Activity 4.5 - MS Project Practice: AOA Network Diagram

Network Diagrams are often used during project planning to give the project manager a visual map of the key activities of the project. Activity-On-Arrow (AOA) is often used to demonstrate the concept of activity sequencing. Consider Figure 4-30 (page 172 in your textbook) to answer the following questions. All duration estimates are in days, and the network proceeds from Node 1 to Node 9.

Draw an AOA network diagram representing the project. Put the node numbers in circles and draw arrows from node to node, labeling each arrow with the activity letter and estimated time.

Identify all the paths on the network diagram and note how long they are, how to represent each path.

What is the critical path for this project and how long is it?

What is the shortest possible time it will take to complete this project?

Enter the information into Project 2010 or Excel. See the Brief Guide to Microsoft Project 2010 in Appendix A in your textbook for detailed instructions on using this software. View the network diagram and task schedule table to examine the critical path and float or slack for each activity. Print the Gantt chart and network diagram views and the task schedule table to include in your Word Document. Write at least a paragraph that interprets this information for someone unfamiliar with project time management.