am talking about.
two tasks is to critically evaluate the use of Gantt charts and network diagrams and their pros and cons. The other task is to talk about what you can do if bad weather causes a 30 day delay in the project and what can be done to overcome this.
I have all the basics, just wondered if you guys who are experts have something I could impress my boss with! Then I should get entrusted with some more real life tasks such as the project I first mentioned.
Thanks
i do have microsoft project and will be using this.
at this early stage, to show my understanding I have to work through a number of "dummy" projects to show I know what I am talking about.
two tasks is to critically evaluate the use of Gantt charts and network diagrams and their pros and cons. The other task is to talk about what you can do if bad weather causes a 30 day delay in the project and what can be done to overcome this.
I have all the basics, just wondered if you guys who are experts have something I could impress my boss with! Then I should get entrusted with some more real life tasks such as the project I first mentioned.
Thanks
As DOn says...
I am doing a management course at the moment, covering all types of project planning tools.
Check out http://www.4csys.com/thanks/thanks_critical_path.h... or search http://www.businessballs.com/ for others.
I haven't got my folder with me....but once you have worked out all the tasks and the time it will take for each....and which are dependant on others to be completed first, a simple tool on MS project will calculate the min and max time the project will take and the critical path.
I will try to remember to dig my folder out later.
I am doing a management course at the moment, covering all types of project planning tools.
Check out http://www.4csys.com/thanks/thanks_critical_path.h... or search http://www.businessballs.com/ for others.
I haven't got my folder with me....but once you have worked out all the tasks and the time it will take for each....and which are dependant on others to be completed first, a simple tool on MS project will calculate the min and max time the project will take and the critical path.
I will try to remember to dig my folder out later.
Is this for a real life project or a coursework / study? I have read the original post but it seems strange that a project as big as a building erection is being handled like this.
Happy to provide input but it seems a bit odd that this is the approach..
To add to the good advice above, you will probably find that you will use a Gantt chart for your own sanity, to manage the project but will then need to dumb this down for senior management to understand. IMHO the real skill is pulling out the key milestones / summary of status and tasks for senior management review. With some tweaking you can get MS Project to help you although I don't believe it's particularly intuitive at times.
If you do go down the Gantt chart route and there are specific things you want to do to "impress" I (and I am sure others) would be happy to help.
Happy to provide input but it seems a bit odd that this is the approach..
To add to the good advice above, you will probably find that you will use a Gantt chart for your own sanity, to manage the project but will then need to dumb this down for senior management to understand. IMHO the real skill is pulling out the key milestones / summary of status and tasks for senior management review. With some tweaking you can get MS Project to help you although I don't believe it's particularly intuitive at times.
If you do go down the Gantt chart route and there are specific things you want to do to "impress" I (and I am sure others) would be happy to help.
sebo said:
Is this for a real life project or a coursework / study? I have read the original post but it seems strange that a project as big as a building erection is being handled like this.
Happy to provide input but it seems a bit odd that this is the approach..
To add to the good advice above, you will probably find that you will use a Gantt chart for your own sanity, to manage the project but will then need to dumb this down for senior management to understand. IMHO the real skill is pulling out the key milestones / summary of status and tasks for senior management review. With some tweaking you can get MS Project to help you although I don't believe it's particularly intuitive at times.
If you do go down the Gantt chart route and there are specific things you want to do to "impress" I (and I am sure others) would be happy to help.
HiHappy to provide input but it seems a bit odd that this is the approach..
To add to the good advice above, you will probably find that you will use a Gantt chart for your own sanity, to manage the project but will then need to dumb this down for senior management to understand. IMHO the real skill is pulling out the key milestones / summary of status and tasks for senior management review. With some tweaking you can get MS Project to help you although I don't believe it's particularly intuitive at times.
If you do go down the Gantt chart route and there are specific things you want to do to "impress" I (and I am sure others) would be happy to help.
I think maybe I have confused.
I am looking to get onto the project team for the project first mentioned but as I need to prove my knowledge and have been doing a few assessments so I have a better understanding of everything before I join the team.
Sorry if I have been vague, that probably didnt help either!
matt21 said:
Mattt said:
Do you want to be a planner, or another member of the project team?
initially to get on the project team where hopefully I will have a hand in drawing up the Gantt CPM & Pert charts G
Don said:
I even developed PM software back in the day for Artemis.
Blimey - first time I've seen someone say that on PH. My CV is still the only one that I've seen in recent years that has Artemis on it. I used to develop in Artemis 7000 for Windows back in early 90s. When Widgets weren't just things made up to describe products being sold by companies in training courses ;-)cirks said:
Don said:
I even developed PM software back in the day for Artemis.
Blimey - first time I've seen someone say that on PH. My CV is still the only one that I've seen in recent years that has Artemis on it. I used to develop in Artemis 7000 for Windows back in early 90s. When Widgets weren't just things made up to describe products being sold by companies in training courses ;-)G
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