The Project Management Tool Kit: 100 Tips and Techniques for Getting the Job Done Right

Identify Dependencies

There are many ways to model project work flow, but the easiest and most effective is to build an activity network using activity and milestone descriptions written on yellow sticky notes arrayed on a large piece of paper (or wall) where they can be moved around readily. This manual “activity on node” analysis (also called precedence diagramming) has several advantages over alternative approaches:

• It is easier to do as a team than to enter dependency data directly into a computer scheduling tool.

• Dependency analysis on a small computer screen can be confusing, so it is easy to miss critical linkages.

• Other approaches, such as “activity on arrow,” are less intuitive for most people, and they are not consistent with standard ...