Network diagram

How to create a network diagram for a project in Excel?

Microsoft Excel It is an excellent tool for designing any type of diagram and organizing data. Therefore, next, we will teach you how to create a network diagram in this program, just following these simple steps:

1. It is always recommended sort information about the project and the respective activities in a table. This allows you to better visualize important details and organize them properly when you use them to graph any figure.

1. Based on the number of activities involved in the project, we can define the number of nodes using Excel figures. To do this, we select Shapesin the upper right corner of the section Illustrationsin the tab Insert. Next, we choose one of the shapes that appear in the menu.

1. To add text, we must select the figure and, in the tab Formatwe use the tool text boxby clicking on the shape again. We write the name of the activity and its duration, in days, months or other time interval.

1. To use arrows, we can do the second step procedure and choose an arrow type. Next, we can use the vertices or nodes of the figures to connect them with the arrow.

1. Now it's time to calculate the floats and duration of each of the tasks. To do this, we design a short box near each of the nodes, where each row represents slack (H), the closest and furthest start and end times, respectively.

The second line, which contains the closest times, is calculated taking into account the duration of each activity and the one that precedes it. In the case of activity 2, its duration is 2 days, while the one preceding it is 5, therefore these two data are added together, resulting in a total of 7 days.

Thus, the closest start time is 5 days after the project started and the end time is 7 days.

In the third row, for the same activity, the last times are shown, calculated by subtracting the closest final time from the duration of the activity. If so, it would be 7-2 = 5.

Finally, permissions are calculated by subtracting the closest start time from the furthest, as well as the end times. For task two, the calculation would be 5 – 5 = 0 and 7 – 7 = 0. Remember that the two results must be the same.

1. Finally, we can use Excel's customization tools to change some aspects of the diagram. This can be done through the options in the tab Start or Format.

The implementation of this type of graphs, among which are included i statistical graphs used in the Descriptive statistics and the inferential statisticsthey are very useful both for the dissemination of information and for the interpretation and understanding of the same.

Similarly, today's computer tools, including Excel, They are an essential complement for professional updating both employees and companies in general. In this case, they allow you to quickly and easily make various graphs.

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