Network/critical path analysis - part 1

In this lesson

1. 0:00 Network and critical path analysis introduction
2. 0:59 Creating network charts with arrows and nodes
3. 2:02 Understanding event nodes and timing components
4. 3:34 Key conventions and rules for critical path
5. 5:11 Building the network chart activity table
6. 6:03 Parallel activities and dependency relationships
7. 7:39 Multiple preceding activities and project sequencing

About this lesson

This video breaks down how to represent project activities as a network chart using arrows, nodes, and time estimates, then introduces the key conventions and rules you need to follow. You'll discover how to structure activities in logical sequence, calculate earliest and latest starting times, and prepare the activity table that forms the foundation of your analysis. This is essential knowledge for Performance Management (PM) and Strategic Business Leader (SBL) papers, where project planning questions frequently appear in exams. The video starts by explaining why network analysis matters: it transforms complex projects into manageable, visual schedules. You'll see how activities are represented as arrows with durations, and how nodes (circles divided into three sections) mark the start and end points of each activity. Each node contains three key pieces of information: the event number, the earliest starting time (EST), and the latest starting time (LST). Understanding these components is crucial because they determine the critical path—the sequence of activities that cannot be delayed without pushing back your entire project timeline. The second half introduces the essential rules and conventions that govern all network diagrams. The sequence always flows left to right, projects have single start and end points, and activities must never loop or intersect. You'll learn how EST is calculated by moving forward through the project (adding durations), while LST is calculated backward from the end (subtracting durations). The video concludes with a worked example showing a realistic project broken into seven activities, each with dependencies and durations, demonstrating how these principles work in practice. This foundation prepares you for part two, where you'll complete the full network chart and identify the critical path.

Duration: 9m