{"id":42408,"date":"2025-10-02T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectmanager.com\/?p=42408"},"modified":"2026-07-17T15:13:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T20:13:50","slug":"network-diagrams-free-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectmanager.com\/blog\/network-diagrams-free-tools","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a Project Network Diagram: Free Tools & Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"

What project management is good at is making the complex simple, or at least manageable. That\u2019s done by using project management tools such as project network diagrams.<\/p>\n

A project network diagram helps project managers simplify a complex project plan<\/a>, enabling them to see the project network. It\u2019s important to have an overview of any project, see when it starts and finishes, and quickly note all the activities and how they work together. The critical path method uses project network diagrams to achieve this.<\/p>\n

However, some might avoid project network diagrams, thinking of them as dense schematics that depict the nodes and connections in a computer network. That would be a mistake. Project managers need tools, and the project network diagram is a great one. Let\u2019s start with a project network diagram definition, then we\u2019ll dive into examples, free tools and project management software<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Visualizing<\/a>
Visualize dependencies and find the critical path with ProjectManager. Learn more<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What Is a Network Diagram in Project Management?<\/h2>\n

A project network diagram is a visual representation of the workflow of a project. A network diagram is a project management chart<\/a> that is populated with boxes noting tasks and responsibilities, and then arrows that map the schedule and the sequence that the work must be completed. Therefore, the project network diagram is a way to visually follow the progress of each phase of the project life cycle to its completion.<\/p>\n

Project managers use a network diagram to track the project schedule<\/a> network, allowing them to see the progress of each activity. Then they can share the status with the rest of the project management team. This is especially helpful for those who better understand information that is delivered visually. For those team members, project network diagrams will help with the performance of their tasks and increase the project\u2019s productivity.<\/p>\n

Another aspect of the network diagram is that it illustrates the project\u2019s scope<\/a>. That\u2019s because the project network diagram collects all the activities, milestones and deliverables defined on the work breakdown structure of the project. The Critical Path Method (CPM) and the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) are good examples of how to use network diagrams in project management. Project managers use these methods to estimate the duration of the project and create a project schedule.<\/p>\n

Types of Project Network Diagrams: ADM & PDM<\/h2>\n

Project network diagrams can be divided into two types, the arrow diagram method (ADM) and the precedence diagram method<\/a> (PDM). The main difference between an ADM and a PDM project network diagram is the way they represent tasks and milestones.<\/p>\n

Arrow on Arrow Network Diagram<\/h3>\n

As expected, the arrow diagramming method<\/a> uses arrows to represent the project activities, with the tail of the arrow being its start and the point at the finish. The length of the arrow is the duration of the activity. The arrows connect nodes or boxes that are milestone symbols of the start and finish of the activity in sequence.<\/p>\n

Precedence Network Diagram<\/h3>\n

In the precedence diagram method, each node or box is an activity. There are arrows, but in this case, they represent task dependencies<\/a>. There are four types of task dependencies:<\/p>\n