What is the importance of “Network” in project structure

[Former Member]

Dear Guru's,

What is the importance of u201CNetworku201D in project structure, if we created any activity with out network directly at WBS element level, what all the disadvantages in reporting. What is the use of the u201Cnetworku201D can any one explain in detail.

Regards,

Hari

[Former Member]

Hi,

PS module is concern its starts with

1.Project definition,

2.WBS element,

3. Network,

4.Activity (Internal, external, cost,service)

5.Activity element (Internal, external, cost,service)

6.Material Component

7.Milestone,

8. PS text and Document attachment.

The structure is mapped as above, to get the splits we have WBS and other elements, everything has its unique function and linked with header WBS then linked with project definition.

WBS is for Budgeting , Scheduling, Account assignment element, Billing element , planning element

.......

Network is for Planning Start and finish dates, Capacity planning, Scheduling forward or backward, sales doc assignment, costing sheet.......

Activity is for internal assignment or external procurement........

Material component is for allocate the material....

Milestone is for billing at percentage of completion level.

Regards,

S.Suresh.

[Former Member]

First of all, it is not possible to create an activity without associating it with a network in a project. Depending on your project requirements, a network serves a variety of purposes. These are a few:

1. A network provides the framework for creating a processing sequence for your project activities. For example, relationships such as "Assembly" cannot begin before "Procurement" ends, etc... these are represented in a network by means of relationships and relationship types (start-start, start-finish, finish start, finish-finish).

2. A network is an order category. If you want to generate a sequence of operations to be carried out for a sales order, for example, for assembly processing, you will need to create a network with activities.

3. If you do not have a network under which you create activies, and if you have assigned a network profile to your project profile, a new network is created for each network activity you create. This defeats, to the most part, what you are trying to represent using activities - a sequence of operations. Especially, if you use scheduling to determine dates, unless you create a network, there is no real advantage of using activities.

This is a primer. But, what are you trying to use activities for in your project, if you don't want to associate them with one/more networks?

[ansar_shaikh2]

If you want to do Capacity requirement planning you would have to use one or several networls as well.

Networks are used for execution - Actual cost booking.

New network is created only in case of Activity assigned Network.

In Header Assigned Network there is only one network throughout the project.

Impt Fuctions of Networks:

*Scheduling

*Resource Planning.

*Confirmatuon of work.

*External Procurement of services.

*MRP,Procurement & delivery.

*Network Costing.

*Various Period-end closing activities.

*Monitoring Proj Prgress.

WBS & Networks are 2 controlling object types for Prject Accounting.

Hope u understand.

Regards,

ANSAR