What's wrong with the Gantt Chart? The Network diagram can be configured
using the Format, Layout command. However, as the Network diagram is not
used by many people, Microsoft doesn't put much effort into it so if the
Layout command does not help, you will need to manually adjust it. Read help
for some useful shortcut keys. The Gantt chart is usually best and most
widely accepted.
--
Rod Gill
Project MVP
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Actually, I have a different approach that Rod. I prefer the Network
Diagram to the Gantt for looking at complex dependencies. On very
small projects, the Gantt is sufficient, but on anything more than 40
or 50 tasks, the lines on the Gantt become indisguishable to me. On
the Network Diagram, if I set it up correctly, I, and everyone else,
can see exactly what's linked to what. But in it's native format, the
ND is unwieldy, at best. It's unfortunate that because of poor
software design, few people use this valuable tool. I can't imagine
working on a large, complex project without really understanding the
relationships between the tasks. In fact, I've used it to bring a huge
($40MM) project which was totally out of control back in control. The
fact that this tool and it's importance is not understood by many
Project Managers today is disturbing. And it's mostly because it is so
difficult to access in a useful form in MS Project.
I can briefly outline the steps it takes to make the ND far more
useful for understanding your linking. For this purpose, the only
field we need to see in the ND boxes is the "Name" field. All the rest
is superfluous. (I'm doing this from memory, so you may have to figure
out exactly where these things are in Project) Go into the "Views,
More Views" dialog box and create a "Copy of Network Diagram". Rename
it something like "Basic ND". Open that view, and go into the "Box
Styles" dialog box. There's a list of the different box styles and an
option to click to create new box styles. Click on that. It's a couple
of levels deep, called Templates, if I remember right. Create one that
has only one field in it, and make that field big enough so you can
see the task name in the box. (If you don't get it right on the first
try, no big deal, you don't have to redo this whole process, you can
just come back here and change this one setting for the Template and
they'll all change.) Name the template, something like "Basic". Once
you've created the Template, go back to the list of Box Styles, and
change each one to use the Template you created. You want to change
"Critical", "Non-critical", "Milestone", etc. If you don't use the
"Marked" type, you don't have to change it.
Once you're done, you then go to the Layout dialog box and adjust the
distances between the boxes so they're closer. And while you're there
change the Link Type from "Rectilinear" to "Direct". (Rectilinear
links look better, but obscures the relationships).
Go to the Organizer and save this "Basis ND" to your global.mpt file
so it is available to every project you do.
Now you have a useful ND. You can see what's linked to what very
clearly. I've even had a great deal of success using this as a team
building tool, because if you print it out, and put it up on a public
wall where everyone can see it, it gives a much clearer picture of
what all the relationships are and who is dependent on whom throughout
the project. For me, and others I've worked with, it is the only way
to fully comprehend a project.
Hope this helps in your world.
